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What is a communications coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted Expert
Molly Yanity Ph.D.
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A communications coordinator is an individual who manages an organization's communication strategies. They are responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a company's internal and external messaging across various platforms, including social media, websites, newsletters, and press releases. The role requires strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to work closely with other departments to ensure consistent messaging.. They may also be involved in crisis management and public relations efforts.

What general advice would you give to a Communications Coordinator?

Molly Yanity Ph.D.Molly Yanity Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Associate Professor of Journalism Chair of Journalism, Quinnipiac University

Getting a journalism job out of college is always tough and, here we are, in the middle of a global pandemic with historic unemployment, so it's going to be even tougher. That said, I have already had students, who graduated in May, hired for jobs in the field. But, my general advice here is to be realistic about your situation and move accordingly. Let's say you have to start making your student loan payments. You likely aren't going to be able to supplement an entry-level position with a serving job right now, so maybe you have to take the responsibility in education, or marketing. That's OK. If that is the practical route you have to go, do it, but keep your journalism contacts fresh. Keep looking for great story ideas and pursue them on a freelance basis. You are too young, at this point, to make a career mistake that is going to derail you. I had a recent grad interview for a writing gig in NYC in March. She got a call that the publication froze hiring. She just accepted a job in her hometown school district and is working part-time in retail. It's temporary... and temporary is fine while the entire country has its finger on the pause button.
ScoreCommunications CoordinatorUS Average
Salary
3.7

Avg. Salary $47,075

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.3

Growth Rate 8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.59%

Asian 5.33%

Black or African American 10.26%

Hispanic or Latino 12.13%

Unknown 5.11%

White 66.59%

Gender

female 70.58%

male 29.42%

Age - 40
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40
Stress Level
7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.8

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Communications Coordinator?

Pros

  • Varied and challenging work

  • Opportunity to develop a wide range of skills

  • Ability to make a positive impact on the organization and its stakeholders

  • High demand for communications professionals in many industries

  • Access to professional development and networking opportunities

Cons

  • Stressful and demanding at times

  • Often involves long hours or working outside normal office hours

  • Dealing with difficult or sensitive issues or stakeholders

  • May require working with limited resources or budgets

  • Involves managing competing priorities and stakeholder expectations

Communications Coordinator career paths

Key steps to become a communications coordinator

  1. Explore communications coordinator education requirements

    Most common communications coordinator degrees

    Bachelor's

    74.5 %

    Master's

    12.2 %

    Associate

    8.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific communications coordinator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service7.26%
    Web Content7.02%
    Event Planning5.61%
    Press Releases5.42%
    Patients4.83%
  3. Complete relevant communications coordinator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New communications coordinators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a communications coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real communications coordinator resumes.
  4. Research communications coordinator duties and responsibilities

    • Launch and manage the corporate Instagram account @ xcelenergy.
    • Manage and maintain the admission website by using basic knowledge of HTML and web editing templates.
    • Co-developed regional, national and international trade show strategy including logistics, management, qualifying leads, communications and ROI tracking.
    • Contribute brand appropriate content for: blog, instagram, and twitter.
  5. Prepare your communications coordinator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your communications coordinator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a communications coordinator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Communications Coordinator Resume templates

    Build a professional Communications Coordinator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Communications Coordinator resume.
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    Communications Coordinator Resume
    Communications Coordinator Resume
  6. Apply for communications coordinator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a communications coordinator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Communications Coordinator Job

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Average communications coordinator salary

The average Communications Coordinator salary in the United States is $47,075 per year or $23 per hour. Communications coordinator salaries range between $34,000 and $63,000 per year.

Average Communications Coordinator Salary
$47,075 Yearly
$22.63 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do communications coordinators rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Communications Coordinator reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

Photography, videography, human interest stories, copy editing.

Cons

Communication etiquette


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Planning meetings, producing monthly newsletter, attaining a feature for the newsletter and learning about co workers, helping co workers with I.T. tasks, teaching co workers about Canva, writing emails, creating ideas for social media posts, planning campaigns,

Cons

Dealing with angry people on the phone, older persons sending impossible requests, older persons not listening to me when I explain that certain things cannot be done on Facebook and then by-passing me to go ask IT


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

People relations Results behavioural change

Cons

marketing especially retailing products and or fundraising


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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