How To Become A Publicity Writer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a publicity writer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Anna Mae Duane

The average publicity writer salary is $55,347. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an english major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a publicity writer. Publicity writers with a Certified Journalism Educator (CJE) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 22,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a publicity writer?

Anna Mae Duane

Professor of English and Director of the Humanities Institute, Website

The idea that English majors are not in demand is a myth—don’t harm your own chances by buying into it! There are numerous studies—and countless employer testimonies—that indicate how valuable your skills as an English major are. English majors consistently find work in a variety of fields, and perhaps even more important, alumni of English departments report that they find their jobs and lives rewarding. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 'what sets two equally qualified job candidates apart can be as simple as who has the better communication skills.' You are, in many ways, ahead of the game in comparison to others in your cohort. I’d also urge English majors to think broadly about their career options. Yes, fields like journalism, publishing and advertising all rely on the skills developed in English departments. But other employers, particularly in tech companies, have realized how valuable English majors can be to their organization. As a recent report in Fortune indicates, top executives in AI at IBM and elsewhere realize that having expertise in the Humanities is an essential component for success in their field.

ScorePublicity WriterUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,347

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 5.30%

Black or African American 10.11%

Hispanic or Latino 11.99%

Unknown 5.09%

White 66.91%

Gender

female 60.66%

male 39.34%

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

Key steps to become a publicity writer

Explore publicity writer education requirements

Most common publicity writer degrees

Bachelor's

83.3 %

Master's

8.8 %

Associate

5.4 %

Start to develop specific publicity writer skills

Skills	Percentages
Press Releases	28.20%
Proofreading	23.55%
Web Content	11.60%
Feature Stories	6.86%
Public Affairs	6.18%

Complete relevant publicity writer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New publicity writers 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 publicity writer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real publicity writer resumes.

Research publicity writer duties and responsibilities

Manage projects diligently under aggressive deadlines while maintaining editorial integrity and ensuring stories have entertainment and/or educational value.
Interview new and renewal Medicaid and food stamp applicants and process information to approve eligibility and level of assistance.
Coordinate efforts between web developers, SharePoint site administrators and product support representatives to build and support an active online community.

Prepare your publicity writer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your publicity writer 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 publicity writer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable publicity writer resume templates

Build a professional publicity writer 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 publicity writer resume.