Public Relations Specialists

What Public Relations Specialists Do

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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

1.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Communications and Mediaimportance 4.9/5
• English Languageimportance 4.7/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 4.0/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 3.9/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
• Administrativeimportance 3.0/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 2.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Telephone Conversations4.8/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
• Time Pressure4.5/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
• Contact With Others4.4/5

Related Careers

• Public Relations Managers
• Advertising and Promotions Managers
• Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
• Writers and Authors
• Marketing Managers
• Advertising Sales Agents
• Producers and Directors
• Fundraisers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists97% skill match
• Lawyers97% skill match
• Insurance Underwriters97% skill match
• Management Analysts97% skill match
• Music Directors and Composers97% skill match
• Epidemiologists97% skill match
• Psychiatrists96% skill match
• Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary96% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 4.0/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.9/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.9/5
• Persuasionimportance 3.8/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.4/5
• Negotiationimportance 3.3/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 3.3/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Social Orientation
• Cooperation
• Dependability
• Self-Confidence
• Innovation
• Optimism
• Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ArtisticMedium
• SocialMedium
• ConventionalMedium
• InvestigativeLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where public relations specialists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV3.99× national avg
2. 2Helena, MT3.21× national avg
3. 3Columbia, MO2.76× national avg
4. 4Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA2.66× national avg
5. 5Ames, IA2.41× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Advertising and Promotions ManagersCareer Change
• Management AnalystsCareer Change
• Training and Development SpecialistsCareer Change
• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis SpecialistsCareer Change

See the full career path from Public Relations Specialists →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.