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What is a vice president of public relations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Jamie Shaw,
Jody McBrien

A vice president of public relations works under the direction of the president of public relations and is responsible for managing a company's or an organization's public image and brand. These individuals oversee all public communications and press releases regarding an organization's policies, practices, products, services, or operations. They design communication projects and programs, manage public relations budgets, and coordinate with media and press partners. These individuals may also attend conferences and address the public at press conferences and gatherings.

A vice president of public relations may have an advanced degree in communications, business, journalism, or a related field. However, an advanced degree may not be required, provided the candidate has excellent public relations skills. These individuals should possess excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and analytical skills and should be comfortable in addressing the public and the media in person.

A vice president of public relations can make up to $80,000 per year in the US, and the career is expected to grow 8% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a vice president of public relations?

Network. Network. Network. Get to know your colleagues at your new company once you get there. There are so many ways to do this, including just asking to set up 15-minute information interviews. Besides making relationships with others, which will help make work easier and more fun, understanding why and how a different department operates helps understand the whole organization. This will ultimately make you a better employee.
ScoreVice President Of Public RelationsUS Average
Salary
8.7

Avg. Salary $143,172

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.7

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 5.09%

Black or African American 5.84%

Hispanic or Latino 9.01%

Unknown 4.66%

White 74.98%

Gender

female 61.74%

male 38.26%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
8.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.4

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Vice president of public relations career paths

Key steps to become a vice president of public relations

  1. Explore vice president of public relations education requirements

    Most common vice president of public relations degrees

    Bachelor's

    84.0 %

    Master's

    8.3 %

    Associate

    3.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific vice president of public relations skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Press Releases12.06%
    External Communications9.48%
    Business Development6.29%
    Professional Development5.52%
    Communications Strategies5.00%
  3. Complete relevant vice president of public relations training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vice presidents of public relations 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 vice president of public relations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vice president of public relations resumes.
  4. Research vice president of public relations duties and responsibilities

    • Manage club website, Facebook and club bulletin board.
    • Manage communications with students, alumni and faculty, including distribution of all social media
    • Manage all aspects of business operations that include sales and marketing, advertising, administration, financial oversight and inventory/procurement management.
    • Conduct a rebranding of the co-op s logo.
  5. Get vice president of public relations experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a vice president of public relations. The most common roles before becoming a vice president of public relations include internship, marketing internship team lead and volunteer.
  6. Prepare your vice president of public relations resume

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

    Choose from 10+ customizable vice president of public relations resume templates

    Build a professional vice president of public relations 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 vice president of public relations resume.
    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
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    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
    Vice President Of Public Relations Resume
  7. Apply for vice president of public relations jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a vice president of public relations 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 vice president of public relations job

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Average vice president of public relations salary

The average vice president of public relations salary in the United States is $143,172 per year or $69 per hour. Vice president of public relations salaries range between $88,000 and $232,000 per year.

Average vice president of public relations salary
$143,172 Yearly
$68.83 hourly

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How do vice presidents of public relations rate their job?

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Vice president of public relations reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

I am responsible for everything be it any side of the business


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

People relations Results behavioural change

Cons

marketing especially retailing products and or fundraising


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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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