Occupations · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Public Relations Specialists
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 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 27-3031.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 64% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,370 | 24,000 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $79,990 | 23,640 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,380 | 11,930 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $63,150 | 7,310 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $76,680 | 6,460 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $98,460 | 6,040 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $63,340 | 5,530 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $67,230 | 5,290 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $62,580 | 5,130 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $63,910 | 4,890 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $64,380 | 4,810 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $77,530 | 4,460 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
- Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
- Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
- Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
- 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.
- Prepare or edit organizational publications, such as employee newsletters or stockholders' reports, for internal or external audiences.
- Arrange public appearances, lectures, contests, or exhibits for clients to increase product or service awareness or to promote goodwill.
- Plan or conduct market or public opinion research to test products or determine potential for product success, communicating results to client or management.
- Develop plans or materials to communicate organizational activities that are beneficial to the environment, public safety, or other important social issues.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Post and update content on the company's website and social media outlets.
O*NET 26.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 4 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 39
No longer listed 13
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| public relations officer | 2432.9 | close |
| public relations manager | 1222.1.2 | broader |
| public affairs consultant | 2432.8 | broader |
| spokesperson | 2432.9.1 | broader |
| communication manager | 1222.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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