Public relations director demographics and statistics in the US
Public relations director demographics research summary. Zippia estimates public relations director demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our public relations director estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about public relations directors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 20,726 public relations directors currently employed in the United States.
- 64.1% of all public relations directors are women, while 35.9% are men.
- The average public relations director age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of public relations directors is White (74.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.1%), Black or African American (6.0%) and Asian (5.1%).
- Public relations directors are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The internet industry is the highest-paying for public relations directors.
- Napa, CA pays an annual average wage of $127,566, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women public relations directors earned 92% of what men earned.
- 16% of all public relations directors are LGBT.
- Nevada is the best state for public relations directors to live.
- Public relations directors are 50% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Public relations director demographics by:
Public relations director gender statistics
64.1% of public relations directors are women and 35.9% of public relations directors are men.
- Female, 64.1%
- Male, 35.9%
Public relations director gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 64.1% |
| Male | 35.9% |
Public relations director gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$91,870
Female income
$84,592
Public relations director gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in public relations director positions over time. Currently, 64.1% of public relations directors are female.
Public relations director gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 50.61% | 49.39% |
| 2011 | 45.28% | 54.72% |
| 2012 | 47.59% | 52.41% |
| 2013 | 40.61% | 59.39% |
| 2014 | 39.83% | 60.17% |
| 2015 | 41.50% | 58.50% |
| 2016 | 39.73% | 60.27% |
| 2017 | 42.30% | 57.70% |
| 2018 | 42.61% | 57.39% |
| 2019 | 38.14% | 61.86% |
| 2020 | 36.90% | 63.10% |
| 2021 | 35.88% | 64.12% |
Public relations director related jobs gender ratio
We compared public relations directors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, sales superintendent and route sales manager have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Catering Sales Manager | 19% | 81% |
| Director Of Admissions And Marketing | 20% | 80% |
| Media Traffic Manager | 20% | 80% |
| Public Relations Director | 36% | 64% |
| Director Of Sales Engineering | 93% | 7% |
| Route Sales Manager | 94% | 6% |
| Sales Superintendent | 95% | 5% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Public relations director demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among public relations directors is White, which makes up 74.7% of all public relations directors. Comparatively, 9.1% of public relations directors are Hispanic or Latino and 6.0% of public relations directors are Black or African American.
- White, 74.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.1%
- Black or African American, 6.0%
- Asian, 5.1%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Public relations director race
| Public relations director race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 74.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.1% |
| Black or African American | 6.0% |
| Asian | 5.1% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Public relations director race and ethnicity over time
See how public relations director racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Public relations director race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.74% | 6.28% | 2.66% | 7.70% |
| 2011 | 81.53% | 7.21% | 3.13% | 6.79% |
| 2012 | 81.62% | 8.43% | 3.04% | 5.22% |
| 2013 | 79.62% | 8.62% | 3.75% | 6.66% |
| 2014 | 83.71% | 6.41% | 2.72% | 5.86% |
| 2015 | 78.66% | 7.92% | 3.69% | 6.97% |
| 2016 | 77.13% | 7.63% | 3.90% | 8.38% |
| 2017 | 78.90% | 5.74% | 4.03% | 9.45% |
| 2018 | 76.07% | 8.20% | 3.94% | 9.37% |
| 2019 | 78.79% | 7.05% | 4.20% | 7.79% |
| 2020 | 73.67% | 6.90% | 4.68% | 10.45% |
| 2021 | 74.67% | 5.98% | 5.12% | 9.14% |
Public relations director wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $84,140 |
| White | $92,885 |
| Black or African American | $89,772 |
| Asian | $101,876 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $91,560 |
Average public relations director age
See how the average age of public relations directors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Public relations director age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 36 | 40 |
| White | 43 | 41 |
| Black or African American | 42 | 40 |
| Asian | 42 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40.5 | 35 |
Public relations director age breakdown
The average age of public relations directors is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the public relations director population.
Public relations director age breakdown
| Public Relations Director Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 33% |
| 20-30 years | 12% |
Public relations director educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 81%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Public relations directors by degree level
| Public relations director degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 81% |
| Master's | 10% |
| Associate | 6% |
| High School Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Public relations director jobs you might like
Public relations director wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $112,073 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,868 |
Public relations director employment statistics
Most public relations directors work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where public relations directors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where public relations directors work.
Public relations director jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Public relations director jobs by company type
Employees with the public relations director job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most public relations directors prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Public relations director jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 31% |
| Public | 15% |
| Private | 50% |
| Government | 4% |
Public relations director jobs by industry
The most common industries for public relations directors are education, non profits and professional.
Public relations director industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 23% |
| Non Profits | 11% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Health Care | 7% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Media | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Public relations director turnover and employment statistics
Public relations director unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for public relations directors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Public relations director unemployment rate by year
| Year | Public relations director unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.71% |
| 2011 | 4.67% |
| 2012 | 4.18% |
| 2013 | 2.60% |
| 2014 | 3.08% |
| 2015 | 3.48% |
| 2016 | 2.03% |
| 2017 | 3.31% |
| 2018 | 1.32% |
| 2019 | 3.58% |
| 2020 | 3.24% |
| 2021 | 3.45% |
Average public relations director tenure
The average public relations director stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 8,285 public relations directors resumes in Zippia's database.
Public relations director tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1-2 years | 40% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Public relations director LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of public relations directors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Accounts Manager | 7.25% | 141,224 |
| Classified Advertising Supervisor | 9.54% | 4,380 |
| Director, Customer Support | 9.86% | 103,284 |
| Public Relations Director | 16.11% | - |
Similar public relations director jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Accounts Manager | 7.25% | 141,224 |
| Classified Advertising Supervisor | 9.54% | 4,380 |
| Director, Customer Support | 9.86% | 103,284 |
Foreign languages spoken by public relations directors
The most common foreign language among public relations directors is Spanish at 46.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.5% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 6.0%.
- Spanish, 46.7%
- French, 14.5%
- Chinese, 6.0%
- Italian, 5.6%
- Mandarin, 4.6%
- Other, 22.6%
Public relations director languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 46.7% |
| French | 14.5% |
| Chinese | 6.0% |
| Italian | 5.6% |
| Mandarin | 4.6% |
| Other | 22.6% |
