Media and Communication Workers

How to become a Public Relations Specialist

Official title: Public Relations Specialists

Also called: Communications Specialist, Community Relations Coordinator, Corporate Communications Specialist, Information and Communications Specialist, Media Relations Specialist, Public Affairs Specialist, Public Information Officer, Public Information Specialist, Public Relations Coordinator (PR Coordinator), Public Relations Specialist (PR Specialist)

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.

Main tasks

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.
Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
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.

How to become one

Public relations specialists typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Marketing Coordinator.
Apprenticeship: Public Affairs.
Apprenticeship: Services (Base Facilities), (3m0x1).
College: Communications & Media degrees, Offered by 31 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 10 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $74,750 a year The middle half earn $56,260 to $100,370.
About 314,500 people work in this job now, and about 320,200 are projected by 2035. (+1.8%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Public Relations Specialist?

Public relations specialists typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation.

How much does a Public Relations Specialist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $74,750 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $56,260 to $100,370.

Is a Public Relations Specialist a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 314,500 people now and 320,200 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

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

Usually. 84% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Public Relations Specialist?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.