What is a Media Relations Assistant?

A media relations assistant is responsible for helping create, design, and distribute promotional materials and marketing copies to clients and customers. They also handle a variety of administrative tasks under the media relations department.

To perform well in their job, a media relations assistant should be outgoing and presentable. They may help in assembling press kits, sending out press releases, handling social media accounts, and conducting media research. Keeping calendars and overseeing the timeline of events and campaigns are also some of the tasks handled by a media relations assistant.

A media relations assistant needs a bachelor's degree in communications or public relations plus relevant experience in the media relations industry. They may work in different industries under the advertising, media relations, or marketing department of a company.

To be successful in the industry, a media relations assistant needs core skills such as strong attention to detail, ability to follow current media and marketing trends, technology savvinness, and excellent communication skills.

What Does a Media Relations Assistant Do

There are certain skills that many media relations assistants have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed organizational skills, problem-solving skills and speaking skills.

How To Become a Media Relations Assistant

If you're interested in becoming a media relations assistant, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 80.4% of media relations assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 8.1% of media relations assistants have master's degrees. Even though most media relations assistants have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Media Relations Assistant
Top Media Relations Assistant Jobs Near You

Media Relations Assistant Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a media relations assistant can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as executive assistant, progress to a title such as manager and then eventually end up with the title regional marketing manager.

Media Relations Assistant

Average Salary for a Media Relations Assistant

Media Relations Assistants in America make an average salary of $45,450 per year or $22 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $62,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $32,000 per year.
Average Media Relations Assistant Salary
$45,450 Yearly
$21.85 hourly

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Roles and Types of Media Relations Assistant

The role of a media relations assistant includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general media relations assistant responsibilities:

  • Provides event production support for events, including creating online registration pages, drafting an events marketing plan, retrieving registration lists, creating nametags,
  • Assists the marketing and program staff in the planning
  • Responsible for providing primary administrative support for the rd department

There are several types of media relations assistant, including:

Communications Coordinator

Role:

A communication Coordinator supports the communication department to perform administrative tasks in executing and improving communication strategies. He/She also puts down several contents to assist marketing and communication endeavors. This includes copywriting, newsletter, and press release. Primarily, you are meant to assist the communication department in implementing and building a master plan to improve company objectives. The success and failure of your work must be well monitored by giving an analysis and reporting the campaigns and strategies. As a communication Coordinator, familiarity with the latest industry trends helps you provide recommendations for communication strategies and practices. You also cannot ignore media publicity; therefore, responding to media inquiries and maintaining a relationship with journalists helps your work to be more effective.

Your responsibilities include organizing press conferences, coordinating volunteers, assisting the staff, and performing outreach to magazines, press, and influencers to improve the company's productivity. Uncommon interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, exceptional writing skills, management and organizational skills, and knowledge of communication and marketing morals are all essential skills of a communication Coordinator. The average salary of a communication Coordinator annually is $45,000. A bachelor's degree in Mass Communication, Journalism, or other related fields will set you up for the role.

  • Average Salary: $47,075
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Media Coordinator

Role:

Media Coordinators are communications professionals who plan and implement targeted communications and advertising content for clients. They research, write, proofread, and edit all content for broadcast, print, and online distribution channels. They coordinate the execution of marketing and advertising campaigns for broadcast, digital, and media outlets. Furthermore, they negotiate deals with media channels. Moreover, they serve as liaisons between their clients and media organizations, monitor all campaigns, and compile a report on results.

Media coordinators are required to have a bachelor's degree in communications, media, or a related field. They must have at least three years of work experience in a similar role. They are an expert at targeted communications and advertising campaigns. Also, they must be conversant with SEO, web traffic metrics, and social media practices. Key skills include interpersonal, decision-making, research, and communication skills. Their salary ranges from $33,000 to $55,000, which is $42,495 on average yearly.

  • Average Salary: $47,471
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Public Relations

Role:

Public relations are specialists in building and maintaining a positive public image for the company. They create and maintain relationships with the consumer, employee, and the public interest. You will relate with the marketing and advertising teams to maintain open communication with the management. You will also develop public relations campaigns and media relations strategies that you can edit and use to update the existing promotional material and publications. You will make sure you seek opportunities for partnerships, sponsorships, and advertising. In addition, you will prepare and submit the PR reports to the management.

The educational requirement for the public relations post is a degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, or a related field. Experience in project management software and the ability to edit videos and photos are also handy. Plus, you must be able to work under pressure, have goal-oriented and problem-solving skills. Strong verbal and written communication skills are equally required for the post. You will earn $22.53 an hour or $46,854 annually.

  • Average Salary: $48,383
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Media Relations Assistant Jobs

Number Of Media Relations Assistant Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,401$50,680
2New York1,043$44,369
3Texas773$39,946
4Florida595$39,186
5Illinois568$41,959
6Massachusetts474$47,206
7Pennsylvania455$40,595
8Virginia419$55,022
9North Carolina370$38,015
10Georgia352$45,667
11New Jersey334$54,660
12Maryland294$39,405
13Michigan277$44,057
14Washington274$52,861
15Minnesota266$46,081
16Ohio265$49,461
17Oregon263$52,015
18Colorado225$44,950
19Arizona224$37,084
20Utah211$38,104
21Tennessee198$40,815
22South Carolina177$38,213
23Missouri170$37,517
24Wisconsin159$36,580
25Indiana156$38,665
26Connecticut154$56,180
27Kentucky129$41,735
28Iowa121$38,224
29Alabama105$36,763
30Nebraska104$40,672
31Louisiana98$38,568
32Oklahoma96$37,215
33Nevada95$42,296
34Idaho94$47,110
35Kansas94$35,808
36Rhode Island93$50,706
37Arkansas89$46,229
38New Hampshire81$47,573
39Maine80$35,826
40Delaware78$43,490
41New Mexico74$44,395
42Vermont70$42,325
43South Dakota66$39,146
44Mississippi63$33,541
45West Virginia56$41,614
46Montana56$37,534
47Alaska50$59,902
48Wyoming50$41,315
49North Dakota47$47,050
50Hawaii39$52,383

Media Relations Assistant Education

Media Relations Assistant Majors

Communication
18.6 %
Public Relations
11.6 %
Journalism
10.9 %

Media Relations Assistant Degrees

Bachelors

80.4 %

Masters

8.1 %

Associate

6.9 %

Top Colleges for Media Relations Assistants

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Houston

Houston, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,913

Enrollment

37,291

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

Top Skills For a Media Relations Assistant

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 17.2% of media relations assistants listed press releases on their resume, but soft skills such as organizational skills and problem-solving skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Media Relations Assistant Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Media Relations Assistant templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Media Relations Assistant resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Media Relations Assistant diversity

Media Relations Assistant Gender Distribution

Female
Female
58%
Male
Male
42%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among media relations assistants, 58.2% of them are women, while 41.8% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among media relations assistants is White, which makes up 66.5% of all media relations assistants.

  • The most common foreign language among media relations assistants is Spanish at 51.8%.

Online Courses For Media Relations Assistant That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. Introduction to Public Relations and the Media

coursera

This specialization is ideal for learners interested in how to practice public relations and branding communication. You will learn how to use different tools to manage your company’s reputation. You will learn about different forms of media, how to work with journalists, and how to plan strategic communication to enhance your company. And you will emerge from this specialization with several portfolio pieces, including a media contact list, press release, pitch, and crisis communication plan...

2. The Nuts and Bolts of Public Relations

coursera

In this course, you will learn how to create the necessary collateral related to “doing” public relations, including a press release, story pitch, and media contact list. These collateral materials can then be used to tell your company’s story. It’s important that all collateral stay “on message” and communicate a company's mission and core values. Working with journalists and other media professionals can sometimes be challenging, so we’ll talk through some tricks to building these...

3. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications

udemy
4.6
(1,699)

Public Relations: You can shape and control your media messages at the worst possible times...

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Top Media Relations Assistant Employers

Most Common Employers For Media Relations Assistant

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1University of Massachusetts Boston$58,764$28.254
2Arizona Cardinals$53,719$25.836
3Northeastern University$53,547$25.745
4National Football League$52,548$25.266
5University of California-Berkeley$51,415$24.724
6University of California Press$50,414$24.246
7The University of Alabama$49,567$23.839
8University of North Texas$49,229$23.675
9University of Missouri System$47,853$23.014
10Mississippi State University$45,917$22.085
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Updated April 6, 2023