Public Relations Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.
What it pays
Public Relations Managers earn a median of $70.63/hr — about $147,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $39.62/hr; the top 10% earn $137.01/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Public Relations Managers earn a median of $70.63/hr — about $147,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $39.62/hr; the top 10% earn $137.01/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.
- Confer with labor relations managers to develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities.
- Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures.
- Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage.
- Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans.
- Direct activities of external agencies, establishments, or departments that develop and implement communication strategies and information programs.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.3% of public relations managers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Purchasing Managers
- Sales Managers
- Human Resources Managers
- Managers, All Other
- Training and Development Managers
- Financial Managers
Quick questions
- How much does a public relations manager make?
- The median pay is $70.63 per hour — roughly $147,000 a year, with the real range running from about $39.62/hr (10th percentile) to $137.01/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a public relations manager?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a public relations manager actually do all day?
- Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff. Confer with labor relations managers to develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities. Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.