Post Job

What is a public relations representative and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Stefanie Leiter,
Anonymous Professor

A public relations representative is a media and communication specialist who is in charge of managing a company's corporate communications and promoting its public image. He/she develops press releases, media clips, and brochures containing information about the company. They are also responsible for planning and directing public relations programs that align with the company objectives and meet client expectations.

A public relations representative works closely with both internal and external stakeholders to properly execute their roles. They work with the media and marketing agencies, and the finance, marketing, and procurement departments internally. A successful public relations representative must have excellent communication skills, research skills, organizational skills, and must be up to date with the current social media trends.

Public relations representatives work 40 hours per week from Monday to Friday between 9 and 5. They may work extra hours and over the weekends since the role involves a lot of traveling and holding meetings with stakeholders.

What general advice would you give to a Public Relations Representative?

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 RepresentativeUS Average
Salary
4.5

Avg. Salary $57,476

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 5.28%

Black or African American 9.98%

Hispanic or Latino 11.88%

Unknown 5.08%

White 67.19%

Gender

female 64.30%

male 35.70%

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

Newest jobs for Public Relations Representative in Ashburn, VA

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Public Relations Representative career paths

Key steps to become a public relations representative

  1. Explore public relations representative education requirements

    Most common public relations representative degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.9 %

    Associate

    11.8 %

    Master's

    6.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific public relations representative skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Press Releases29.21%
    Facebook5.62%
    Event Planning4.73%
    Promotional Materials4.17%
    Twitter4.12%
  3. Complete relevant public relations representative training and internships

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

    • Manage all copywriting elements for live broadcasts and promotional commercials.
    • Facilitate communications between CELA and student body through use of social networks such as Facebook.
    • Create Facebook events of campus events
    • Increase team visibility and interest through radio appearances, newspaper interviews and photography.
  5. Prepare your public relations representative resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public relations representative 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 representative 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 Representative Resume templates

    Build a professional Public Relations Representative 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 Representative resume.
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
    Public Relations Representative Resume
  6. Apply for public relations representative jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a public relations representative 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 Representative Job

Zippi

Are you a Public Relations Representative?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average public relations representative salary

The average Public Relations Representative salary in the United States is $57,476 per year or $28 per hour. Public relations representative salaries range between $36,000 and $89,000 per year.

Average Public Relations Representative Salary
$57,476 Yearly
$27.63 hourly

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

How do public relations representatives rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Public Relations Representative reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Cons

I love my work. I don't love who I work for. They do not understand the steps involved in social media. And keep asking for analytics. I send them in a thoughtfully presented report. And they just don't get it. Sales thinks I jack around all day on social media. That is my job. Then there's the fact that I have to be paid to monitor the work and campaigns I shoot down the feeds. Ugh. Run for your life unless you work for a corporation.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Cons

I do not like slowness and lie


Working as a Public Relations Representative? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

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.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs