The following article discusses the career path of Communications Manager. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Communications Managers.
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Job Duties
Communications managers are responsible for facilitating external and internal cooperation within the business they work for. They often network closely with other businesses, internal departments, and clientele of the company. They can be found in small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and corporations and hold responsibility for maintaining and improving their company’s reputation.
These professionals can work alone or as part of a team. If they work for large companies, they are often supervised by a senior communications manager within a larger team. They also work with a talented pool of graphic designers, writers, and marketers in order to develop the company’s brand image. Usually, their work is based in an office.
Other job duties of communications managers are:
- To manage different initiatives of marketing communication, including promoting special events and managing both internal and external communications
- To monitor advertising budgets and keep abreast of advertising trends
- To be a liaison between the company’s management team and outside vendors
- To provide support and guidance in public relation strategies and marketing planning in order to meet company objectives
Where We Work
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 31,300 advertising, promotions, and marketing managers in 2016, and the communications manager is part of this professional group. The largest employers of these professionals were:
- Advertising, public relations, and related services: 34%
- Information: 12%
- Management of companies and enterprises: 7%
- Wholesale trade: 6%
- Retail trade: 6%
How to Become
A bachelor’s degree is generally the minimum requirement for a communications manager. Having a major in areas such as journalism or marketing is preferred. Furthermore, experience is very important, and communications managers must be able to demonstrate past successes in both internal and external communications. Usually, these professionals have between five and 10 years of experience.
Education Requirements
Communications managers are generally required to hold a bachelor’s degree as a minimum. Usually, they will major in areas such as marketing degrees, communication degrees, journalism, psychology, or advertising degrees. Those who have taken classes in photography, art history, visual arts, communication technology and methods, sales, market research, consumer behavior, and marketing are in the highest demand.
Additionally, it is often advisable to also have completed courses in areas such as statistics, mathematics, computer science, finance, economics, management, and business law. This is because these courses will enable a communications manager to best understand the methods of driving traffic through communication online, an integral part of modern forms of communication.
Experience is also very important. Most communications managers completed an internship as part of their degree. They will then have taken up an entry level position, through which they can grow to coordinator position.
Traits & Qualities
The most effective communications managers have the following traits to some degree or other:
- To have a lot of experience with technology
- To be proficient with graphic design and marketing tools, including Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft PowerPoint
- To have strong written and verbal communication skills
- To have excellent interpersonal skills
Minimum Education
Bachelor’s Degree
The national average salary estimate for Communications Manager was $68,895. This number is estimated from over 366,724 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $35.88 and monthly of $5,741.
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$16,000
$159,000
The following section lists Communications Manager salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, New Jersey had the largest quoted salary of $94,809 while Utah had the smallest quoted salary of $37,248.
According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Communications Manager. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.
| Employer Name | Location | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Hirewell | Illinois | $170,000 |
| California | $162,878 | |
| Robert Half The Creative Group | California | $142,892 |
| Green Key Resources | New York | $134,814 |
| AccessSourceGroup | Michigan | $134,174 |
| CyberCoders | California | $133,097 |
| Experis | Connecticut | $129,744 |
| Microsoft | Washington | $128,495 |
| Beacon Hill Staffing | Massachusetts | $111,859 |
| Southwest Accounting Resources, Inc. | Arizona | $111,812 |
| Systematic business consulting | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| Ploeger Recruiting Services | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| Bertram & Associates | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| Lodestar Executive Search | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| Onboard.jobs | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| CMD And Associates | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| Hire Horizons | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| SearchStars | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
| Fowler Placement Services, Inc. | Pennsylvania | $109,548 |
Learn More
| Career Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Sales Executive | $69,894 |
| Data Analyst | $69,685 |
| Compliance Officer | $69,393 |
| Human Resources Manager | $69,342 |
| Procurement Analyst | $69,088 |
| Hospitality Manager | $68,555 |
| Network Analyst | $68,167 |
| Treasury Analyst | $68,044 |
| Business Operations Manager | $68,007 |
| Insurance Manager | $67,560 |
