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The differences between vice presidents of public relations 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 vice president of public relations and a director of public affairs. Additionally, a vice president of public relations has an average salary of $143,172, which is higher than the $114,639 average annual salary of a director of public affairs.
The top three skills for a vice president of public relations include press releases, external communications and business development. The most important skills for a director of public affairs are government affairs, public policy, and external stakeholders.
| Vice President Of Public Relations | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Yearly salary | $143,172 | $114,639 |
| Hourly rate | $68.83 | $55.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 55,300 | 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 vice president of public relations oversees the public relations efforts of a company, aiming for brand awareness and public interest. It is their duty to establish timelines and guidelines, develop projects and programs, monitor budgets, liaise and build positive relationships with media partners, and coordinate with public relations experts. There are also instances when they must represent the company at public gatherings or when facilitating press conferences. Moreover, as a vice president, it is essential to enforce the company's policies and regulations, implementing new ones 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.
Vice presidents of public relations and directors of public affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vice President Of Public Relations | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average salary | $143,172 | $114,639 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $232,000 | Between $70,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | We Communications | Kaiser Permanente |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a vice president of public relations and a director of public affairs in terms of educational background:
| Vice President Of Public Relations | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Communication | Political Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between vice presidents of public relations' and directors of public affairs' demographics:
| Vice President Of Public Relations | Director Of Public Affairs | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | 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% |