Public Relations Manager Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
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The following article discusses the career path of Public Relations Manager. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Public Relations Managers.

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Job Duties

Public relations managers can get to work in a range of different industries, ranging from food manufacturing to hotels. Usually, they start at entry level positions after completing a bachelor’s degree, working their way up to management level in around five years. They usually have office based positions and don’t have to travel much except for training. They also work during regular office hours.

The main responsibility of this professional is to improve the public’s perception on the brand of their organization. They develop and implement various programs and campaigns to increase brand awareness. They also train others within the organization and work together with various other departments to make sure the content of their programs is accurate. Furthermore, they measure how successful certain campaigns and programs have been, thereby determining whether they were efficient. Additionally, they often manage the social media profile of their organization and represent it to the media.

Other job duties of a public relations manager are:

  • To manage and organization internal communication and public relations programs in order to create and promote a favorable brand image
  • To take part in annual reporting sessions and to release proxy statements
  • To manage and improve the corporate identity and image of the organization, using signage and logos
  • To hold responsibility for the creation of media kits and press releases
  • To work with the press to manage positive press releases

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 73,500 public relations and fundraising managers in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations : 23%
  • Educational services; state, local, and private: 20%
  • Professional, scientific, and technical services: 14%
  • Management of companies and enterprises: 9%

How to Become

A public relations manager is usually expected to hold a bachelor’s degree as a minimum, as well as to have at least five years’ professional experience.

Education Requirements

A public relations manager is expected to hold a bachelor’s degree in journalism, fundraising, English, communications, public relations, or related field. A master’s degree, particularly one in nonprofit management, fundraising, journalism, or public relations, is generally preferred. It is particularly important that they have completed courses in technical writing, creative writing, public speaking, public affairs, business administration, and advertising.

There is no legal requirement for public relations managers to become licensed or certified. However, certifications do exist through the Public Relations Society of America and those who hold them tend to have better job prospects. Similarly, they can obtain expertise and knowledge credentials through the International Association of Business Communicators.

If a public relations manager also engages in fundraising activities, they may obtain the voluntary Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential, offered by CFRE International. This credential requires at least five years’ relevant professional experience. It must also be renewed every three years.

Work experience is of the utmost importance for public relations managers, and most have worked in the field for at least five years, growing to managerial positions over time. The most senior public relations managers often have at least ten years work experience.

Traits & Qualities

The most effective public relations managers have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and the ability to adapt communication to make it suitable to the target audience
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Great organizational skills
  • Excellent problem solving skills
  • Excellent speaking skills and the confidence to be a great public speaker

Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Public Relations Manager was $51,303. This number is estimated from over 629,324 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $26.72 and monthly of $4,275.

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$14,000

$127,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Public Relations Manager salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, Massachusetts had the largest quoted salary of $70,751 while Idaho had the smallest quoted salary of $23,904.

AlabamaIllinoisNorth CarolinaSouth Carolina
ArizonaKansasNew JerseyTennessee
CaliforniaKentuckyNew MexicoTexas
ColoradoLouisianaNevadaUtah
DCMassachusettsNew YorkVirginia
FloridaMarylandOhioWashington
GeorgiaMichiganOklahomaWisconsin
HawaiiMinnesotaOregonWyoming
IowaMissouriPennsylvania
IdahoMontanaRhode Island
Alabama – $35,244Rank: 34th
The average salary ranks 34th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Vaco, LLC and Hillautos CORP.

  • Most Reported
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$14,000

$118,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona – $47,923Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Steve LeVine Entertainment & Public Relations, Partners Dog School, and Staffing Strong.

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$14,000

$115,000

Salary Distribution
California – $63,959Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like ABG Construction, Beslow Consulting LLC, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Visit California.

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$15,000

$147,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado – $47,021Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Denver Health, University of Colorado, and Communications Strategy Group.

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$14,000

$101,000

Salary Distribution
DC – $59,944Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like AppleOne, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, American Bankers Association, and American University.

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$14,000

$145,000

Salary Distribution
Florida – $47,405Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hillsborough County, FL, The Creative Group, Lonski and Associates LLC, and Boca Grove Golf & Tennis.

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$14,000

$110,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia – $39,213Rank: 31st
The average salary ranks 31st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Royak Group Inc., Creative Circle, The Creative Group, and Robert Half The Creative Group.

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$14,000

$100,000

Salary Distribution
Hawaii – $30,566Rank: 36th
The average salary ranks 36th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Pang Communications and Jan Guard Hawaii, Inc..

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$7.25

$41.05

Salary Distribution
Iowa – $44,614Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The University of Iowa.

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$14,000

$113,000

Salary Distribution
Idaho – $23,904Rank: 38th
The average salary ranks 38th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Idaho and Mountain Land Rehabilitation.

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$7.25

$21.00

Salary Distribution
Illinois – $56,868Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hirewell, Planet Interactive, Robert Half, and The Creative Group.

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$16,000

$122,000

Salary Distribution
Kansas – $25,036Rank: 37th
The average salary ranks 37th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Hillautos CORP and WOODBRIDGE HOME EXTERIORS.

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$7.25

$21.95

Salary Distribution
Kentucky – $45,354Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance.

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$14,000

$108,000

Salary Distribution
Louisiana – $39,751Rank: 28th
The average salary ranks 28th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like VetReady and Hillautos CORP.

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$14,000

$81,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts – $70,751Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Accounting Career Network, Bay Shore Staffing, CyberCoders, and The Creative Group.

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$23,000

$143,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland – $49,926Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like FlexProfessionals, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, The Creative Group, and La Cakerie.

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$14,000

$106,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan – $44,871Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The University of Michigan, Frontier Promotions, ITH Staffing, and Hillautos CORP.

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$14,000

$97,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota – $51,144Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Creative Circle, The Creative Group, and Hillautos CORP.

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$14,000

$113,000

Salary Distribution
Missouri – $39,506Rank: 29th
The average salary ranks 29th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Creative Circle.

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$14,000

$95,000

Salary Distribution
Montana – $39,486Rank: 30th
The average salary ranks 30th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Better Business Bureau and University of Montana.

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$15,000

$74,000

Salary Distribution
North Carolina – $48,977Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Creative Group, North Carolina Dental Society, Creative Circle, and Extended Reach.

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$14,000

$105,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey – $53,081Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Creative Group, Rutgers University, Right Recruiting, and Dancewear Trading Inc.

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$14,000

$123,000

Salary Distribution
New Mexico – $43,862Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of New Mexico and New Mexico State Personnel Office.

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$15,000

$88,000

Salary Distribution
Nevada – $47,292Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Reflex Media Inc and Hillautos CORP.

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$15,000

$96,000

Salary Distribution
New York – $61,936Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half The Creative Group, Accounting Career Network, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and SOSblack.

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$14,000

$151,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio – $38,948Rank: 32nd
The average salary ranks 32nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Ohio University, Ohio State University, and Tubbs Chiropractic.

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$14,000

$92,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma – $43,800Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Fidelis Secure Care, University of Oklahoma, University of Central Oklahoma, and HealthCARE Express Oklahoma.

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$14,000

$105,000

Salary Distribution
Oregon – $50,654Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Creative Circle, Yoga District / Yoga Activist, Girl Scouts of the USA, and Hillautos CORP.

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$14,000

$109,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania – $54,288Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Creative Circle, CyberCoders, Next Generation, and EmbroidMe – Bel Air , MD.

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$14,000

$128,000

Salary Distribution
Rhode Island – $47,558Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Community College of Rhode Island and Muggle Photography.

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$24,000

$76,000

Salary Distribution
South Carolina – $37,116Rank: 33rd
The average salary ranks 33rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like AppleOne.

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$14,000

$85,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee – $32,851Rank: 35th
The average salary ranks 35th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Creative Group.

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$7.25

$37.55

Salary Distribution
Texas – $52,556Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Creative Group, International Leadership of Texas, City of San Antonio, and SHARE on Purpose.

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$14,000

$135,000

Salary Distribution
Utah – $40,878Rank: 27th
The average salary ranks 27th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Utah, Salt Lake County, Mountain Land Rehabilitation, and Utah Valley University.

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$14,000

$90,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia – $50,554Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Creative Group, George Mason University, Commonwealth of Virginia, and DMGA Corporate Solutions.

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$14,000

$116,000

Salary Distribution
Washington – $45,830Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like King County, City of Pullman, Creative Circle, and City of Seattle.

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$7.25

$55.25

Salary Distribution
Wisconsin – $42,618Rank: 26th
The average salary ranks 26th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Wisconsin.

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$14,000

$132,000

Salary Distribution
Wyoming – $43,328Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like State of Wyoming and University of Wyoming.

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$14,000

$104,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Public Relations Manager. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary
Global Club Card Services InternationalTexas$174,540
CIGGeorgia$136,935
Considine SearchNew York$125,000
Nielsen AssociatesNew York$121,975
GTL Media, Inc.California$118,934
Staffing StrongArizona$118,280
Sovereign Executive SearchNew York$114,891
CHASE ProfessionalsGeorgia$112,886
CyberCodersCalifornia$106,458
Accounting Career NetworkMassachusetts$99,504
Robert Half The Creative GroupNew York$99,504
HirewellIllinois$95,890
Bay Shore StaffingMassachusetts$95,215
Robert Half Finance & AccountingNew York$94,422
ABG ConstructionCalifornia$94,203
Planet InteractiveIllinois$93,484
SOSblackNew York$93,468
The Creative GroupNew York$92,191
LBS IncNew York$91,620

Learn More

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Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

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