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The differences between public relations directors and public relations specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a public relations director has an average salary of $94,692, which is higher than the $48,124 average annual salary of a public relations specialist.
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 specialist are press releases, web content, and project management.
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $94,692 | $48,124 |
| Hourly rate | $45.52 | $23.14 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 31,693 | 29,698 |
| 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 specialist is an individual who creates and maintains a favorable public image of an organization by crafting media releases and developing social media programs. Public relations specialists must help their clients communicate effectively with the public as well as evaluate the public opinion of their clients through social media. They need to draft their press releases and contact people in the media who might want to broadcast their materials. Public relations specialists are also required to draft speeches and arrange interviews for the top executives of their organization.
Public relations directors and public relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $94,692 | $48,124 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $150,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Napa, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | Exelixis | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Finance |
There are a few differences between a public relations director and a public relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Specialist | |
| 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 specialists' demographics:
| Public Relations Director | Public Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% | Male, 30.3% Female, 69.7% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |