Prospective communications students may have been drawn to the field because they have heard that there are many available jobs in communications. Indeed, there is a wealth of choices for those holding a BA in communications, and it is often just a matter of deciding which industry and position to pursue upon graduation. Potential positions for communications majors are available in a number of areas, including public relations, marketing and journalism.
Vice President (VP), Public Relations (PR) & Corporate Communications
According to the 2015-2016 PayScale College Salary Report, the median mid-career salary is $140,000 per year for these board-level executive positions. People in these positions typically supervise all official messaging. They coach and give talking points to managers who handle media inquiries; they work with the company’s marketing and branding staff to create press releases; and they train managers, directors and board executives to project a positive image for the company when answering questions from media or shareholders. These positions require a high level of written and verbal communication skills and the ability to manage a variety of teams. Often, employees in these positions are promoted from within.
Account Director
The account director position is one of the highest-paying jobs in communications, with a median mid-career salary of $107,000 per year. The account director manages client accounts. An account director’s duties include taking payments for current accounts and accurately entering them into the system, issuing bills, processing payments, and recruiting new clients. Communication skills are essential, as an account director must maintain good relationships between the business and client, resolving client issues and complaints smoothly.
Executive Producer
An executive producer supervises production and collaborates with content producers. Often, executive producers are involved in activities like choosing content, ensuring that production and engineering teams are completing their duties properly and on schedule, resolving production issues, budgeting, and hiring. They must have the ability to prioritize and multitask, work in a fast-paced environment with strict deadlines, collaborate with a team and work well with minimal supervision. An executive producer earns a median mid-career salary of $104,000 per year.
Digital Strategist
Typically, a digital strategist works as part of a strategy team to plan and determine long-term goals for products. Since digital strategists determine the direction of digital products and services, experience is an asset, as is a BA in communications. Creative and innovative people familiar with technology are well-suited to this field. To that end, computer skills are also essential; digital strategists must be proficient in SEO, SEM and Microsoft applications. Excellent communication skills are also necessary, as digital strategists may lead teams and team meetings. The work life of a digital strategist is often fast-paced, with the workload varying based on the current number of projects. Their median mid-career salary is $99,800.
Brand Manager
Brand managers are hired by companies that have a public brand they would like to preserve. Brand managers may be responsible for controlling or managing the way one or more of the company’s branded trademarks are represented to the public. The activities of a brand manager include conducting marketing research to discover customer impressions of the brand, deciding who to market the brand to, and using branding strategies to ensure that the goods and services place well on the market. Most brand managers work business hours in an office. Their median mid-career salary is $92,800 per year.
Other top-paying jobs in communications include senior interactive producer, director of public relations, marketing director and associate media director. The wide range of jobs available to a communications graduate does not end there. Graduates can also find employment in different industries and areas, including nonprofits, social media, government, fundraising, post-secondary education, freelancing, start-ups, publishing, or sports. In all respects, communications students have a wide range of choices upon graduation.
Learn more about the A-State online BA in Communication Studies program.
Sources:
PayScale: Best Jobs for Communications Majors by Salary Potential