How To Become A Public Affairs Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a public affairs assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Brooke Witherow

Public affairs assistants, sometimes called public relations assistants, usually work for nonprofits or universities and help build relationships between their organization and the community around them. Most organizations want the public to know about the great work they do. Not only does it help improve their reputation, by publicizing their services they can reach the people who need them.

Public affairs assistants use a variety of tactics to share their organization's work with the public. They write press releases and other material to distribute to the media and in the community. They use the power of the Internet to build connections, for example via social media or an organization's website. They also keep a lookout for strategic partnerships, for example with members of the media.

Most public affairs assistants have at least a bachelor's degree in communications or a similar field. Some even have a master's degree. This is an entry-level position with an average salary of $51,666 a year. However, if the public affairs assistant pays their dues they can work their way up and become an office manager or even a public affairs director.

What general advice would you give to a public affairs assistant?

Brooke Witherow

Assistant Professor of Communication Arts, Hood College

In public relations, the need for professionals with skills in AI and data analysis continues to grow. AI can be a powerful tool when harnessed well. Recent graduates who understand when and how to use AI will be in high demand. AI's issues with accuracy and bias also highlight the importance of having a PR professional who understands the limitations and challenges of AI just as well as its potential.

A skill that remains important, even with the advent of AI, is writing. When I speak with public relations agencies, one of the most frequently desired skills in recent graduates is strong writing. Part of that is being able to effectively tell a story across a wide variety of channels and to diverse audiences.

Lastly, I always recommend being a life-long learner. Life-long learners are curious and driven. They are not only open to learning new skills and strategies, they actively seek them out. Life-long learners constantly ask questions and use their research skills to find the answers. Learning new technologies, skills and strategies will also help PR professionals create innovative campaigns and navigate major changes in the field.

ScorePublic Affairs AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,453

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 5.30%

Black or African American 10.10%

Hispanic or Latino 11.99%

Unknown 5.09%

White 66.92%

Gender

female 68.27%

male 31.73%

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

Key steps to become a public affairs assistant

Explore public affairs assistant education requirements

Most common public affairs assistant degrees

Bachelor's

74.8 %

Master's

9.9 %

Associate

8.9 %

Start to develop specific public affairs assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	14.23%
Public Affairs	13.71%
Press Releases	12.23%
Event Planning	4.62%
FDA	3.84%

Complete relevant public affairs assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public affairs assistants 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 public affairs assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public affairs assistant resumes.

Research public affairs assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage alumni database, and communication with other departments and alumni.
Work on the park's social media platforms including Facebook.
Provide copywriting ideas for ads, as well as, edit all agency-written communications.
Assist in the development, creation, and maintenance of the U.S. Embassy's website, Facebook and YouTube pages.

Prepare your public affairs assistant resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable public affairs assistant resume templates

Build a professional public affairs assistant 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 public affairs assistant resume.