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What is a public relations/marketing assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Stefanie Leiter,
Michelle R. Eubanks

Public relations assistants help to create, manage, and distribute promotional materials for clients. They provide general support to public relations departments by completing tasks such as filing, copying, and answering the phone. They also assemble press kits, send out customer surveys, assist in creating marketing campaigns, oversee social media content, and conduct media research.

Typically, as a public relations assistant, you work for public relations firms or in the marketing or public relations department of small or large companies.

There are no set qualifications to become a public relations assistant. However, having a degree in marketing or related stuff is highly desirable. Some organizations may ask for you to qualify for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). You also need to be confident and outgoing due to the nature of this entry-level position.

What general advice would you give to a public relations/marketing assistant?

Stefanie LeiterStefanie Leiter LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Public Relations, Anderson University

My advice is for students to start connecting early via LinkedIn. Years ago, employers looked at GPAs or resumes. Now, they are wondering who you know and what you did to excel in your program before your career.
ScorePublic Relations/Marketing AssistantUS Average
Salary
2.9

Avg. Salary $36,516

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 5.29%

Black or African American 10.05%

Hispanic or Latino 11.94%

Unknown 5.09%

White 67.04%

Gender

female 77.46%

male 22.54%

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

Public relations/marketing assistant career paths

Key steps to become a public relations/marketing assistant

  1. Explore public relations/marketing assistant education requirements

    Most common public relations/marketing assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    81.0 %

    Associate

    7.6 %

    Master's

    6.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific public relations/marketing assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Press Releases32.34%
    Digital Marketing17.47%
    Facebook4.57%
    Twitter3.21%
    Community Outreach3.08%
  3. Complete relevant public relations/marketing assistant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public relations/marketing assistants 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 relations/marketing assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public relations/marketing assistant resumes.
  4. Research public relations/marketing assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Create and manage official library Instagram account in order to actively engage undergraduate and graduate students.
    • Manage a team of marketing professionals delivering customize program communications throughout the distribution channel including POS and consumer materials.
    • Maintain a social calendar that ensures regular communication with Facebook audience.
    • Create an official website and company Facebook page to facilitate interaction with customers.
  5. Prepare your public relations/marketing assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public relations/marketing assistant 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 relations/marketing assistant 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 relations/marketing assistant resume templates

    Build a professional public relations/marketing assistant 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 relations/marketing assistant resume.
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
    Public Relations/Marketing Assistant Resume
  6. Apply for public relations/marketing assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a public relations/marketing assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first public relations/marketing assistant job

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Average public relations/marketing assistant salary

The average public relations/marketing assistant salary in the United States is $36,516 per year or $18 per hour. Public relations/marketing assistant salaries range between $28,000 and $47,000 per year.

Average public relations/marketing assistant salary
$36,516 Yearly
$17.56 hourly

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How do public relations/marketing assistants rate their job?

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Public relations/marketing assistant reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Being able to help enhance websites for clients.

Cons

There was a learning about SEO and all the data behind it. Wasn’t taught in school and supervisors were new to it.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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