Public relations officer

What does a public relations officer do?

• Write press releases, speeches, articles, website content and social media posts.
• Build relationships with journalists and respond to media questions.
• Plan and run communication campaigns for products, services or causes.
• Monitor news and social media coverage and report on results.
• Organise press conferences, events and interviews.
• Prepare the organisation's response to a crisis or negative news.
• Advise managers on how to communicate with staff, customers and the public.

Where do they work?

PR officers work in PR and communications agencies, where they handle several clients, or in-house for companies, universities, hospitals, governments, political parties, charities and international organisations. The work is mostly office-based or hybrid, with regular events, meetings and media interviews. Hours can be long before launches or during a crisis, when you may need to respond to journalists in the evening or at weekends. Some roles involve travel.

What skills do you need?

• Excellent writing and editing
• Media relations
• Social media and digital communication
• Campaign planning
• Crisis communication
• Research and media monitoring
• Confidence and networking
• Good judgement under pressure

Official skills profile (ESCO)

Essential skills listed for this occupation in ESCO, the European Commission's multilingual classification of skills and occupations.

• perform public relations
• advise on public image
• speak in public
• use different communication channels
• establish relationship with the media
• draft press releases
• integrate strategic foundation in daily performance
• analyse external factors of companies
• protect client interests
• develop communication strategies
• develop public relations strategies
• conduct public presentations

Essential knowledge: strategic planning · rhetoric · market research · communication principles · diplomatic principles · forming of public opinion · corporate social responsibility

How do you become a public relations officer?

Many PR officers have a degree in public relations, communications, journalism, marketing, politics or English, but employers accept graduates from many subjects if they write well. Some countries offer specialist PR degrees recognised by professional bodies. Internships, student societies, volunteering for charities and managing social media for events all help you gain relevant experience. Journalists often move into PR because they understand how the media works. Entry-level roles are often called PR assistant or account executive, especially in agencies. Qualifications from national PR associations can support later progression.

1. University degree. A bachelor's degree in PR, communications, journalism or marketing gives you direct preparation, often with work placements. Degrees in English, languages, politics or history are also common, because they build writing and research skills. Some programmes are recognised by national PR associations.
2. Graduate scheme or internship. Large PR agencies, companies and government communication services in some countries run graduate schemes and internships that train new entrants on the job. Competition for places is strong, so writing samples, social media work and relevant volunteering help your application. In some countries internships are unpaid, which can limit access.
3. Switching from journalism or marketing. Journalists, marketers, event organisers and political staff often move into PR, because they already have media contacts, writing skills or campaign experience. Short professional courses from PR associations can fill gaps in knowledge, such as strategy, measurement and crisis communication. This route is common in mid-career.

Degrees that lead to this career

• Journalism and media studies

  A journalism and media studies degree teaches how news and media content is researched, produced and shared, and how media shapes society.

  5 linked careers

• Marketing

  A marketing degree teaches how organisations understand customers, develop products and brands, and promote them through advertising, digital channels, sales and public relations.

  5 linked careers

• English literature

  An English literature degree teaches you to read, analyse and write about novels, poetry, plays and other texts written in English, from medieval writing to the present day.

  6 linked careers

• Politics

  A politics degree, often called political science, studies how power works: how governments are chosen and run, how laws and policies are made, and why people and countries cooperate or come into conflict.

  6 linked careers

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Do you need a licence to work as a public relations officer?

Public relations is not a regulated profession, so you do not need a licence to work in PR. National PR associations in many countries offer membership, qualifications and codes of ethics, but these are voluntary. If your work includes lobbying governments, some countries and the European Union have lobbying registers that you or your employer may need to join. You must also follow laws on advertising, defamation and data protection, and market disclosure rules for listed companies.

How much does a public relations officer earn?

Pay in the United States

• $74,750Median annual wage, May 2025
• $44,110–$135,150Range from the lowest-paid 10% to the highest-paid 10%
• 283.4KPeople employed in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 27-3031, May 2025. National estimates across all industries; excludes the self-employed.

Earnings of Professionals around the world

Most countries do not publish pay for single job titles. The International Labour Organization collects median monthly earnings for broad occupation groups instead. This career belongs to ISCO-08 major group 2, "Professionals". The table covers the whole group, which includes public relations officer and many other occupations.

Source: ILOSTAT, median monthly earnings of employees, latest year available. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries so figures can be compared. "vs all employees" compares the group's median with the median for all occupations in the same country.

Career progression

1. PR assistant or account executive
2. PR officer
3. Senior PR officer or account manager
4. PR or communications manager
5. Head of communications or communications director

Job outlook

Organisations continue to need people who can manage their reputation and explain their work clearly, especially as news spreads quickly on social media. The job has moved towards digital content, work with online influencers, measuring results with data, and crisis response. AI tools now draft routine press releases and posts, which may reduce some junior tasks. PR professionals with strong judgement, good relationships, strategic thinking and high ethical standards are likely to remain in demand. Entry-level competition is strong.

Questions about becoming a public relations officer

What degree do you need for public relations?

There is no single required degree. PR, communications, journalism and marketing degrees are the most direct, but many PR officers studied English, languages, politics, history or business. Employers care most about strong writing, an understanding of the media and relevant experience from internships, volunteering or student activities.

What is the difference between PR and marketing?

Marketing mainly focuses on promoting and selling products or services, often through paid advertising. Public relations focuses on reputation and relationships with the media, the public, staff, investors and governments, usually through news coverage and communication rather than paid adverts. In many organisations the two teams work closely together.

Is PR a stressful job?

It can be. Deadlines, demanding clients and unexpected news can create pressure, and crisis communication may mean working late or at weekends. Many people enjoy the variety and teamwork. In-house roles in stable organisations are often more predictable than agency roles, where you may handle several clients at once.

Can a journalist move into public relations?

Yes, this is a very common move. Journalists bring writing skills, news judgement and an understanding of what reporters need, which PR teams value. They usually need to learn about campaign planning, strategy and measuring results, and get used to working for a client or employer rather than for readers.

Related careers

• Journalist

  Journalists find, check and report news and stories for newspapers, websites, television, radio, podcasts and social media.

  Degree often expected

• Marketing manager

  Marketing managers plan and lead the work that makes people aware of a product, service or organisation and persuades them to choose it.

  Degree often expected

• Digital marketer

  Digital marketers promote products, services and organisations online through search engines, social media, email, websites and online advertising.

  Degree often expected

• Event manager

  Event managers plan and run events such as conferences, exhibitions, festivals, weddings, product launches and sports events.

  Degree often expected

Sources

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — SOC 27-3031, national estimates, May 2025
2. ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation — ISCO-08 major groups, latest year per country
3. European Commission — ESCO occupation profile — ESCO code 2432.9

How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). How to become a public relations officer: degrees, skills and salary. https://coursetojob.com/careers/public-relations-officer/ (accessed September 26, 2026)

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