Management · Holland code ECS

Public Relations Managers

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

Also called: Communications Director, Communications Manager, PR Director (Public Relations Director), Public Affairs Director, Community Relations Director.

O*NET 11-2032.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $146,910; Middle half earn $106,580 to $204,520. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 4 of 5; Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Speaking4.3 / 5
Reading Comprehension4.1 / 5
Active Listening4.1 / 5
Writing4.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
Active Learning3.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Communications and Media4.9 / 5
English Language4.7 / 5
Administration and Management4.0 / 5
Sales and Marketing3.8 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.8 / 5
Administrative3.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic0
Investigative22
Artistic45
Social53
Enterprising100
Conventional56

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

destination manager · DE Destinationsmanager/Destinationsmanagerin · FR responsable service production tourisme
communication manager · DE Kommunikationsmanager/Kommunikationsmanagerin · FR directeur de la communication/directrice de la communication
advertising manager · DE Werbefachmann/Werbefachfrau · FR directeur de la publicité/directrice de la publicité
public relations manager · DE Public-Relations-Manager/Public-Relations-Managerin · FR responsable des relations publiques
advertising media planner · DE Mediaplaner/Mediaplanerin · FR chargé d’études média/chargée d’études média
advertising specialist · DE Werbespezialist/Werbespezialistin · FR spécialiste en publicité

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Public relations professionals (2493)81,300 employed
Public relations and communications directors (1133)32,200 employed
Advertising accounts managers and creative directors (2494)55,700 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€61,714
Germany	€59,529
Ireland	€56,877
Austria	€55,374
Netherlands	€53,595
Sweden	€43,567
France	€41,515
Spain	€35,735
Italy	€33,649
Portugal	€26,072
Poland	€14,380

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test