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The differences between strategic communications consultants and communications 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 strategic communications consultant and a communications director. Additionally, a communications director has an average salary of $107,700, which is higher than the $79,405 average annual salary of a strategic communications consultant.
The top three skills for a strategic communications consultant include press releases, web content and linkedin. The most important skills for a communications director are web content, press releases, and customer service.
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Communications Director | |
| Yearly salary | $79,405 | $107,700 |
| Hourly rate | $38.18 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 29,342 | 27,939 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A strategic communications consultant is involved in the preparation of media releases for a company. This professional often works as a freelancer and is often hired by a media consulting company or by industries such as finance and technology. The core skills that a strategic communications consultant should possess to accomplish his/her or her job responsibilities include strong interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills. The job's education requirements include a bachelor's or master's degree in business, marketing, communication, or a related field.
A communications director is responsible for monitoring and supervising the overall media relations from internal to external communications. A communications director's duties include managing campaigns, providing organizational updates to the employees, supporting social media marketing, developing effective communication strategies to build the organization's reputation, and efficiently leading team members in handling events that represent the business. Communications directors must have strong leadership and communication skills to provide support for the company's daily operations and strategies.
Strategic communications consultants and communications directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Communications Director | |
| Average salary | $79,405 | $107,700 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $128,000 | Between $61,000 And $188,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Nevada |
| Best paying company | - | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a strategic communications consultant and a communications director in terms of educational background:
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Communications Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Communication | Communication |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between strategic communications consultants' and communications directors' demographics:
| Strategic Communications Consultant | Communications Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7% | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 12% | 16% |