How long does it take to become a PR specialist?

It takes four to five years to become a PR specialist. This includes a four-year bachelor's degree and training, which can take anywhere from one month to 12 months. All of these majors incorporate the skills it takes to be an effective PR specialist, but a bachelor's in communication may be the ideal option. This is because a PR specialist needs to have outstanding interpersonal, writing, problem-solving, speaking, and organizational skills.

Is public affairs a good career?

Yes, public affairs is a good career. In fact, public affairs are ranked the number three in best creative and media job writing, according to U.S. News & World Report. Public affairs cover a broad range of activities in government, business, and social services, giving you a wide variety of choices for employment.

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

What is a public affairs specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Kim Smith Ph.D.

Public Affairs Specialists are in charge of crafting, growing, and maintaining a client's or company's brand and image. Their job involves finding opportunities to create positive public and media attention, as well as maintaining already existing relationships and forming new ones with the client's media network.

Some individuals in this role are specialized in avoiding and dealing with crises and issues. The job typically requires a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communication, Journalism, or English, though some employers will accept a number of years of experience in this position instead, or a mix of education and experience. IT and social media knowledge is also a bonus.

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

Kim Smith Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, St. Norbert College

This is an excellent time to graduate with a degree in communication; the versatility of a communication major positions students to enter the workforce with a variety of skills that can apply broadly across industries and careers. Be prepared to flex your muscles in different ways. Today's workplace trends show that new generations of employees tend to hold a variety of different positions, with various companies, throughout their careers, which means the skills that are used today may not be the skills that are used in the future. Communication majors have a full tool kit to choose from, making it possible to use tools that are most applicable now and to pull out different tools later. Be patient - employers today are looking for effective communicators who are resilient to change and can adapt a variety of skills to different conditions.

ScorePublic Affairs SpecialistUS Average

Salary

5.2

Avg. Salary $66,383

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 5.35%

Black or African American 10.37%

Hispanic or Latino 12.23%

Unknown 5.12%

White 66.34%

Gender

female 52.78%

male 47.22%

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 specialist

Explore public affairs specialist education requirements

Most common public affairs specialist degrees

Bachelor's

70.4 %

Master's

14.6 %

Associate

9.3 %

Start to develop specific public affairs specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
News Stories	7.18%
Veterans	6.95%
Fact Sheets	6.24%
Press Releases	6.23%
Conduct Interviews	5.23%

Complete relevant public affairs specialist training and internships

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

Research public affairs specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage agency media engagements, including tracking queries on SharePoint.
Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
Improve moral for thousands of soldiers, family members, and veterans.
Create a command Youtube page; shoot, edit and place innovative videos share nationally.

Prepare your public affairs specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public affairs specialist 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 specialist 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 specialist resume templates

Build a professional public affairs specialist 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 specialist resume.