Careers / Public Relations Specialists
Public Relations Specialists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$74,750
United States, 2025
Employment
283,380
United States, 2025
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Promote or create an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media. May specialize in using social media.
- O*NET code
- 27-3031.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
- Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
- Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
- Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
- Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
- Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions.
- Coach client representatives in effective communication with the public or with employees.
- Study the objectives, promotional policies, or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products, or services.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$44,110
25th percentile
$56,260
75th percentile
$100,370
90th percentile
$135,150
Most important skills
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Writing4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Coordination3.9
- Time Management3.9
- Persuasion3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Active Learning3.4
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 18 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
18
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Coordination | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Time Management | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Negotiation | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Public Relations SpecialistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $117,620 | 2,200 | 2025 |
| Kennewick, WA | $103,030 | 200 | 2025 |
| DC | $102,740 | 16,720 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $102,520 | 6,290 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $101,680 | 22,810 | 2025 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $99,960 | 60 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $98,190 | 80 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $96,000 | 3,980 | 2025 |
| El Centro, CA | $93,100 | 40 | 2025 |
| Bloomington, IL | $91,630 | 110 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $91,530 | 420 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $89,640 | 2,620 | 2025 |
| Hartford, CT | $87,830 | 710 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $87,740 | 450 | 2025 |
| WA | $87,470 | 6,430 | 2025 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $85,650 | 370 | 2025 |
| CA | $85,030 | 32,710 | 2025 |
| CT | $84,990 | 1,910 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $84,990 | 450 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $84,990 | 610 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Public Relations Specialists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.