Career Choice: Public Relations Specialist

Turn your gift for public speaking into a career.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 24 percent job growth for all public relations specialists by 2018, a faster pace than for all jobs on average. The salary for the public relations specialist depends in part on his industry, employer and location.

Salary

The median salary of a public relations manager was $91,810 as of May 2010. The bottom 10 percent earned $49,720 annually, those in the 25th percentile averaged $66,930 and those in the 75th percentile earned $128,470. The top 10 percent earned greater than the $80 per hour ceiling the BLS reports for wages which equals an amount greater than $166,400 per year. The bureau doesn’t identify corporate communications professionals by title, however a vice president may earn somewhere in the top 50th percentile.

Industry

Colleges and universities were the largest employers of public relations specialists with 5,790 professionals earning an annual mean wage salary of $93,590. The top paying industry were companies specializing in public relations, paying an average of $133,140 per year and employing 4,880 people, according to the bureau. Corporations and other companies paid $118,870 and employed 4,910 professionals. Other industries employing significant number of communication professionals included professional, labor and political organizations and local government. Local governments offered some of the lowest salaries, paying $81,410 on average followed by community or nonprofit groups paying $70,980 annually.

States

California, New York, Texas and Illinois had the highest employment levels for public relations specialists with the District of Columbia found in the middle of the pack. In California, 6,320 communications specialists were employed and in Texas that number was 2,670. New York led all states in pay, with communication professionals averaging $139,500 annually followed by Delaware at $136,530. In Texas, the average salary was $104,430.

Metropolitan Areas

The greater New York area led the nation in pay for publication relation specialists, paying $152,650 per year followed by Trenton-Ewing, N.J. at $147,370. San Francisco followed at $142,340 with San Jose next at $141,040. New York also had the greatest number of communications specialists followed by Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Career Choice

Should you consider a career as a public relations specialist? If you do, the BLS notes that employers look for people who have been trained in advertising or journalism, with courses in marketing, consumer behavior, sales, market research and finances helpful. To enjoy higher salaries, a master’s degree in public relations or journalism can be helpful. A high comfort level with public speaking is important as is all types of promotional capabilities.