Public relations supervisor vs communications manager

The differences between public relations supervisors and communications managers 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 supervisor and a communications manager. Additionally, a communications manager has an average salary of $81,304, which is higher than the $75,368 average annual salary of a public relations supervisor.

The top three skills for a public relations supervisor include press releases, account management and integrated marketing. The most important skills for a communications manager are customer service, property management, and yardi.

Public relations supervisor vs communications manager overview

	Public Relations Supervisor	Communications Manager
Yearly salary	$75,368	$81,304
Hourly rate	$36.23	$39.09
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	25,097	26,350
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a public relations supervisor do?

Public or patient relations representatives are professionals who act as an intermediary between hospitals and the families of their patients. These representatives are required to provide excellent service to patients and their families by responding to their questions, filling out paperwork, and providing information. They are required to handle all communications and complaints as well as relay concerns to the appropriate channels. Public relations representatives must also conduct satisfaction surveys so that they can improve the loyalty and service recognition of the company.

What does a communications manager do?

A communications manager is responsible for overseeing a company or organization's public relations by devising various strategies and finding new opportunities. They must craft and produce marketing materials such as campaigns, advertisements, newsletters, social media engagements, and press releases to shape and improve a brand or company. Furthermore, a communications manager must accomplish administrative tasks such as preparing reports and necessary documentation, reaching out to advertisers, leading communication letters, and coordinating with marketing personnel from other departments.

Public relations supervisor vs communications manager salary

Public relations supervisors and communications managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Relations Supervisor	Communications Manager
Average salary	$75,368	$81,304
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $104,000	Between $53,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	McKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between public relations supervisor and communications manager education

There are a few differences between a public relations supervisor and a communications manager in terms of educational background:

	Public Relations Supervisor	Communications Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Southern California

Public relations supervisor vs communications manager demographics

Here are the differences between public relations supervisors' and communications managers' demographics:

	Public Relations Supervisor	Communications Manager
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%	Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%
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, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between public relations supervisor and communications manager duties and responsibilities

Public relations supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage public affairs and media efforts including writing and placing op-eds and mobilizing editorial campaigns.
Administer corporate oversight of customer expectations and appropriate services to ensure alignment between customer practices and core customer service values.
Direct strategic planning and execution for entertainment partnership platform to include B2C communications and marketing.

Communications manager example responsibilities.

Co-administered sales campaigns in Salesforce, CRM to efficiently manage sales productivity of communication and leads.
Lead and manage marketing department's copywriting and editing team and develop many aspects of corporate communication.
Manage creative agency relationships and lead execution of commercial excellence awards program, Americas mid-year growth summit and kick-off meetings.
Manage all Medicaid paperwork, manage staff payroll, client attendance.
Manage all facets of community programs and recruitment for HIV prevention clinical trials.
Train in YARDI to complete daily transitions, manage resident ledgers and prepare weekly/monthly reports.

Public relations supervisor vs communications manager skills

Common public relations supervisor skills

Press Releases, 10%
Account Management, 8%
Integrated Marketing, 6%
Direct Reports, 5%
Guest Service, 4%
Client Relations, 4%

Common communications manager skills

Customer Service, 16%
Property Management, 9%
Yardi, 5%
Project Management, 5%
Press Releases, 4%
Web Content, 4%

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Public Relations Supervisor
Public Relations Supervisor vs Communications Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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