Public relations director vs publication director

The differences between public relations directors and publication directors 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 publication director. Additionally, a public relations director has an average salary of $94,692, which is higher than the $87,824 average annual salary of a publication director.

The top three skills for a public relations director include press releases, web content and pr campaigns. The most important skills for a publication director are website content, press releases, and government agencies.

Public relations director vs publication director overview

	Public Relations Director	Publication Director
Yearly salary	$94,692	$87,824
Hourly rate	$45.52	$42.22
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	31,693	14,660
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a public relations director do?

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.

What does a publication director do?

A publication director spearheads and oversees the operations of publishing establishments, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They have the authority to make publication decisions, set goals, establish guidelines and timelines, delegate tasks and resources among teams, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They also monitor the workflow and the performance of the workforce, addressing issues and concerns if any arise. Moreover, a publication director leads and encourages staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed.

Public relations director vs publication director salary

Public relations directors and publication directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Relations Director	Publication Director
Average salary	$94,692	$87,824
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $150,000	Between $49,000 And $154,000
Highest paying City	Napa, CA	Carson City, NV
Highest paying state	Nevada	Delaware
Best paying company	Exelixis	Biogen
Best paying industry	Internet	Media

Differences between public relations director and publication director education

There are a few differences between a public relations director and a publication director in terms of educational background:

	Public Relations Director	Publication Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 81%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Communication	Communication
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Public relations director vs publication director demographics

Here are the differences between public relations directors' and publication directors' demographics:

	Public Relations Director	Publication Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1%	Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2%
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, 5.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between public relations director and publication director duties and responsibilities

Public relations director example responsibilities.

Manage internal agency public relations, blog content and twitter account.
Hire, train and manage play-by-play broadcasters guaranteeing a professional and informative listening experience.
Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
Assist in development-relate alumni campaigns and event planning.
Keep running list and archive information regarding NCAA commitments.
Compile statistics and update game notes, player biographies, player and team statistics.

Publication director example responsibilities.

Manage media relations, announcements, editorial placement, and speaking opportunities the organizations.
Promote expansion of Medicaid coverage at the federal and state level.
Create & maintain SEAPOWER Facebook page, where all online articles are place, driving page views back to the website.
Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
Draft pleadings and serve subpoenas.
Complete all investigative reports including incident reports, subpoenas, arrest warrants, and witness statements.

Public relations director vs publication director skills

Common public relations director skills

Press Releases, 19%
Web Content, 9%
Pr Campaigns, 5%
Facebook, 4%
Crisis Communications, 4%
Twitter, 3%

Common publication director skills

Website Content, 12%
Press Releases, 11%
Government Agencies, 9%
Public Policy Issues, 6%
Government Relations, 5%
Pr Campaigns, 4%

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Public Relations Director
Public Relations Director vs Publication Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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