Communications is a complex, creative component of corporate strategy that can provide the spark a business needs to move forward. It combines analytical competency, interpersonal skills and an aptitude for creativity to build, present and launch business ideas. When successful, communication strategies can grow a company’s reach, connect it with high-value customers and maximize its profitability.
Expertise in communications is essential in business. It has applications in numerous career paths, such as public relations and marketing. An advanced degree such as a Master of Communication Management can help individuals hone the knowledge and skills needed to excel in communications, regardless of the career they pursue. A master’s degree in the communication field can also impact salary, providing another incentive to earn the degree.
What Can You Learn in a Master of Communication Management Program?
A Master of Communication Management program prepares individuals to take a holistic approach to communications. The program provides students ample opportunity to sharpen the writing, presentation, research and interpersonal skills integral to creating and promoting an effective corporate communications strategy. At the same time, the program can help individuals gain expertise in how to ensure a strategy’s maximum effectiveness.
Students dive into communication practices such as market identification, determining a brand’s “voice” and digital media storytelling. Students also explore concepts such as market data analysis, stakeholder messaging and employee relations.
Mastery of communication methods and theories can provide students with a solid foundation in the field of communications. Not only does it prepare students to incorporate these concepts into their communications strategies, but it also helps them to understand why they matter in the context of modern business. As a result, individuals can devise more intuitive strategies that produce solid results, which can propel their careers forward.
What Is the Master of Communication Management Salary?
According to PayScale, the median annual salary for professionals with a master’s in communication was roughly $65,000 as of August 2021. However, several factors can influence the exact amount that a graduate may earn.
One key factor is the specific career an individual targets within the communications field. Certain career paths, such as public relations manager or marketing manager, offer median annual salaries that are substantially higher than the degree’s median salary base.
As is the case with most roles, time in the field can boost an individual’s salary. A Master of Communication Management graduate who has several years of professional experience will typically earn more than someone just starting out. For example, marketing directors with 10 years of experience earn a six-figure median annual salary, according to PayScale.
Job location can also influence an individual’s annual salary. A person who works in communications in a city with a higher cost of living typically earns more than someone in the same role in a less expensive place to live.
Key Communication Careers
Earning a Master of Communication Management degree can unlock the door to numerous career paths. These paths offer the opportunity for an individual with a master’s in communication to earn a good salary. More importantly, it provides the chance to pursue a career that ideally aligns with their interests.
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers plan and oversee campaign strategies designed to pique interest in a company’s product or service. They work with a company’s staff and department heads to coordinate the campaign’s scope and target demographic in a financially efficient manner. They also analyze consumer markets to gauge effectiveness and uncover new opportunities.
In addition to creativity, marketing managers must have strong analytical, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the 2020 median annual salary for the role was $142,170. The BLS projects 7% job growth in the role between 2019 and 2029, which is higher than the projected 4% average growth for all occupations.
Public Relations Manager
Public relations managers create materials and coordinate strategies designed to optimize a client’s or company’s public image. They act as the company’s “voice” through various communications-based strategies, such as writing press releases, crafting promotion and advertising programs, and connecting media with the appropriate sources.
Public relations managers must possess strong leadership, writing, speaking, interpersonal and organizational skills to be successful. The 2020 median annual salary for the role, according to the BLS, was $118,430, with a projected 9% job growth between 2019 and 2029.
Technical Writer
Technical writers create a wide range of documentation designed to communicate complex information in a simple and clear manner. They may work on large-scale content, such as instruction manuals, as well as specific documents, such as journal articles. Technical writers can also revise supporting content, determine platforms to disseminate information and standardize content across different media platforms.
These professionals must possess strong writing skills, as well as technical proficiency, critical-thinking skills, teamwork competency and the ability to explain a product or procedure to nontechnical consumers. While the BLS lists the 2020 median annual salary at $74,650, it notes that the median salary for the top 10% of earners in the field was $119,040 and projects 7% job growth for the role between 2019 and 2029.
Market Research Analyst
Market research analysts scrutinize various market conditions to optimize product or service sales for a company. These professionals gather consumer and competitor data and interpret the findings, which enables them to forecast trends and measure marketing strategy effectiveness. Additionally, market research analysts create and oversee data collection methods and present their findings to a company’s management and clients.
The profession requires strong analytical skills, as well as solid communication skills, critical-thinking skills and attention to detail. The BLS lists the role’s 2020 median annual salary as $65,810 but notes that the median annual salary for the top 10% in the field was $127,410 — a figure that could potentially be more attainable to professionals with a graduate degree, such as a Master of Communication Management. The BLS projects a robust 18% job growth for market research analysts between 2019 and 2029.
One Degree, Many Opportunities
Earning a Master of Communication Management degree from USC can be the key to unlocking numerous career paths. The diversity of career options allows students to choose one that plays to their strengths and interests, which can significantly increase job satisfaction.
USC’s Master of Communication degree program includes three focus areas — marketing communication, strategic and organizational communication, and market research and analytics — to help you excel in your chosen field of study. Our coursework is designed to optimize your knowledge of key communication theories and allow you to cultivate the skills you’ll need to put them into practice. Learn how USC can help you prepare for an exciting and satisfying career.
Recommended Readings
Communication in a Global Marketplace
Communication Management: From Degree to Career
Crisis Communications: 2021 and Beyond
Sources:
G2, “Public Relations Manager Job Description”
Houston Chronicle, “The Requirements for Marketing Coordinators”
Houston Chronicle, “What Is Marketing Communication Strategy?”
PayScale, Average Marketing Director Salary
PayScale, Master of Arts (MA), Communication Degree
The Princeton Review, “3 Skills All Communications Majors Must Have”
Society for Human Resource Management, Market Research Analyst
Society for Human Resource Management, Technical Writer
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Market Research Analysts
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Technical Writer