How to hire a public relations

How to hire a public relations, step by step

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

What does a public relations do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The public relations 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

   A public relations's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, public relations 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 salaries for various roles:

   Type of Public Relations	Description	Hourly rate
   Public Relations	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.	$15-34
   Social Media Internship	In a social media internship, the primary role is to take part in managing a brand's social media platforms for public relations. One of their primary duties is to craft informative and captivating content while under the supervision and guidelines of a manager or supervisor... Show more	$11-18
   Government Relations Internship	A government relations internship involves a trainee who assists the vice president of government relations in managing and analyzing policy issues. Government relations interns are required to compile and summarize material on emerging and existing public policy for staff members... Show more	$11-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Press Releases
   • Web Content
   • Facebook
   • Event Planning
   • Blog Posts
   • Twitter
   • Photography
   • Instagram
   • Graphic Design
   • Content Marketing
   • Public Speaking
   • Community Outreach
   • Market Research
   • Press Conferences

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage LinkedIn profile updates and new leads.
   • Manage all copywriting elements for live broadcasts and promotional commercials.
   • Create an official office page on instagram to facilitate interaction with students.
   • Track and analyze local talent and trends on social networking sites (MySpace, YouTube).
   • Coordinate multiple marketing campaigns (SEO, CPA, CPM) and optimization of organic search traffic.
   • Edit and create YouTube videos for clientele, creating proper titles and tags to increase viewership ;.

   More public relations duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your public relations job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A public relations 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 in Georgia may be lower than in Virginia, and an entry-level public relations usually earns less than a senior-level public relations. Additionally, a public relations 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 salary

   $48,383yearly

   $23.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level public relations salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average public relations salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$65,484	$31
   2	California	$62,113	$30
   3	New York	$57,614	$28
   4	New Jersey	$57,554	$28
   5	Oregon	$55,916	$27
   6	Massachusetts	$54,740	$26
   7	Hawaii	$53,167	$26
   8	Colorado	$50,647	$24
   9	Utah	$50,276	$24
   10	Minnesota	$49,238	$24
   11	Ohio	$48,849	$23
   12	Michigan	$46,885	$23
   13	Illinois	$46,389	$22
   14	Texas	$43,136	$21
   15	Florida	$40,428	$19
   16	Indiana	$39,432	$19
   17	Georgia	$38,358	$18
   18	Oklahoma	$37,097	$18
   19	South Carolina	$36,873	$18
   20	Puerto Rico	$28,293	$14

   Average public relations salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Edelman Financial Engines	$105,779	$50.86	1
   2	Citi	$88,702	$42.65	2
   3	Gillette	$78,033	$37.52
   4	AXA	$74,089	$35.62
   5	hisoft	$68,300	$32.84
   6	PE Systems	$64,359	$30.94
   7	Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership	$64,274	$30.90
   8	CorVel	$63,161	$30.37	3
   9	Firstbank Corp	$59,209	$28.47
   10	UL	$56,822	$27.32
   11	Air Products	$56,451	$27.14	2
   12	Eurofins	$54,962	$26.42
   13	The Hershey Company	$54,221	$26.07
   14	Associated Veterans	$53,583	$25.76
   15	ARUP Laboratories	$53,470	$25.71
   16	NewYork.com	$51,768	$24.89
   17	The Walt Disney Company	$51,356	$24.69	13
   18	Redi Electric	$50,981	$24.51
   19	AGCO	$50,430	$24.25
   20	auto	$50,063	$24.07

4. Writing a public relations job description

   A job description for a public relations role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a public relations job description:

   Public relations job description example

   W2 Salary range of $80,000 to $90,000 is based on technical experience and technical interview.

   1099 Range of $45 hr. to $55 hr. is based on technical experience and technical interview.

   Actively looking to add a Communications/Public Relations Support professional to our existing work supporting the Veterans Affairs government agency in Washington D.C.

   • This position requires a lot of editing of pamphlets and presentations. So having licenses for adobe products is a must. Use of your licenses would be reimbursed.

   • Shall assist HCS front office and VBA business lines with Public Relations Support planning efforts, including the development of project initiative documents that capture the current and future state of HCS services.

   • Develop Strategic Communications Plan for HCS Completed graphic visuals that facilitate requested ideas (Infographics, Print Design, Digital Design, Web Design, Presentation Design, Logo Design).

   • Shall review, analyze, and support the development of strategies for response to oversight reviews and inquiries regarding the program's plans and activities.

   • Shall review existing HCS and VBA business lines management processes, preparing revisions or enhancing them as needed upon Government approval to effectively perform project control activities and communicate initiatives to stakeholders.

   COVID Policy: In accordance with the Federal Executive Order on Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, this position requires that you are fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks before your start date. You will be required to provide proof of vaccination before you begin employment.

   We maintain a policy supporting equal employment opportunity. Employment decisions are made without regard for race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, genetic status, family responsibilities, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable Federal, state, or local law. We are proud of our diversity and encourage all qualified applicants to apply. Veterans are highly encouraged to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find public relations 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 they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level public relations 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 job on Zippia to find and recruit public relations 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

   Recruiting public relations requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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

   Once you've selected the best public relations candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

   To prepare for the new public relations first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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?