The public relations industry is a growing field. Drawn by the excitement of corporate scandals, celebrity mishaps and the desire to do good, many public relations hopefuls are using public relations salary tools to help them determine if the salaries in PR will lead to a financially prosperous career.
Most public relations professionals will tell you that PR salaries can be very lucrative if you're a good writer, strategist and media relations guru. Relationships are key to boosting public relations salaries over the long run. An outgoing attitude coupled with a love for shaping people's perceptions about a product, personality or program can take you a long way. Follow these tips and you'll understand how public relations pay tools can equip you to make the most of your career in public relations.
1. Discover the salary scales for public relations salaries.
2. Salaries in PR increase with added responsibility. Use a PR salary calculator to create your career path.
3. Public relations pay can also vary depending on which specialty you choose or company you decide to work for. Make public relations salary information work for you during salary negotiations.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Meet career objectives by understanding PR salaries
Most PR professionals begin their careers at PR agencies. PR salaries often begin low and move their way up from there. Those who directly handle client accounts in an agency environment are the Account Coordinator, Assistant Account Executive, Account Executive and Account Supervisor. The Account Coordinator provides administrative support for assigned accounts and is paid the least.
I recommend: Empower yourself with salary articles that will help you understand how PR salaries are structured. The annual salary survey from
PRWeek charts what public relations professionals earn. Use the salary survey article at
Workinpr.com to understand some of the salary trends in public relations.
Know where you stand with a PR salary calculator
Most employers look for direct public relations experience when transitioning to this exciting career. However, it's not impossible to create a career path with increasing responsibility quickly. Know where you stand by calculating public relations job salaries that fit your experience level.
I recommend: Check out
Spring Associates Inc. free salary check-up. All you have to do is agree to their honesty pledge, fill out the query forms and you'll receive a comprehensive profile that will tell you how much your skills are worth.
SalaryExpert is another great search engine that will help you identify PR salaries in your area.
Boost your PR career with public relations salary information
There are many specialties in public relations. Crisis management PR has the highest salary, closely followed by technology, health and education. However, you don't have to work for a PR agency. Many companies have PR departments and generally have higher public relations salaries for experienced professionals. Arm yourself with salary information before you go after your dream job.
I recommend: PayScale has a salary survey report that breaks down PR Account Executive median salaries according to years of experience, area of specialty and cities with the most PR professionals. For a small fee, add your position title to
Salary.com and get a personal salary report that you can use during pay negotiations.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Membership with the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is an invaluable resource. Keep your PR career on track with the career resources, professional development classes and networking resources they offer.
The official source of Salary Tools for Public Relations Employment is
the Salary Tools for Public Relations Employment page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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