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PR Management Job Overview

The job of public relations managers entails supervision of public relations specialists. PR managers develop publicity programs that are aimed towards a target audience. These managers work in coordination with advertising and promotional programs. They help the company executives arrange interviews, draft speeches and maintain any kind of public contact. They also look over the company archives and respond to requests for information. For the kind of job they do, these managers are considered to be the eyes and ears of the top management.

PR Management Schools and Degrees

If one aspires to be a successful Public Relations Manager, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in public relations is preferred. There are many colleges and universities that can provide a two-year degree or four-year degree in journalism or public relations. Colleges also offer certificate courses to aspiring PR candidates, which include business administration, advertising, public speaking, public affairs, creative and technical writing and political science.

Job Requirements

To qualify for the Public Relations Society of America certification program, a candidate must go through an examination and should have the relevant experience in public relations fields. Certification is very important as far as the competitive public relations job market is concerned. Based on education and job performance, there are many certification programs currently available.

Public Relations managers should possess a creative mind and must be able to handle a work load and the stress that comes with it. One needs to be flexible, highly motivated and decisive to be able to succeed as a PR manager. PR managers are also responsible for maintaining good personal relations with clients’ firms, supervisory and professional staff members.

Nature of Work

PR managers formulate publicity programs for the purpose of a particular target audience. They make use of all available communication mediums to gain support of the targeted consumer group. On the basis of social, political and economic trends that have the potential to affect the firm closely, PR managers make necessary recommendations for building the image of the firm.

PR managers usually work from offices that are close to that of the top managers. They have to work under pressure and for long hours when there is a change of schedule or deadlines that have to be met. PR managers might be required to travel for meetings with government officials or special interest groups.

PR Management Jobs and Outlook

According to a study by the United States Department of Labor in 2006, PR managers held about 50,000 jobs in the US. There is an expected 12 percent growth in PR jobs through the year 2016. Employment of PR managers is greatest in the following industries:

• Advertising and related services
• Colleges and universities
• Local government
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Professional and similar organizations

The median annual earnings for Public Relations managers in the US in May of 2006 was $82,180.

Job Numbers and Growth

There were about 50,000 PR managers across the US in 2008. Unemployment for workers was considered low in the recent past, relative to other occupations. The percentage of employees unemployed in 2008 was 3%.

Area Job Conditions

The cities with the most PR managers per capita are Fairbanks (Alaska), Bloomington (Illinois), and Bismarck (North Dakota), while the worst cities are Virginia Beach (Virginia), McAllen (Texas), and Bakersfield (California).

The highest salaries for workers are in and around San Jose (California), Washington (District of Columbia), and Lowell (Massachusetts). The lowest-paying areas are Gulfport (Mississippi), Johnson City (Tennessee), and Billings (Montana).

Training and Education

Education or job training for employees typically involves a bachelor's or higher degree, plus work experience. At least 75% of PR managers had a degree of four or more years. About 16% of workers had some college below a bachelor's degree. An estimated 9% of employees had just a high-school diploma. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

An estimated 5% of PR managers work part-time. An estimated 2% of workers were self-employed.

PR Managers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Birmingham	$89,000	190	-8%
Huntsville	$108,000	40	-53%
Mobile	$88,000	80	+12%
Montgomery	$79,000	120	+82%
Tuscaloosa		40	+14%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$80,000	60	-11%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Flagstaff	$74,000	30	+43%
Phoenix	$85,000	730	-2%
Tucson	$80,000	230	+62%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$105,000	40	-52%
Little Rock	$75,000	90	-37%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$76,000	30	-72%
Fresno	$85,000	90	-32%
Los Angeles	$115,000	1,840	+7%
Modesto	$99,000	30	-52%
Oakland	$104,000	440	+5%
Oxnard	$99,000	110	-10%
Riverside	$99,000	250	-51%
Sacramento	$122,000	370	+1%
Salinas	$95,000	50	-22%
San Diego	$101,000	540	-2%
San Francisco	$142,000	1,080	+158%
San Jose	$141,000	500	+32%
San Luis Obispo	$79,000	30	-17%
Santa Ana	$107,000	480	-22%
Santa Barbara	$91,000	70	+3%
Santa Rosa	$89,000	60	-15%
Stockton	$96,000	60	-30%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boulder	$98,000	50	-19%
Colorado Springs	$108,000	70	-32%
Denver	$115,000	410	-22%
Fort Collins	$107,000	40	-20%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$89,000	420	+136%
Hartford	$86,000	390	+62%
New Haven	$94,000	80	-29%
Norwich	$86,000	40	-18%

Delaware

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Wilmington	$135,000	200	+48%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$128,000	4,210	+309%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fort Lauderdale	$121,000	100	-66%
Jacksonville	$102,000	120	-52%
Miami	$110,000	210	-49%
Orlando	$116,000	230	-46%
Tallahassee	$99,000	70	+8%
Tampa	$97,000	330	-32%
West Palm Beach	$125,000	100	-54%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Athens	$85,000	30	+11%
Atlanta	$104,000	1,140	+17%
Augusta	$89,000	60	-28%
Savannah	$74,000	60	+0%

Hawaii

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Honolulu	$83,000	160	-13%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$87,000	140	+30%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bloomington	$73,000	40	+50%
Champaign	$80,000	30	-25%
Chicago	$91,000	2,190	+38%
Rockford	$75,000	30	-47%
Springfield	$92,000	40	-5%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Evansville	$70,000	60	-13%
Fort Wayne	$80,000	50	-40%
Gary	$63,000	30	-73%
Indianapolis	$82,000	470	+25%
Muncie	$68,000	30	+81%
South Bend	$61,000	50	-3%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cedar Rapids	$88,000	80	+44%
Davenport	$70,000	40	-47%
Des Moines	$83,000	170	+24%
Iowa City	$75,000	30	+12%
Waterloo	$54,000	30	-9%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Topeka	$79,000	50	+15%
Wichita	$75,000	110	-8%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bowling Green	$75,000	50	+141%
Lexington	$71,000	190	+92%
Louisville	$71,000	360	+41%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baton Rouge	$67,000	100	-35%
New Orleans	$71,000	120	-46%
Shreveport	$68,000	30	-59%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bangor	$67,000	50	+117%
Portland	$70,000	140	+71%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baltimore	$90,000	570	+3%
Bethesda	$113,000	320	+32%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Barnstable Town	$106,000	60	+54%
Boston	$121,000	1,540	+109%
Framingham	$119,000	110	+67%
Lowell	$119,000	40	-16%
Peabody	$88,000	40	+0%
Springfield	$107,000	80	-35%
Worcester	$102,000	90	-13%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Detroit	$102,000	210	-25%
Grand Rapids	$88,000	60	-62%
Kalamazoo	$92,000	30	-45%
Lansing	$94,000	40	-51%
Warren	$83,000	320	-30%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Duluth	$82,000	40	-23%
Minneapolis	$109,000	1,030	+37%
St Cloud	$86,000	60	+61%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Gulfport	$74,000	40	-5%
Jackson	$63,000	120	+15%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Jefferson City	$101,000	50	+77%
Kansas City	$96,000	480	+12%
Springfield	$76,000	70	-10%
St Louis	$96,000	440	-22%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lincoln	$87,000	140	+117%
Omaha	$80,000	270	+37%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$110,000	190	-47%
Reno	$79,000	110	+42%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Manchester	$85,000	50	+23%
Portsmouth		40	+86%
Rochester	$86,000	30	+51%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlantic City	$95,000	50	-14%
Camden	$102,000	110	-50%
Edison	$140,000	500	+15%
Newark	$116,000	650	+54%
Trenton	$147,000	160	+72%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$76,000	70	-56%
Santa Fe	$76,000	30	+28%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$95,000	260	+38%
Buffalo	$96,000	140	-40%
Nassau	$110,000	350	-35%
New York	$153,000	4,440	+102%
Poughkeepsie	$96,000	40	-61%
Rochester	$81,000	250	+18%
Syracuse	$81,000	80	-38%
Utica	$82,000	60	+21%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charlotte	$98,000	290	-20%
Durham	$118,000	190	+67%
Greensboro	$97,000	110	-26%
Greenville		40	+56%
Raleigh	$101,000	240	+11%
Wilmington		40	-27%
Winston Salem	$114,000	120	+39%

North Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bismarck	$62,000	30	+22%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$86,000	100	-25%
Canton	$88,000	30	-55%
Cincinnati	$91,000	270	-37%
Cleveland	$101,000	350	-19%
Columbus	$113,000	300	-23%
Dayton	$93,000	100	-37%
Toledo	$75,000	70	-43%
Youngstown	$81,000	50	-46%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Oklahoma City	$73,000	180	-26%
Tulsa	$60,000	140	-22%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bend	$52,000	30	+26%
Eugene	$68,000	100	+77%
Medford	$71,000	30	+1%
Portland	$95,000	740	+72%
Salem	$77,000	70	+17%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Allentown	$96,000	140	-3%
Erie	$73,000	40	-22%
Harrisburg	$85,000	170	+28%
Philadelphia	$104,000	780	-3%
Pittsburgh	$84,000	450	-7%
Scranton	$82,000	40	-63%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$127,000	260	+11%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$78,000	160	+34%
Columbia	$72,000	200	+37%
Florence	$86,000	30	-2%
Greenville	$75,000	120	-3%
Myrtle Beach	$84,000	30	-30%
Spartanburg	$96,000	30	-34%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$66,000	90	-4%
Knoxville	$80,000	190	+37%
Memphis	$67,000	140	-46%
Nashville	$83,000	420	+35%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Austin	$114,000	300	-9%
College Station	$88,000	40	+11%
Dallas	$117,000	580	-35%
El Paso	$58,000	70	-38%
Fort Worth	$93,000	280	-23%
Houston	$110,000	730	-34%
Killeen	$79,000	40	-22%
San Antonio	$100,000	250	-32%
Waco	$86,000	40	+2%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Provo	$81,000	40	-42%
Salt Lake City	$90,000	200	-22%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$88,000	70	+59%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Richmond	$106,000	220	-15%
Virginia Beach	$81,000	100	-69%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bellingham	$72,000	30	+6%
Olympia	$94,000	180	+365%
Seattle	$105,000	1,140	+92%
Spokane	$72,000	100	+19%
Tacoma	$88,000	160	+47%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Green Bay	$79,000	70	+3%
La Crosse	$75,000	40	+46%
Madison	$92,000	210	+49%
Milwaukee	$99,000	430	+23%