Public relations supervisor vs public information officer

The differences between public relations supervisors and public information officers 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 public information officer. Additionally, a public relations supervisor has an average salary of $75,368, which is higher than the $56,725 average annual salary of a public information officer.

The top three skills for a public relations supervisor include press releases, account management and integrated marketing. The most important skills for a public information officer are press releases, web content, and community outreach.

Public relations supervisor vs public information officer overview

	Public Relations Supervisor	Public Information Officer
Yearly salary	$75,368	$56,725
Hourly rate	$36.23	$27.27
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	25,097	129,237
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 public information officer do?

The primary job of a public information officer involves the promotion of a positive public image on social media. Public information officers offer significant information during a crisis. They collect facts and distribute them to the media and organize special events like awards ceremonies. Typically, they work for large organizations and government agencies. They maintain their online presence that can be part of the duties of public information. Also, they can work for long hours on an irregular schedule, especially when the incidents or situations affect the organization.

Public relations supervisor vs public information officer salary

Public relations supervisors and public information officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Relations Supervisor	Public Information Officer
Average salary	$75,368	$56,725
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $104,000	Between $38,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	-	Fairfield, CA
Highest paying state	-	Delaware
Best paying company	-	City of Fairfield
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between public relations supervisor and public information officer education

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

	Public Relations Supervisor	Public Information Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Communication
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Public relations supervisor vs public information officer demographics

Here are the differences between public relations supervisors' and public information officers' demographics:

	Public Relations Supervisor	Public Information Officer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%
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, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between public relations supervisor and public information officer 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.

Public information officer example responsibilities.

Manage agency's social media pages (Facebook/Twitter).
Manage multiple websites and associate SEO; direct all brand photography to publicize and promote the resort.
Serve as college spokesperson managing crisis communications.
Lead implementation of a robust membership database to support organization strategy and decision making.
Interview featured alumni, manage copywriting staff and editorial calendar, and coordinate photography.
Create and maintain the college's blackboard intranet site.

Public relations supervisor vs public information officer 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 public information officer skills

Press Releases, 16%
Web Content, 10%
Community Outreach, 5%
Press Conferences, 4%
Graphic Design, 4%
Emergency Operations, 4%

Public Relations Supervisor vs. similar jobs

Public Relations Supervisor related careers

Public Relations Supervisor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Public Relations Supervisor
Public Relations Supervisor vs Public Information Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs