How to hire a public relations specialist

How to hire a public relations specialist, step by step

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

What does a public relations specialist do?

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

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the public relations specialist you need to hire. Certain public relations specialist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a public relations specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a public relations specialist that fits the bill.

   This list presents public relations specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Public Relations Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Public Relations Specialist	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.	$15-32
   Publicist	Public Relations Supervisors are responsible for implementing the media and public relations strategy of an organization. Their duties include developing public relations campaigns, organize public relations events, assist in emergency response planning, updating documentation, monitoring media, improve management of press office, and manage media databases... Show more	$14-39
   Community Relations Coordinator	A public relations coordinator or community relations coordinator is a professional who is responsible for promoting or creating a public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. Since businesses are major contributors to communities and fundraisers, public relations coordinators are required to handle donations requests and build a marketing platform for the company... Show more	$16-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Press Releases
   • Web Content
   • Project Management
   • Facebook
   • Story Development
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Twitter
   • Digital Marketing
   • Instagram
   • Pr Campaigns
   • PowerPoint
   • Graphic Design
   • SEO
   • Linkedin

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Launch Instagram account for Chevy Motorsports fans.
   • Promote company through personal blog, twitter and reddit pages.

   More public relations specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   $48,124yearly

   $23.14 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level public relations specialist salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 11, 2025

   Average public relations specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$68,689	$33
   2	District of Columbia	$65,910	$32
   3	New Jersey	$58,303	$28
   4	California	$57,649	$28
   5	New York	$55,296	$27
   6	Maryland	$54,363	$26
   7	Massachusetts	$53,909	$26
   8	Ohio	$48,973	$24
   9	Colorado	$48,354	$23
   10	Pennsylvania	$47,205	$23
   11	Illinois	$45,380	$22
   12	Nevada	$44,102	$21
   13	Arizona	$42,505	$20
   14	Georgia	$41,509	$20
   15	Texas	$40,213	$19
   16	Indiana	$40,101	$19
   17	Hawaii	$39,284	$19
   18	Florida	$38,203	$18

   Average public relations specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$120,028	$57.71
   2	Venable	$103,011	$49.52
   3	PayPal	$98,872	$47.53
   4	mCube	$94,384	$45.38
   5	Kronos Incorporated	$90,341	$43.43
   6	Apple	$90,137	$43.34	16
   7	Crown Castle International	$90,103	$43.32
   8	ICAP	$88,028	$42.32
   9	Cadence Design Systems	$87,236	$41.94
   10	Ropes & Gray	$86,258	$41.47
   11	Cal	$84,565	$40.66
   12	Capital Group	$84,079	$40.42	2
   13	Oracle	$84,056	$40.41	70
   14	DTCC	$82,883	$39.85	3
   15	Autodesk	$82,688	$39.75	1
   16	Barbarian	$80,745	$38.82
   17	Boston Connect Real Estate	$77,224	$37.13
   18	New Relic	$77,081	$37.06
   19	PRWeek	$74,486	$35.81	2
   20	Lopez Negrete Communications	$73,270	$35.23

4. Writing a public relations specialist job description

   A good public relations specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a public relations specialist job description:

   Public relations specialist job description example

   At Echo we are committed to help our Associates grow their career. Apply today and grow with Echo!
   
   Echo Global Logistics is a leading provider of technology-enabled solutions and supply chain management. We utilize technology to simplify transportation management for our clients and carriers by handling the critical tasks on their behalf so they can focus on what they do best. From coast to coast, dock to dock, and across all major transportation modes, Echo connects businesses that ship their product with carriers who transport those goods quickly, securely, and cost-effectively.
   Position:
   The Marketing Copywriter will collaborate with Marketing team members and employees of other departments, such as sales, to create a variety of written materials. These materials include sales collateral, blog articles, press releases, email campaigns, digital and print advertisements, advertorials, website copy, and internal communications. Content will be targeted mainly towards clients, which are fellow businesses, but some content is developed for our carrier partners.
   What we offer:
   Hybrid work schedule Competitive compensation package Full benefits and 401K MatchPet and childcare assistance Development opportunities Great company culture
   Responsibilities
   Write clear, concise content consistent with Echo's brand voice Write both short-form and long-form copy, including email campaigns, digital and print advertisements, website copy, sales collateral, and blog articles Edit and proofread Marketing materials Write PR-related materials such as press releases and award applications Regularly update the News section of echo.com Manage a 12-month editorial calendar for all communications organization-wide Collaborate with Echo's PR agency to raise the profile of Echo by increasing share-of-voice through media engagement and press releases
   Qualifications
   3-5 years of copywriting experience1-2 years of public relations experience Bachelor's degree
   
   Work environment/physical demands summary:
   
   This job operates in an office environment and uses a computer, telephone and other office equipment as needed to perform duties. The noise level in the work environment is typical of that of an office with an open seating floor plan. The employee may encounter frequent interruptions throughout the work day. The employee is regularly required to sit, talk, or hear.
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or Vietnam era or other protected veteran. #LI-AW1

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right public relations specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your public relations specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality public relations specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with public relations specialist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect public relations specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 specialist?