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The differences between senior public relations managers and directors of public affairs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior public relations manager and a director of public affairs. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, which is higher than the $95,756 average annual salary of a senior public relations manager.
The top three skills for a senior public relations manager include press releases, marketing campaigns and content development. The most important skills for a director of public affairs are government affairs, public policy, and external stakeholders.
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Yearly salary | $95,756 | $114,639 |
| Hourly rate | $46.04 | $55.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 30,323 | 26,290 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior public relations manager is responsible for supervising the overall media presence and brand awareness of a company within various communication platforms. Senior public relations managers coordinate with the marketing team to promote the brand image on social platforms and reach the target audience by creating engaging content and digital assets. They also identify brand endorsers, such as models and celebrities, if the budget permits, to grow more customers and meet the public demands. A senior public relations manager monitors the sales performance and transactions within the company and adjusts PR plans as needed.
Directors of Public Affairs are executives who manage the public relations and communications initiatives of the company. They oversee all external communications that are intended for broadcast. They create guidelines on the proper crafting of communication materials that will be published or broadcasted. They also lead the public affairs department in networking activities and industry events. Directors of Public Affairs must be level-headed, calm, and creative. They should know how to communicate with the public, handle crises, and create successful brands.
Senior public relations managers and directors of public affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average salary | $95,756 | $114,639 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $139,000 | Between $70,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Kaiser Permanente | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior public relations manager and a director of public affairs in terms of educational background:
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Communication | Political Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior public relations managers' and directors of public affairs' demographics:
| Senior Public Relations Manager | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 75.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |