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The differences between university relations directors 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 university relations director and a director of public affairs. Additionally, a director of public affairs has an average salary of $114,639, which is higher than the $95,885 average annual salary of a university relations director.
The top three skills for a university relations director include marketing campaigns, project management and investor relations. The most important skills for a director of public affairs are government affairs, public policy, and external stakeholders.
| University Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Yearly salary | $95,885 | $114,639 |
| Hourly rate | $46.10 | $55.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 23,143 | 26,290 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
University Relations Directors manage the company's partnership with schools. They are employed by companies with businesses that cater to universities, colleges, or other related academic institutions. They handle the group that works as account managers or act as account managers themselves. They are in charge of setting their department's targets. They also create strategies to meet their goals. University Relations Directors should have a wide network. They should know how to create professional relationships with clients, maintain clients, and ensure customer loyalty. University Relations Directors should be familiar with the current trends in the academe and their business field.
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.
University relations directors and directors of public affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| University Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average salary | $95,885 | $114,639 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $163,000 | Between $70,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Nike | Kaiser Permanente |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a university relations director and a director of public affairs in terms of educational background:
| University Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between university relations directors' and directors of public affairs' demographics:
| University Relations Director | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.7% Female, 48.3% | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |