Occupation salary profile

Public Relations Managers

SOC 11-2032 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.

National median · BLS
$146,910
▲ +6.06% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$160,680
▼ -4.99% YoY · 115 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$164,760
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
74,850
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Public Relations Managers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 115 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$82,410$98,339
25th$106,580$121,669
Median (50th)$146,910$160,680
75th$204,520$196,500
90th — top pay$284,990$246,250
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $160,680 for Public Relations Managers — 9.4% above the BLS national median of $146,910.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Public Relations Managers

BLS projects employment of public relations managers to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 6,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
80,800 → 85,400
+4,600 jobs
Projected change
+5.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
6,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus 5 years or more experience
Self-employed
0.4% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $160,680
Change vs prior year -4.99%
After inflation (CPI-U) -7.87%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 34 29.6% $101,126 $122,138 $147,375
Level II 38 33% $115,000 $144,472 $192,400
Level III 13 11.3% $177,013 $220,000 $249,750
Level IV 20 17.4% $205,844 $231,241 $285,250
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Public Relations Managers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Speaking4.3
  • Active Listening4.1
  • Reading Comprehension4.1
  • Social Perceptiveness4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Persuasion3.9
  • Coordination3.8
  • Active Learning3.6
Top knowledge areas
  • Communications and Media4.9
  • English Language4.7
  • Administration and Management4.0
  • Sales and Marketing3.8
  • Customer and Personal Service3.8
  • Administrative3.2
  • Law and Government3.1
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.0
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointSalesforce softwareAdobe AcrobatAdobe After EffectsAdobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopCanvaFacebookGoogle AnalyticsGoogle DocsGoogle Workspace softwareHubSpot softwareHypertext markup language HTMLMarketo Marketing Automation

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What public relations managers 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.
Also called
Communications DirectorCommunications ManagerPR Director (Public Relations Director)Public Affairs DirectorCommunity Relations Director
More job titles for this occupation (14)
BD Director (Business Development Director)Campaign ManagerCommunity Engagement SpecialistCommunity ManagerCommunity Outreach CoordinatorOutreach CoordinatorPR Supervisor (Public Relations Supervisor)Public Information DirectorPublic Information Relations ManagerPublicity DirectorPublicity ManagerRelationship ManagerSocial Media ManagerUniversity Relations Director

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.