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Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere

How to become a Public Relations Consultant

Works for an advertising or PR agency or similar, analysing the aims and challenges of organisations' public relations, drawing up strategies and advising on how to carry them out.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start. For university graduates, faculty and major do not matter, but quite a few studied communication or media studies. Small PR firms mostly hire experienced people mid-career who can contribute straight away, while medium-sized and large firms also actively hire new graduates. When medium-sized and large PR firms hire mid-career, they look for contacts, problem-solving skills and PR skills, as well as wide knowledge specific to the industry. Because of this, few people enter from other industries. New graduates usually start with short training in basic business manners and knowledge. After that, they spend about 3 to 5 years learning the work as an assistant to a lead account manager. While new, you also deepen your learning by joining PR events beyond your own accounts, seminars run by the Public Relations Society of Japan and in-house study sessions. Once you have a certain level of communication, problem-solving and leadership skills, you are recognised as fully skilled and trusted with work as a lead account manager. A related qualification is PR Planner from the Public Relations Society of Japan. Some PR firms pay a special allowance to staff who hold it. You need strong information-gathering and communication skills. It is also important to keep an accurate grasp of the trends society and the media are looking for. If you win clients around the world, English is needed, and if you write copy, writing skills on a par with a professional writer may be needed.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Public Relations Consultant?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. For university graduates, faculty and major do not matter, but quite a few studied communication or media studies. Small PR firms mostly hire experienced people mid-career who can contribute straight away, while medium-sized and large firms also actively hire new graduates. When medium-sized and large PR firms hire mid-career, they look for contacts, problem-solving skills and PR skills, as well as wide knowledge specific to the industry. Because of this, few people enter from other industries. New graduates usually start with short training in basic business manners and knowledge. After that, they spend about 3 to 5 years learning the work as an assistant to a lead account manager. While new, you also deepen your learning by joining PR events beyond your own accounts, seminars run by the Public Relations Society of Japan and in-house study sessions. Once you have a certain level of communication, problem-solving and leadership skills, you are recognised as fully skilled and trusted with work as a lead account manager. A related qualification is PR Planner from the Public Relations Society of Japan. Some PR firms pay a special allowance to staff who hold it. You need strong information-gathering and communication skills. It is also important to keep an accurate grasp of the trends society and the media are looking for. If you win clients around the world, English is needed, and if you write copy, writing skills on a par with a professional writer may be needed.

How much does a Public Relations Consultant earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,833,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Public Relations Consultant?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Public Relations Consultant?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026