Salary for a Public Relations Consultant
Often thought to be "spin doctors," public relations consultants are skilled professionals whose job is to get a product, service, location or even a person into the spotlight with good press. Consultants take advantage of everything from press releases to product placement to social media to get their messages across, along with conducting tests through focus groups and surveys to determine public opinion.
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Industries
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In a 2009 wages survey, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) determined the average countrywide earnings for public relations consultants to be $59,370 per year. The BLS also identified several industries paying significantly higher rates to its public relations staff. At the top of the list, paying more than double the national average, was the petroleum and coal products manufacturing industry, with an annual mean wage for public relations consultants of $120,420. The rail transportation industry was also considerably higher than the mean, at $88,540, followed by drugs and drug merchant wholesalers at $87,700 and the oil and gas extraction industry at $86,640.
Location
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Taking the BLS' top honors for both the highest-paying area for public relations salaries, at $97,550 per year, and highest per-capita employment was the District of Columbia. In second place for the highest-paying state was New York, with salaries of $66,820; New York was also the fifth highest per-capita employer. Both Virginia, at $66,740 per year and California, at $66,690 per year, were also above-average states for public relations salaries in 2009.
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Considerations
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For most prospective public relations consultants, the path to earning a salary begins with a bachelor's degree in public relations, advertising, journalism or communications. Master's degrees and doctoral programs are available for students who wish to take their education further. Candidates for public relations salaries who want to distinguish themselves from the applicant pool may seek affiliations such as the Public Relations Society of America, the Society for Technical Communication and the International Association of Business Communicators.
Outlook
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The BLS projects 24 percent growth in the employment of public relations consultants through 2018, adding 66,200 jobs across the nation. The BLS suggests prospective candidates with multiple language skills, experience with social media and those candidates with post-secondary education will have the most opportunities to attain salaries.
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