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What is a public relations specialist and how to become one
A public relations (PR) develops and implements PR campaigns to maintain the company's outlook to the public and stakeholders. He/She evaluates the organization's goals, promotional policies and needs to design media relations strategies to influence public opinion and promote products and services. He/She also prepares, edits, and updates promotional materials and publications like newsletters, videos, social media posts, etc.
As a public relations personnel, you need a bachelor's degree in public relations or a related role with at least five years of experience in a similar role. You can get an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) certificate to increase your chances. Nonetheless, you must be able to use project management and video/photo editing software. Also, you must have communication, interpersonal, adaptability, creativity, strategic thinking, organization, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, you must be experienced in managing media relations. The salary of a Public Relations ranges between $34,000 and $62 000. Their average salary is $46,159 per annum.
What general advice would you give to a public relations specialist?
Mike Bromberg
Assistant Professor, East-West University
Avg. Salary $48,124
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 8%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.59%
Asian 5.34%
Black or African American 10.33%
Hispanic or Latino 12.19%
Unknown 5.12%
White 66.44%
Genderfemale 69.68%
male 30.32%
Age - 40American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 40Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Public relations specialist career paths
Key steps to become a public relations specialist
Explore public relations specialist education requirements
Start to develop specific public relations specialist skills
Skills Percentages Press Releases 18.32% Web Content 5.57% Project Management 4.81% Facebook 4.07% Story Development 4.01% Complete relevant public relations specialist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public relations specialists 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 specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public relations specialist resumes.Research public relations specialist duties and responsibilities
- Plan and manage social media efforts which generate> 22k incremental Instagram followers in four months.
- Manage public affairs and media efforts including writing and placing op-eds and mobilizing editorial campaigns.
- Maintain strong working relationships across all departments to manage successful on-site opportunities, content and multimedia asset development and spokesperson requests.
- Prepare or edit organizational publications for internal and external audiences, including Facebook, media and local newspapers.
Prepare your public relations specialist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public relations specialist 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 specialist 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 specialist resume templates
Build a professional public relations specialist 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 specialist resume.
Apply for public relations specialist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a public relations specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first public relations specialist job
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Average public relations specialist salary
The average public relations specialist salary in the United States is $48,124 per year or $23 per hour. Public relations specialist salaries range between $33,000 and $68,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do public relations specialists rate their job?
Public relations specialist reviews
People relations Results behavioural change
marketing especially retailing products and or fundraising
The opportunity to listen to a variety of opinions added to the intrigues.
The insults and the unnecessary propaganda.
Content management.
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.
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Updated January 8, 2025
