Public Relations Manager job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$146,910

BLS May 2025

1. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan. importance 4.6 of 5
4. Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Manage communications budgets. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Facilitate consumer relations or the relationship between parts of the company, such as the managers and employees, or different branch offices. importance 4.1 of 5
9. Observe and report on social, economic, and political trends that might affect employers. importance 3.9 of 5
10. Draft speeches for company executives and arrange interviews and other forms of contact for them. importance 3.9 of 5
11. Formulate policies and procedures related to public information programs, working with public relations executives. importance 3.8 of 5
12. Direct activities of external agencies, establishments, or departments that develop and implement communication strategies and information programs. importance 3.8 of 5
13. Respond to requests for information about employers' activities or status. importance 3.7 of 5
14. Confer with labor relations managers to develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities. importance 3.7 of 5
15. Evaluate advertising and promotion programs for compatibility with public relations efforts. importance 3.7 of 5
16. Produce films and other video products, regulate their distribution, and operate film library. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information and Thinking Creatively.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Maintain company archives.

Knowledge areas: Communications and Media, English Language, Administration and Management, Sales and Marketing and Customer and Personal Service.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Salesforce software, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a public relations manager.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (83%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Public Relations Manager
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Public Relations Manager to plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities.
- Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.
- Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan.
- Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans.
- Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages.
- Manage communications budgets.
- Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage.
- Facilitate consumer relations or the relationship between parts of the company, such as the managers and employees, or different branch offices.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in speaking, reading comprehension and active listening
- Working knowledge of Communications and Media and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $146,910 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $70.63. BLS estimates about 74,850 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of public relations managers to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,100 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full public relations manager salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real public relations manager posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only public relations manager work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and reading comprehension).