Public Relations Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.
- Median annual earnings
- $146,356
- Projected change
- +8.6%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 79.3K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
77.3% of the workforce
Growing to 86.12K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
The work
What public relations managers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.
- Confer with labor relations managers to develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities.
- Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures.
- Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage.
- Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans.
- Direct activities of external agencies, establishments, or departments that develop and implement communication strategies and information programs.
- Draft speeches for company executives and arrange interviews and other forms of contact for them.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities.
- Evaluate advertising and promotion programs for compatibility with public relations efforts.
- Facilitate consumer relations or the relationship between parts of the company, such as the managers and employees, or different branch offices.
- Formulate policies and procedures related to public information programs, working with public relations executives.
- Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan.
- Maintain company archives.
- Manage communications budgets.
- Manage in-house communication courses.
- Manage special events, such as sponsorship of races, parties introducing new products, or other activities the firm supports, to gain public attention through the media without advertising directly.
- Observe and report on social, economic, and political trends that might affect employers.
- Produce films and other video products, regulate their distribution, and operate film library.
- Respond to requests for information about employers' activities or status.
- Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $81,817
- 25th percentile
- $105,887
- 50th percentile
- $146,356
- 75th percentile
- $204,445
- 90th percentile
- $285,291
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $146,356 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
6,820 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 77.3%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 11.5%
- Some college
- 11.2%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Social Media Managers2,656 postings
- 02Community Associates2,334 postings
- 03Communications Managers2,238 postings
- 04Directors of Communications1,298 postings
- 05Community Engagement Managers1,137 postings
- 06Marketing Communications Managers1,021 postings
- 07Community Engagement Specialists966 postings
- 08Internal Communications Managers677 postings
- 09Directors of Marketing and Communications571 postings
- 10Directors of Community Relations540 postings
- 11Campaign Managers539 postings
- 12Communications Officers524 postings
- 13Public Relations Managers517 postings
- 14Scientific Communications Managers504 postings
- 15Directors of Government Affairs497 postings
- 16Community Relations Managers488 postings
- 17Corporate Communications Managers430 postings
- 18Marketing and Communications Managers428 postings
- 19External Communications Managers366 postings
- 20Paid Media Specialists350 postings
Top employers
- 01General Motors743 postings
- 02Iwg Plc596 postings
- 03Regus553 postings
- 04Lumen Technologies513 postings
- 05Regus Management Group455 postings
- 06International Workplace Group446 postings
- 07Pearson Education418 postings
- 08Fujifilm379 postings
- 09PricewaterhouseCoopers357 postings
- 10Cengage Learning320 postings
- 11Accenture306 postings
- 12Amazon298 postings
- 13JPMorgan Chase298 postings
- 14System One287 postings
- 15Otsuka America273 postings
- 16Google270 postings
- 17Publicis Groupe257 postings
- 18Robert Half237 postings
- 19Ernst & Young202 postings
- 20Pfizer200 postings
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