The Average Salary of a Publicist
Publicists, also known as public relation specialists, market the positive aspects of clients such as businesses, universities, hospitals and individuals. They must not only manage media and advertising outlets, but understand the attitudes and concerns of the target audience. A college degree in public relations, marketing or communications is the typical entry-level requirement.
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Conditions
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Full-time publicists work a standard 35- to 40-hour week, though work schedules are often interrupted and irregular as professionals attend meetings, deliver speeches and travel. Their median salary is $51,960 per year, with a range of $30,520 to $96,630 as of May 2009. When deadlines loom, overtime is common and temporary help can be brought in. Hourly pay in these cases is a median $24.98, with a range of $14.67 to $46.46.
Experience
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Experience is an important component of the job. More years grant not only greater skill but a larger network of contacts, which are critical to job success. As of December 2010, the PayScale Report reveals that new publicists earn $27,000 to $39,505 annually. At one to four years of work, they receive $32,202 to $45,443, and at five to nine years, they get $40,605 to $58,866. Finally, at 10 to 19 years they make $45,387 to $66,586, and at 20 or more years, they are paid $43,322 to $75,573.
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Industries
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According to the BLS, the industries that hire the most publicists are advertising and publications, whose primary purpose is to make clients look good. They comprise 14 percent of the total 242,670 and pay at $33.48 or $69,630. Interestingly enough, the second-most popular employers for publicists are business, professional, labor and political organizations. The purpose of publicists here is to make the hiring business look good. These industries comprise eight percent of the total and pay $29.83 or $62,040.
Outlook
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Jobs for publicists will grow by 24 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the BLS. This much faster-than-average increase will result in faster-than-average increases in compensation as well. More organizations are realizing the importance of good publicity in remaining competitive, especially in a global environment. Because the number of applicants will exceed the number of openings, competition will be fierce.
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