JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$74,750
Employment, U.S.283,380
Median hourly wage$35.94
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$44,110$56,260$74,750$100,370$135,150
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama2,410$61,7100.63
Alaska640$70,0501.08
Arizona5,350$66,7100.91
Arkansas980$65,0000.41
California32,710$85,0300.99
Colorado7,410$80,6801.41
Connecticut1,910$84,9900.62
Delaware930$76,1201.05
District of Columbia16,720$102,74013.07
Florida17,820$63,6600.98
Georgia6,860$73,2000.77
Hawaii1,800$63,8801.57
Idaho1,220$61,1100.78
Illinois6,200$76,3800.56
Indiana3,750$64,9000.64
Iowa2,890$62,9701.02
Kansas2,340$64,8600.89
Kentucky2,580$60,1500.71
Louisiana1,710$60,4700.48
Maine1,400$62,4501.20
Maryland4,190$79,5600.83
Massachusetts6,760$79,6601.02
Michigan7,510$65,3000.94
Minnesota8,260$68,6201.54
Mississippi950$59,8100.45
Missouri4,820$61,1300.90
Montana1,760$63,7801.89
Nebraska1,590$61,7800.85
Nevada1,600$73,8400.57
New Hampshire1,140$73,2800.92
New Jersey4,980$80,1300.64
New Mexico1,130$68,7000.71
New York28,250$81,2501.60
North Carolina9,910$67,2301.10
North Dakota640$70,2800.82
Ohio6,670$64,8400.66
Oklahoma2,280$64,9200.73
Oregon4,510$74,9001.26
Pennsylvania11,180$57,4601.01
Rhode Island1,140$77,5401.24
South Carolina2,950$62,7300.70
South Dakota210$64,5200.25
Tennessee3,380$60,9000.57
Texas25,220$65,1600.98
Utah1,800$62,6700.57
Vermont1,260$66,0602.27
Virginia9,990$80,3801.33
Washington6,430$87,4700.99
West Virginia350$56,7300.27
Wisconsin4,410$67,2400.82
Wyoming480$67,4900.93

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Public Relations Managers40.986
2Advertising and Promotions Managers40.973
3Fundraisers40.964
4Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes40.963
5Marketing Managers40.963
6Talent Directors40.959
7Advertising Sales Agents30.959
8Media Programming Directors40.949
9Search Marketing Strategists40.949
10Management Analysts40.946

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Public Relations Specialists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Advertising and Promotions ManagersManagement of Personnel Resources1.130.973
Fundraising ManagersManagement of Financial Resources1.870.946
Writers and AuthorsWriting1.120.944
Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsMathematics1.120.944
Online MerchantsMathematics1.120.937
Travel AgentsService Orientation0.880.932
Insurance Sales AgentsMathematics1.000.931
ConciergesService Orientation0.880.923
Credit CounselorsMathematics1.120.923
Real Estate BrokersMathematics1.120.922

All 12

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Public Relations Specialists, excluding software Public Relations Specialists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
TikTok5 of 2025.6x
Content management systems CMS4 of 2030.8x
QuarkXPress5 of 2011.0x
Blackbaud eTapestry3 of 2046.2x
Constant Contact3 of 2046.2x
LogMeIn GoToMeeting5 of 209.6x
WeVideo4 of 2016.8x
Microsoft SQL Server8 of 203.9x
Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP5 of 208.9x
MicroStrategy6 of 206.0x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
SpeakingEssential skill 4.12 4.25
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.12 4.12
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 4.00 4.12
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.00 4.00
WritingEssential skill 4.00 4.00
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.88 4.12
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.88 4.00
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.88 3.88
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.75 4.12
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.50 4.00
Active LearningEssential skill 3.38 3.75
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.38 3.50
NegotiationTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
MonitoringEssential skill 3.00 3.50
InstructingTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.88 3.12
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.62 2.75
MathematicsEssential skill 2.00 2.00
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.88 1.75
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.75 1.50
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.75 1.38
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.62 0.62
ScienceEssential skill 1.50 0.50
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Communications and Media 4.91 6.23
English Language 4.73 5.32
Customer and Personal Service 3.95 5.77
Administration and Management 3.95 4.41
Sales and Marketing 3.91 5.73
Computers and Electronics 3.50 3.77
Administrative 2.95 4.73
Personnel and Human Resources 2.77 3.86
Education and Training 2.77 3.45
Sociology and Anthropology 2.64 3.64
Psychology 2.55 2.77
Economics and Accounting 2.33 2.09
Mathematics 2.23 2.91
Law and Government 2.23 2.27
Telecommunications 2.23 1.36
Geography 2.18 2.73
Design 2.18 2.00
Philosophy and Theology 1.91 1.86
Production and Processing 1.86 1.77
Public Safety and Security 1.86 1.32
Foreign Language 1.82 1.59
History and Archeology 1.73 1.36
Fine Arts 1.55 1.14
Transportation 1.45 0.77
Therapy and Counseling 1.33 0.67
Engineering and Technology 1.27not rated
Biology 1.18not rated
Physics 1.14not rated
Building and Construction 1.09not rated
Mechanical 1.09not rated
Chemistry 1.05not rated
Food Production 1.05not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.05not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 4.25 4.25
Oral Expression 4.12 4.25
Written Expression 4.00 4.25
Speech Clarity 4.00 4.00
Speech Recognition 4.00 4.00
Problem Sensitivity 3.88 4.12
Written Comprehension 3.88 4.12
Deductive Reasoning 3.88 4.00
Fluency of Ideas 3.75 4.00
Originality 3.75 3.88
Inductive Reasoning 3.62 3.75
Near Vision 3.50 3.62
Category Flexibility 3.00 3.00
Information Ordering 3.00 3.00
Selective Attention 2.88 2.75
Time Sharing 2.88 2.62
Visualization 2.62 2.50
Far Vision 2.50 2.38
Flexibility of Closure 2.38 2.25
Memorization 2.25 2.25
Number Facility 2.12 2.12
Speed of Closure 2.12 2.12
Mathematical Reasoning 2.00 2.12
Perceptual Speed 2.00 2.00
Auditory Attention 2.00 1.88
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 1.75
Hearing Sensitivity 1.75 1.38
Finger Dexterity 1.62 1.00
Trunk Strength 1.62 1.00
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.38 0.50
Depth Perception 1.38 0.38
Extent Flexibility 1.12not rated
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.00not rated
Control Precision 1.00not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Dynamic Strength 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Manual Dexterity 1.00not rated
Multilimb Coordination 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 70
  • Adobe Dreamweaver
  • Airtable
  • Apple Final Cut Express
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Apple Keynote
  • Apple QuickTime
  • Apple iPhoto
  • Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
  • Blogging software
  • Cision CisionPoint
  • Drupal
  • Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML
  • Extensible hypertext markup language XHTML
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Google
  • Google Ads
  • Google Drive
  • Google Slides
  • Instagram
  • JamBoard
  • LexisNexis
  • LinkedIn
  • LogMeIn GoToWebinar
  • Mentimeter
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Myspace
  • Nearpod
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer
  • Oracle Eloqua
  • ParentSquare
  • Podcasting software
  • Slido interaction software
  • SmugMug Flickr
  • Social media sites
  • Twitter
  • Web browser software
  • Website management software
  • Wireshark
  • YouTube

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV22,8103.99$101,680
Helena, MT2603.21$63,230
Columbia, MO5402.76$47,700
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA6302.66$84,470
Ames, IA2502.41$62,970
Bozeman, MT3202.40$63,720
Burlington-South Burlington, VT5002.28$65,630
Missoula, MT2802.26$61,620
Tallahassee, FL7602.23$59,590
Lansing-East Lansing, MI8202.06$71,550

More metros, other thresholds