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The differences between public relations directors and public relations consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a public relations director and a public relations consultant. Additionally, a public relations director has an average salary of $94,692, which is higher than the $50,333 average annual salary of a public relations consultant.
The top three skills for a public relations director include press releases, web content and pr campaigns. The most important skills for a public relations consultant are press releases, web content, and strategic communications.
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $94,692 | $50,333 |
| Hourly rate | $45.52 | $24.20 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 31,693 | 27,882 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A public relations director is an individual who is employed to design and implement marketing strategies that can cultivate the relationship between a company and the media. Public relations directors collaborate with the internal team to boost brand awareness and maximize brand consistency in all advertising efforts. They must arrange interviews and press releases so that they can promote their company and its products or services. They also maintain relationships with the media and should manage sensitive issues to maintain the company's good reputation.
A public relations consultant represents an organization and is the company's way to communicate to the public their plans, decisions, and motivations. They both advertise and show the company's personality and create familiarity and trust. The public relations consultant's role is to create all the PR materials needed to accomplish these goals. It means writing press releases, online content, speeches, and also working with the marketing and advertising team to create copy that will evoke the interest of the public. The ultimate goal is to gain customers and thus increase sales.
Public relations directors and public relations consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average salary | $94,692 | $50,333 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $150,000 | Between $29,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Napa, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | Exelixis | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Media |
There are a few differences between a public relations director and a public relations consultant in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 81% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between public relations directors' and public relations consultants' demographics:
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |