How to hire a public relations director

How to hire a public relations director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step public relations director 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 director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new public relations director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a public relations director do?

Post a public relations director job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a public relations director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A public relations director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, public relations directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of public relations director salaries for various roles:

   Type of Public Relations Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Public Relations Director	Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will maintain or enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.	$28-72
   Director Of Communications And Marketing	A director of communications and marketing spearheads a company's marketing and communication projects in adherence with the company's vision and mission. Being the director, they have the authority to make decisions, delegate responsibilities among managers and teams, and direct the project and program cycle from planning to execution, solving issues and concerns if any would arise... Show more	$27-63
   Manager Of Corporate Communications	A manager of corporate communications is primarily responsible for overseeing the external and internal communications in a company, ensuring everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for managing marketing communications and public relations, and even developing various marketing content... Show more	$27-58

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Press Releases
   • Web Content
   • Pr Campaigns
   • Facebook
   • Crisis Communications
   • Twitter
   • Instagram
   • Fact Sheets
   • Crisis Management
   • External Communications
   • Business Development
   • Communications Strategies
   • Public Relations Strategies
   • Event Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage internal agency public relations, blog content and twitter account.
   • Hire, train and manage play-by-play broadcasters guaranteeing a professional and informative listening experience.
   • Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
   • Assist in development-relate alumni campaigns and event planning.
   • Keep running list and archive information regarding NCAA commitments.
   • Compile statistics and update game notes, player biographies, player and team statistics.

   More public relations director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your public relations director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A public relations director salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a public relations director in Mississippi may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level public relations director usually earns less than a senior-level public relations director. Additionally, a public relations director with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average public relations director salary

   $94,692yearly

   $45.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level public relations director salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average public relations director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$127,566	$61
   2	New Mexico	$125,596	$60
   3	New Jersey	$120,575	$58
   4	Washington	$120,268	$58
   5	Virginia	$120,039	$58
   6	Oregon	$117,868	$57
   7	District of Columbia	$115,807	$56
   8	New York	$115,371	$55
   9	Illinois	$113,676	$55
   10	Colorado	$111,324	$54
   11	Iowa	$109,122	$52
   12	Utah	$103,388	$50
   13	Arizona	$102,834	$49
   14	North Carolina	$94,061	$45
   15	Indiana	$92,343	$44
   16	Minnesota	$89,177	$43
   17	Massachusetts	$87,298	$42
   18	Texas	$86,870	$42
   19	Michigan	$86,617	$42
   20	Alabama	$85,415	$41

   Average public relations director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Exelixis	$164,530	$79.10	1
   2	Microsoft	$161,060	$77.43	9
   3	Morris Heights Health Center	$159,036	$76.46
   4	Burrell Behavioral Health	$152,684	$73.41
   5	Ampere	$148,183	$71.24
   6	Rational Enterprise	$144,027	$69.24
   7	Thriveworks	$134,452	$64.64
   8	Inspira Health Network	$131,614	$63.28
   9	Caspio	$127,299	$61.20
   10	We Communications	$125,689	$60.43
   11	Treasury Wine Estates	$124,150	$59.69
   12	Shopbop	$124,012	$59.62
   13	BlackRock	$123,774	$59.51	5
   14	Remitly	$122,145	$58.72
   15	CVS Health	$120,183	$57.78	69
   16	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan	$116,998	$56.25	1
   17	MicroStrategy	$116,686	$56.10
   18	CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield	$115,707	$55.63	2
   19	MHS	$114,546	$55.07
   20	University of Alaska	$112,923	$54.29	5

4. Writing a public relations director job description

   A public relations director 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 public relations director job description:

   Public relations director job description example

   Become one of the stars behind The SHOW and become part of the world's most powerful entertainment brands. Our Company has one exciting mission: To entertain the human race.
   PRIMARY PURPOSE:
   The Director of Public Relations oversees a team of individuals dedicated to garnering media attention for MGM Resorts International's extensive portfolio of brands. The Director owns specific relationships at the resort level to keep abreast of priorities, develops media strategies in support of key initiatives and engages team members to execute plans accordingly.
   
   PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
   Develop and execute communications strategies in support of all assigned areas with the goal of generating sustained media attention, domestically and internationally.Responsible for ensuring that strategic objectives for each initiative are effectively implemented to achieve target goals and objectives.Oversight of managers, specialists and coordinators.Director must manage workload of his/her team to balance priorities of multiple clients.Attend key meetings and build relationships with resort executives to understand property direction and provide corresponding counsel.Collaborate with internal marketing teams as well as individual operations teams to support initiatives and priorities for each program.Manage external PR agencies to ensure efforts drive incremental coverage and support property priorities.Develop executive messaging in support of initiatives; prep spokespeople for media interviews.Develop and execute media strategies in support of product launches (from resort to individual amenities) including: communications strategy development; creation of press materials (news releases, photos, b-roll, media alerts, bios); development of core messaging; invite lists and invitation development; and event vision and execution.Develop and execute media strategies in support of product launches (from resort to individual amenities) including: communications strategy development; creation of press materials (news releases, photos, b-roll, media alerts, bios); development of core messaging; invite lists and invitation development; and event vision and execution.Manage on-site filming of television shows, feature films, news programs, photo shoots, media familiarization trips, executive Create a collaborative work environment that promotes teamwork, performance feedback, recognition, mutual respect and employee satisfaction; quality hiring, training and succession planning processes that reflect the company's diversity commitment.Perform other job-related duties as requested.
   
   MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
   Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or equivalent experience Four (4)+ years leadership experience within public relations Extensive and proven experience managing diverse teams Demonstrated professional and effective writing skills and polished verbal skills
   
   PREFERRED:
   Previous experience working in public relations with hospitality, travel and tourism brands Previous experience within a public relations agency
   
   CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
   N/A
   
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
   Strong working knowledge of local, regional and national media industry Strong organizational skills a must.Strong writing and editing skills a must, within a variety of styles including feature and business.Advanced computer skills including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint.Familiarization with media database and monitoring programs and software.Ability to think creatively about client needs and develop new strategies to achieve desired goals.Ability to remain calm, focused and detail oriented during high-stress situations.Ability to meet short-notice deadlines and reprioritize workload.Ability to maintain a professional, neat and well-groomed appearance, adhering to the Company's standards.Ability to adapt interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with all business contacts.
   
   Location:
   US, Nevada

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find public relations directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any public relations directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level public relations directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your public relations director job on Zippia to find and recruit public relations director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific 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 directors, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the public relations director 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new public relations director. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a public relations director?