A public relations (PR) director develops, implements and tracks their company’s overall strategic public relations programs. This can include media relations, internal communications, community relations, and investor relations. Programs may often include media relations, community relations, internal communications and investor relations.

A PR director must be quick thinker with strong communication skills, both written and oral, and they should be a team leader who is confident and able to inspire co-workers and clients alike.

Education/Experience Requirements: A Bachelors degree with at least 7 years of field experience.

Average Salary: $104,837

Average Hours (per week): 50 plus hours per week with substantial travel.

Union: No.

Certifications: This job requires a college graduate degree and also related experience, Certification is particularly important in a competitive job market. The number of managers who seek certification is expected to grow, and there are numerous management certification programs today based on education and job performance. The Public Relations Society of America offers a certification program for public relations practitioners based on years of experience and performance on an examination.

Training Period:

Strongest Market(s):

Today there is also a trend towards public relations jobs being dispersed throughout the United States, but traditionally PR jobs have been concentrated in large metro areas like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

About 48 percent of public relations managers in 2008 were employed in service-providing industries — professional, scientific, and technical services; public and private educational services; finance and insurance; government and healthcare. Others work for communications firms and financial institutions.

Entry Level Salary: $92,668

Average Salary: Average salary is $104,837.

Top Salary: $125,235 to $206,694.

Job Growth Forecast: Competition is tough, but employment is projected to grow on an average basis and increase by 13 percent through 2018, spurred by competition for a growing number of foreign and domestic goods and services that will be competing.

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