How to hire a public relations assistant

How to hire a public relations assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step public relations assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a public relations assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The public relations assistant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 public relations assistant 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 public relations assistant that fits the bill.

   This list presents public relations assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Public Relations Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Public Relations Assistant	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.	$16-29
   Media Coordinator	A media coordinator acts as a communications professional in charge of developing and implementing target communications and advertising for various media platforms. Media coordinators plan, implement, and monitor the social media strategy of an organization... Show more	$16-30
   Communications Coordinator	A communications coordinator is responsible for overseeing the communications department's operations, developing the brand image, and monitoring press releases, company articles, and other related marketing materials for business promotion and visibility. Communications coordinators actively interact with existing and potential clients, negotiate contracts, and build profitable partnerships... Show more	$16-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Press Releases
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Press Conferences
   • Event Planning
   • Instagram
   • Press Kits
   • External Communications
   • Social Media Sites
   • Collating
   • Press Clippings
   • Writing Press Releases
   • Photo Shoots
   • Promotional Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all copywriting elements for live broadcasts and promotional commercials.
   • Research & propose introducing Google+ & LinkedIn to social media efforts to increase brand awareness & SEO.
   • Photograph the store's merchandise, upload creative Instagram posts to increase consumer engagement and promote the store.
   • Develop key PowerPoint presentation for commencement base on content provide by management.
   • Create and administer Facebook and website content, including marketing of school programs/events.
   • Produce PowerPoint presentations, article reprints and edit broadcast media placements as needed.

   More public relations assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the public relations assistant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A public relations assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a public relations assistant in Missouri may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level public relations assistant. Additionally, a public relations assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average public relations assistant salary

   $46,197yearly

   $22.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level public relations assistant salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average public relations assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$58,547	$28
   2	Alaska	$56,748	$27
   3	District of Columbia	$55,813	$27
   4	New Jersey	$53,933	$26
   5	Virginia	$49,724	$24
   6	Nevada	$49,022	$24
   7	Oregon	$48,783	$23
   8	Texas	$48,313	$23
   9	New York	$47,335	$23
   10	Illinois	$46,139	$22
   11	Colorado	$46,074	$22
   12	California	$45,380	$22
   13	Indiana	$43,652	$21
   14	Pennsylvania	$42,953	$21
   15	Utah	$41,066	$20
   16	Ohio	$40,683	$20
   17	Florida	$39,169	$19
   18	Georgia	$37,118	$18
   19	Alabama	$33,754	$16

   Average public relations assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	California Institute of Technology	$54,058	$25.99	1
   2	ALDI USA	$51,054	$24.55
   3	Beacon Hill Staffing Group	$50,857	$24.45
   4	Reid Health	$50,001	$24.04
   5	Ralph Lauren	$49,254	$23.68	3
   6	Havas Edge	$49,072	$23.59
   7	Euro Pacific Capital Inc	$46,365	$22.29
   8	University of Rochester	$46,176	$22.20	5
   9	REVOLVE	$46,028	$22.13	5
   10	John F Kennedy Middle School	$44,080	$21.19	2
   11	The HT Group	$43,914	$21.11
   12	Southcentral Foundation	$43,652	$20.99
   13	Wolfe & Taylor	$43,604	$20.96
   14	Richemont North America, Inc.	$43,050	$20.70
   15	Catholic Charities of Oregon	$41,887	$20.14
   16	ManpowerGroup	$41,697	$20.05	2
   17	Sunshine Sachs	$41,503	$19.95
   18	University of Virginia	$41,303	$19.86	11
   19	The Field Museum	$40,912	$19.67
   20	Swm	$40,226	$19.34

4. Writing a public relations assistant job description

   A good public relations assistant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a public relations assistant job description:

   Public relations assistant job description example

   Inside sales position for a medical finance company that coordinates and aims to grow an extensive medical network nationally. Our typical client has been injured in an auto accident and has limited access to health insurance, or the ability to treat through other self-pay methods. Our service provides medical treatment, through our contracted medical providers, at no immediate charge to the client and we then work with their attorney to recover funds from the at-fault auto insurance company. The position requires a considerable amount of phone time to various medical providers in the assigned area, projecting a professional image for our fast-growing company.
   Requirements
   
   Bachelor's degree strongly preferred · Primary sales contact in various geographical areas for medical providers. · Knowledge of healthcare provider network systems, contracting and medical terminology. · Establish short and long-term contracts with prospective medical providers. · Maintain excellent relationships with medical providers and their administrative and support staff. · Daily communication with medical providers, front office staff and billing/administrative staff. · Must be able to take daily direction from coworkers · Participation in training workshops, campaign meetings & trade conferences as directed. · Contribute to a positive & energetic environment. · Maintain professional standards in sales & customer relationships. · Interacts effectively with medical providers to build relationships, anticipate problems before they arise and work out a solution without prompting. · Develop recommendations for sales and marketing strategy. · All other duties or responsibilities as assigned. · This is not an all-inclusive list of job requirements and/or duties and may not contain all mental and physical capabilities necessary to perform the job at all times due to circumstances. Operational, safety and other needs may require to employee to perform any and all other duties as assigned. Employees are expected and must be able to perform all such duties and tasks.
   
   REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
   
   1-3 years' experience in sales
   
   Competitive mindset and want to look for a challenge.
   
   Ability to communicate with high-intelligence, professional individuals (i.e. doctors, surgeons, attorneys)
   
   High functioning organization and follow-up skills
   
   Spanish language skills a plus
   
   Benefits
   
   $19/hour
   
   25-30 hours a week. (Ability to work your way to full-time)
   
   In-office and out-of-office days.
   
   PTO
   
   Flexible scheduling within the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday-Friday.
   
   Perks
   
   New state-of-the-art office equipped with a gym and cafe!
   
   Golf Simulator
   
   Hot Tub
   
   Workout Facility
   
   Pool Table and Lounge

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right public relations assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with public relations assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit public relations assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your public relations assistant job on Zippia to find and attract quality public relations assistant 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

   During your first interview to recruit public relations assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 public relations assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the public relations assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new public relations assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 public relations assistant?