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Careers in Public RelationsOverall Assessment Overall Assessment: Public Relations -- PR -- Is Big BusinessIn the US alone, 110,000 PR professionals work in companies of all shapes and sizes. They might represent software, investment groups, non-profit groups, celebrities, or governments. They’re found in specialist agencies of two or three people, and multinationals that span countries and continents. The Work: Creative and People OrientedPR specialists manage corporate reputations across a range of audiences, and work with the media to publicize products via print publications, television, radio and the Internet. Their work might include:
Salaries: Climbing FastA 1999 survey for PR News found that "overall compensation levels have risen 4 percent to 6 percent," while "certain industries have experienced increases in the 10 percent range. Growing industries like healthcare and high-tech see demand exceeding supply, putting pressure on employers to boost salaries" (website of the Public Relations Society of America, www.prsa.org). Many types of organizations use PR, so individual salaries vary widely. A PR practitioner who wants to work for a non-profit organization won’t, on average, be compensated as highly as their corporate colleagues. The starting salary at a small PR agency might be in the mid-twenties, but offer entrants the chance to gain varied experience in a friendly environment. Starting salaries in larger agencies might be in the $30,000-plus range. A survey conducted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) reported median corporate salaries in the $50,000 range, and the figures are often much higher in specialized activities enjoying strong growth like investor relations (IR), high-tech public relations (especially strong in Boston) and crisis communication. Experienced IR practitioners, for example, regularly earn six figure salaries. The 1999 PR News survey also noted the "bull market for the communications profession," continuing to upper management levels "with salaries of vice presidents and senior vice presidents of communications as high as $325,000" (website of the PRSA). Employment Prospects: GrowingThe US Department of Labor expects employment of public relations specialists to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2006. Not surprisingly, in 1999, the Commission on Public Relations Education reported: "The growth of public relations over the past decade, has been astonishing ... virtually every kind of institution, for-profit and non-profit alike, recognizes the need for dialogue with the groups of people who can and will influence its future." (The Commission on Public Relations Education Report Better Graduates, But More Support Is Needed", published in PR Newswire, October 21, 1999.) In 1996, over 200 colleges and about 100 graduate schools offer degree programs or special curricula in public relations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. For the first time in five years of tracking, the number of public relations students (15,352) outnumbered advertising students (14,607) (The Commission on Public Relations Education Report Better Graduates). Career Paths: DiversePR professionals either:
Job titles change from company to company. One recognized route upward might look like this:
For useful career information, visit the careers page of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). To see a detailed career path in one large PR firm, visit: The Weber Group Success Profile: Creativity and Business SavvyCreativity, good writing skills, an ability to persuade, people skills, ability to network, an interest in strategy, and flexibility. The Bentley Advantage in PRAs part of the BC Major, Bentley’s public relations courses offer you the opportunity to develop the personal, professional and technological skills needed in this expanding, popular and diverse field. Alumni ProfileChris Robichaud, Executive Vice President/Partner, Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, LLC, Beverly Hills, CA. (BS, Business Communication, 1989). Program of StudyWhat's actually involved in studying public relations? Check out our curriculum. Additional Resources on Careers in Public RelationsLink to our links to resources on public relations. Home | ID Careers | ID Curriculum | PR Careers | PR Curriculum | Web Careers | Web Curriculum | Minor | Internships | Faculty | Alumni |
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