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What is a coordinator of public affairs and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Derek Arnold

As a Coordinator of Public Affairs, you will basically coordinate activities to improve the organization's positive relationship with the public. You may be tasked to develop programs that will enhance brand awareness or the organization's public image, set guidelines, set goals, manage staff, and many more.

You also need to possess important skills and traits as a Coordinator of Public Affairs. You need to have good speaking skills to efficiently communicate with the people you are working with. You also need to have great writing skills because besides speaking, you will also be writing a lot; therefore, you need to clearly and effectively express yourself through writing. Lastly, problem-solving skills are another important skill as a Coordinator of Public Affairs. You might face problems along the way, and you should be able to solve these problems in a timely manner.

You can earn an average salary of $47,315 as a Coordinator of Public Affairs. You also have the chance to further your career. For instance, from being a Coordinator of Public Affairs, you can then become an Office Manager, an Account Manager, a Marketing Manager, and a Regional Marketing Manager.

What general advice would you give to a coordinator of public affairs?

Derek ArnoldDerek Arnold LinkedIn profile

Senior Instructor, Villanova University


One of the things I stress to my incoming first-year students is that you need to be less concerned about specialized skills right off the start that you might develop over four (or more) years (and many will wind up changing their choice of that major anyhow over their collegiate career) and worry more about strong "general" skills that will apply to multiple areas "out there." I tell them that some jobs available in four years haven't even been created yet. Application software developers, data miners, 3d printing engineers, AI specialists--all these positions were in their infancy only a few years ago. Some of the people in school right now will be among the first who might be hired to fill the new jobs created.

To some extent, the training for them is not complete either, so some basic skills can help you be in the right place at the right time. Skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, logic/argumentation, and strong speaking skills never go out of style and can turn out to be a key to success once you get dropped into a situation that wasn't exactly what you were expecting when you were looking for your first "real" job. Think about it: If you bought stock in a company that employed Zoom support technicians, plexiglass screen manufacturers, and installers, mask makers, or contact tracing application software designers, you are probably sitting in a good place right now. The key is to be prepared, ready, and willing to explore new opportunities as they arise; there's a lot you can learn on the fly, but having a well developed, sensible pattern to address general questions to solve problems (or even what questions you need to ask) can put you in advantageous positions. There is a crying need for this, especially in today's ever-changing world.
ScoreCoordinator Of Public AffairsUS Average
Salary
2.9

Avg. Salary $36,689

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 5.32%

Black or African American 10.19%

Hispanic or Latino 12.07%

Unknown 5.10%

White 66.73%

Gender

female 64.50%

male 35.50%

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

Coordinator of public affairs career paths

Key steps to become a coordinator of public affairs

  1. Explore coordinator of public affairs education requirements

    Most common coordinator of public affairs degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.5 %

    Master's

    14.7 %

    Associate

    7.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific coordinator of public affairs skills

    SkillsPercentages
    PowerPoint14.22%
    Government Affairs10.28%
    Event Planning5.67%
    External Stakeholders5.17%
    Alumni4.98%
  3. Complete relevant coordinator of public affairs training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New coordinators of public affairs 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 coordinator of public affairs based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real coordinator of public affairs resumes.
  4. Research coordinator of public affairs duties and responsibilities

    • Produce internal HTML department newsletter and manage content for internal team SharePoint site.
    • Manage all social media for the federal affairs practice including twitter, facebook, and blog postings.
    • Develop PowerPoint presentation and assist in managing activities on event days.
    • Manage financial responsibilities including payroll, billing and monthly grant reporting.
  5. Prepare your coordinator of public affairs resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your coordinator of public affairs 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 coordinator of public affairs resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable coordinator of public affairs resume templates

    Build a professional coordinator of public affairs 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 coordinator of public affairs resume.
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    Coordinator Of Public Affairs Resume
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    Coordinator Of Public Affairs Resume
    Coordinator Of Public Affairs Resume
    Coordinator Of Public Affairs Resume
    Coordinator Of Public Affairs Resume
    Coordinator Of Public Affairs Resume
    Coordinator Of Public Affairs Resume
  6. Apply for coordinator of public affairs jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a coordinator of public affairs 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 coordinator of public affairs job

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Average coordinator of public affairs salary

The average coordinator of public affairs salary in the United States is $36,689 per year or $18 per hour. Coordinator of public affairs salaries range between $24,000 and $54,000 per year.

Average coordinator of public affairs salary
$36,689 Yearly
$17.64 hourly

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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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