How to hire a media relations specialist

How to hire a media relations specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step media relations specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a media relations specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new media relations specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a media relations specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the media relations specialist you need to hire. Certain media relations specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a media relations specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a media relations specialist that fits the bill.

   This list presents media relations specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Media Relations Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Media Relations Specialist	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$17-33
   Publicist	Public Relations Supervisors are responsible for implementing the media and public relations strategy of an organization. Their duties include developing public relations campaigns, organize public relations events, assist in emergency response planning, updating documentation, monitoring media, improve management of press office, and manage media databases... Show more	$14-39
   Social Media Editor	A social media editor is in charge of handling and maintaining the social media platforms of a company or brand, ensuring to produce and develop engaging content for a target audience. Their responsibilities often revolve around editing relevant content for posting, engaging with clients professionally and promptly, and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them according to a set of given responses... Show more	$19-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Compassion
   • Press Releases
   • PowerPoint
   • Data Entry
   • Phone Calls
   • Administrative Tasks
   • HR
   • Event Planning
   • Front Desk
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Customer Service
   • Twitter
   • Facebook

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the charge in creating an athletic department Instagram account that has increase Belmont s social media reach and exposure.
   • Develop and manage proprietary PPC support material.
   • Develop and launch Einstein's Facebook strategy and presence.
   • Serve as liaison for regulatory and contract communications with CMS.
   • Create social media campaigns and awareness with Facebook, Google ads.
   • Proofread and edit corrections of grammatical errors for senior staff members.

   More media relations specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your media relations specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A media relations specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, media relations specialists' average salary in maine is 46% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level media relations specialists 48% less than senior-level media relations specialists.
   • Certifications. A media relations specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a media relations specialist's salary.

   Average media relations specialist salary

   $50,856yearly

   $24.45 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level media relations specialist salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 24, 2026

   Average media relations specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$65,400	$31
   2	Washington	$62,296	$30
   3	Maryland	$59,207	$28
   4	New Jersey	$59,012	$28
   5	California	$58,074	$28
   6	Oregon	$56,474	$27
   7	Virginia	$55,808	$27
   8	New York	$55,327	$27
   9	Michigan	$51,421	$25
   10	Massachusetts	$51,178	$25
   11	Colorado	$50,827	$24
   12	Pennsylvania	$49,256	$24
   13	Nevada	$48,593	$23
   14	Utah	$46,825	$23
   15	Arizona	$46,536	$22
   16	Illinois	$45,846	$22
   17	Minnesota	$45,434	$22
   18	Texas	$44,757	$22
   19	Florida	$44,218	$21
   20	Georgia	$44,046	$21

   Average media relations specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Edelman Financial Engines	$80,531	$38.72	2
   2	Morgan Stanley	$74,810	$35.97	1
   3	Ketchum	$71,119	$34.19
   4	Stripe	$69,622	$33.47
   5	Crown Castle International	$64,441	$30.98
   6	Deloitte	$63,459	$30.51	332
   7	Fahlgren Mortine	$62,306	$29.95
   8	CyberLink	$61,657	$29.64
   9	Versar	$61,096	$29.37
   10	Medline	$60,909	$29.28
   11	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$60,572	$29.12
   12	Bosch USA	$60,401	$29.04	2
   13	Center for International Environmental Law	$59,969	$28.83
   14	Cambria	$59,450	$28.58	2
   15	Mount Sinai Health System	$59,406	$28.56	5
   16	Guardian Credit Union	$58,933	$28.33
   17	Small Business Administration	$58,617	$28.18
   18	BridgePoint Healthcare	$58,533	$28.14
   19	COUNTRY Financial	$56,206	$27.02
   20	Blue Origin	$55,836	$26.84	5

4. Writing a media relations specialist job description

   A media relations specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a media relations specialist job description:

   Media relations specialist job description example

   Barbaricum is a rapidly growing government contractor providing leading-edge support to federal customers, with a particular focus on Defense and National Security mission sets. We leverage more than 14 years of support to stakeholders across the federal government, with established and growing capabilities across Intelligence, Analytics, Engineering, Mission Support, and Communications disciplines. Founded in 2008, our mission is to transform the way our customers approach constantly changing and complex problem sets by bringing to bear the latest in technology and the highest caliber of talent.
   
   Headquartered in Washington, DC's historic Dupont Circle neighborhood, Barbaricum also has a corporate presence in Tampa, FL and Dayton, OH, with team members across the United States and around the world. As a leader in our space, we partner with firms in the private sector, academic institutions, and industry associations with a goal of continually building our expertise and capabilities for the benefit of our employees and the customers we support. Through all of this, we have built a vibrant corporate culture diverse in expertise and perspectives with a focus on collaboration and innovation. Our teams are at the frontier of the Nation's most complex and rewarding challenges. Join us.
   
   Barbaricum is seeking a Media Relations Specialist - Sustainable Transportation (Department of Energy) to provide client-facing communications support to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). This role directly supports the EERE Communications Director and EERE federal Media Leads. This individual will support EERE federal Media Leads with developing and executing effective local, regional, and national media pitch strategies for EERE and DOE-level announcements and events. This individual will also assist with responses to media inquiries, conduct targeted media pitching, and facilitate and plan media interviews.
   
   This team currently works remotely, subject to any changes to Government customer guidance. Candidates for this position must be open to and comfortable with the possibility of a return to on-site work.
   
   Responsibilities Draft, review, and edit media pitches, media advisories, press releases, and interview talking points/scripts to ensure the message aligns with Administration, DOE, and EERE goals and priorities, and employs effective media engagement tactics Collect, compile, and share weekly media clips with the EERE Communications team, and create and build upon media pitch lists and contact lists Provide media training and best practices training to EERE Technology Offices and EERE leadership as needed Support EERE community outreach strategies and execution
   
   QualificationsBachelor's Degree in related field Background in energy and transportation (cars, hydrogen & fuel cells, bioenergy, and fuels-aviation a plus)5+ years of relevant experience in public relations Experience in a newsroom, field journalism/reporting, or experience working in a Public Relations firm Experience in researching and publishing stories Experience in media relations: drafting press releases, developing media pitches, maintaining relationship with media contacts, etc.Experience in media analysis and monitoring Reliable and able to work under tight deadlines for product submissionU.S. Citizenship
   
   Desired QualificationsExperience leading media relations efforts and providing direction to other team members on media relations tasks a plus Experience working on Capitol Hill or on a political campaign Experience using Meltwater software
   , please visit our website at www.barbaricum.com. We will contact candidates directly to schedule interviews. No phone calls please.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right media relations specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your media relations specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality media relations specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit media relations specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new media relations specialist

   Once you've selected the best media relations specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a media relations specialist?