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Public Relations Managers

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

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

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Median pay BLS, 2025$146,910
Openings a year BLS, 2025–356,100
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +5.7%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 18 of its 20 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 5.7% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 2.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Public relations and fundraising managers”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 34% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 95% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$82k$198knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$98,210$80,070 to $127,510540
Alaska$120,920$100,870 to $138,220380
Arizona$114,400$95,200 to $155,7501,170
Arkansas$104,170$75,750 to $177,370340
California$167,980$125,550 to $222,3109,400
Colorado$162,870$124,680 to $208,020not published
Connecticut$154,210$103,430 to $214,800890
Delaware$153,010$120,710 to $189,060170
District of Columbia$197,600$142,020 to $296,8307,410
Florida$127,550$90,560 to $167,0002,990
Georgia$134,500$106,740 to $173,7201,540
Hawaii$105,010$83,200 to $135,550390
Idaho$98,160$78,000 to $120,040not published
Illinois$131,990$98,400 to $169,6402,770
Indiana$114,960$93,610 to $154,830600
Iowa$120,730$95,430 to $149,190630
Kansas$129,760$102,280 to $159,550300
Kentucky$112,320$89,200 to $144,240510
Louisiana$94,380$76,310 to $132,360320
Maine$166,940$108,630 to $178,670not published
Maryland$149,380$113,100 to $198,3401,530
Massachusetts$171,740$121,570 to $215,4902,170
Michigan$117,900$91,340 to $164,6301,720
Minnesota$139,040$113,110 to $174,4401,230
Mississippi$97,160$80,780 to $129,620170
Missouri$114,710$91,070 to $156,470760
Montana$99,990$85,220 to $118,660180
Nebraska$104,440$80,660 to $149,090330
Nevada$114,130$96,310 to $160,190450
New Hampshire$132,660$103,630 to $161,090330
New Jersey$174,980$133,120 to $225,3402,420
New Mexico$115,260$86,180 to $150,810250
New York$180,880$139,410 to $233,5307,710
North Carolina$132,280$103,700 to $173,0201,510
North Dakota$114,110$99,190 to $150,150130
Ohio$118,670$87,710 to $158,5501,400
Oklahoma$96,030$64,460 to $136,100490
Oregon$131,190$96,510 to $164,3101,410
Pennsylvania$118,050$88,450 to $153,9502,210
Puerto Rico$72,290$54,990 to $98,220220
Rhode Island$156,080$108,380 to $201,360210
South Carolina$104,920$80,010 to $145,240650
Tennessee$127,390$92,940 to $163,130700
Texas$126,670$99,340 to $171,6508,190
Utah$132,670$100,640 to $184,700580
Vermontnot publishednot published280
Virginia$176,340$132,210 to $234,0802,610
Washington$159,440$128,760 to $198,5001,610
West Virginia$82,380$62,390 to $103,57070
Wisconsin$113,980$94,590 to $144,0201,010

Nationally: $146,910. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 18 of its 20 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 13 · AI + software built on it could 2 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities. Not published
AI + software Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan. 0.09%
Not much Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff. Not published
AI + software Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans. Not published
AI + software Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages. Not published
AI + software Manage communications budgets. Not published
See all 20 tasks
AI alone Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage. 0.03%
AI + software Draft speeches for company executives and arrange interviews and other forms of contact for them. Not published
AI alone Formulate policies and procedures related to public information programs, working with public relations executives. Not published
AI + software Direct activities of external agencies, establishments, or departments that develop and implement communication strategies and information programs. Not published
AI + software Observe and report on social, economic, and political trends that might affect employers. under 0.01%
AI + software Evaluate advertising and promotion programs for compatibility with public relations efforts. under 0.01%
AI alone Confer with labor relations managers to develop internal communications that keep employees informed of company activities. Not published
AI + software Facilitate consumer relations or the relationship between parts of the company, such as the managers and employees, or different branch offices. Not published
AI alone Design and edit promotional publications, such as brochures. 0.09%
AI + software Manage special events, such as sponsorship of races, parties introducing new products, or other activities the firm supports, to gain public attention through the media without advertising directly. Not published
AI + software Respond to requests for information about employers' activities or status. Not published
Not much Produce films and other video products, regulate their distribution, and operate film library. Not published
AI alone Manage in-house communication courses. Not published
AI + software Maintain company archives. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up18 of 20 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most3 of 21 activities
  • #5 Provide information or assistance to the public
  • #9 Edit written materials or documents
  • #32 Monitor external affairs, trends, or events
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Communicate with others about operational plans or activities 9.39#92 28#39
Provide information or assistance to the public 356#5 1,375#2
Develop marketing or promotional materials 16#64 14#55
Develop professional relationships or networks 5.83#117 1.56#140
Edit written materials or documents 164#9 62#25
Monitor external affairs, trends, or events 56#32 25#43
Evaluate programs, practices, or processes 15#67 5.67#80
Manage budgets or finances 4.12#143 0.51#203
Show all 21 activities
Coordinate group, community, or public activities 3.24#162 1.26#151
Operate audiovisual or related equipment 3.12#164 0.45#211
Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations 2.97#168 2.18#124
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes 2.70#175 1.31#148
Develop business or marketing plans 2.26#190 0.72#182
Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance 1.94#201 0.78#175
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Distribute materials, supplies, or resources 1.10#229 12#62
Develop contingency or emergency response plans 0.84#246 0.62#189
Design databases 0.84#247 0.20#240
Manage human resources activities 0.71#255 0.19#244
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Manage human resources activities” holds 1 task rated AI alone, yet people asked AI for help with it in 0.71 of every 10,000 conversations, #255 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • A document or report25%
  • A plan or strategy15%
  • Marketing or social media content11%
  • An image or graphic11%
  • A presentation or slides7%

How they worked with Claude

32% handed the task off68% worked on it together

78% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for public relations managers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Public relations managers: +5.7%Public Relations ManagersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Public relations managers: +5.7%Public Relations Managers

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 222,545 moves out

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  2. 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 5%
  3. 3 Marketing Managers Very high +6.9% 5%
  4. 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
  5. 5 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 4%

Where people moved in from

of 235,527 moves in

  1. 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  2. 2 Public Relations Specialists Very high +1.8% 5%
  3. 3 Marketing Managers Very high +6.9% 5%
  4. 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
  5. 5 Sales Managers High +4.5% 3%

The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. This occupation comes from “Public Relations and Fundraising Managers”, which today also includes “Fundraising Managers”, so these figures cover it too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 1% less than high school
  • 3% high school
  • 6% some college
  • 3% associate's
  • 53% bachelor's
  • 30% master's
  • 1% professional degree
  • 3% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Public relations and fundraising managers” · 1,425 people surveyed.

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Public relations and fundraising managers”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
10 programs, such as Communication, General, Speech Communication and Rhetoric and Mass Communication/Media Studies.
See all
  • Communication, General
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
  • Public Relations/Image Management
  • Political Communication
  • International and Intercultural Communication
  • Communication Management and Strategic Communications
  • Business/Corporate Communications, General
  • Business/Corporate Communications, Other

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

17.8% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a certification<0.5%5.8%
an educational certificate<0.5%2.8%
a licensenot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)

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