What does a Public Relations Specialist do?
A public relations specialist works across Media Relations, Press Release Writing, Crisis Communications to build and maintain systems in marketing & growth. Day-to-day, you'll be writing code, reviewing pull requests, debugging production issues, and collaborating with product and design teams. It's the kind of role where you need to balance getting things done with doing them well.
The people who do well in this role tend to be strong in Media Pitching, Event PR, Thought Leadership, but more importantly, they know how to figure out what they don't know. Marketing & Growth moves fast, and the best public relations specialists are the ones who can adapt without needing someone to hand them a playbook every time something changes.
Right now, public relations specialist roles pay in the range of $55,000 - $85,000, and most positions are looking for mid level candidates. It's a competitive field, but companies are hiring. If you've got the right skills and can show real project work, you're in a strong position.
How to get there
Build your foundation in public relations
Before anything else, get solid on the fundamentals. For public relations specialist roles, that means understanding Media Relations and Press Release Writing at a level where you can explain them to someone else. Don't try to learn everything at once. Pick the core topics that show up in every job posting for this role and get genuinely good at them.
Get hands-on with Media Relations and Press Release Writing and Crisis Communications
Reading docs and watching tutorials won't get you hired. You need to actually build things with Media Relations and Press Release Writing and Crisis Communications. Set aside time every week to write code, run experiments, or practice in a real environment. Hiring managers can tell the difference between someone who has used a tool and someone who has just read about it.
Work on real projects
Run a real campaign, even a small one. Grow a newsletter, optimize a landing page, or run A/B tests on your own site. The goal is to have something concrete you can talk about in interviews. "I built X, it does Y, and here's what I learned" is worth more than any course certificate.
Get certified in Accredited in Public
For public relations specialist roles, certifications like Accredited in Public Relations (APR) actually carry weight with hiring managers. They won't get you the job on their own, but they signal that you've put in structured effort. If you're choosing between certifications, pick the one you see mentioned most in job postings for roles you want.
Target your first public relations specialist role
Most public relations specialist positions are mid level and pay around $55,000 - $85,000. When you're applying, tailor your resume for each job. Use the exact skills and keywords from the posting. Don't be picky about company size or brand name early on. A role where you'll learn fast is more valuable than a prestigious name on your resume.
Grow from here
Once you've got a couple years as a public relations specialist, you'll have options. Roles like Marketing Director, Growth Engineer, Product Marketing Manager are natural next steps in marketing & growth. The key is to keep building depth in your specialty while picking up broader skills like leadership, architecture, and cross-team collaboration. Your career path isn't a straight line, but this gives you a strong starting point.
Skills you'll need
These are the skills that show up most often in public relations specialist job postings. You don't need all of them on day one, but you should be working toward them.
Certifications that help
These won't get you hired on their own, but they show hiring managers you've put in real study time. Worth it if you're switching careers or don't have much experience yet.
Where this role leads
Related roles in marketing & growth sorted by salary. These are the positions people grow into from public relations specialist roles.
Marketing Director
Growth Engineer
Product Marketing Manager
Growth Marketing Manager
Demand Generation Manager
Lifecycle Marketing Manager
Performance Marketing Manager
Brand Manager
Digital Marketing Manager
Marketing Operations Manager
Salary Range
Low
$55,000
Midpoint
$70,000
High
$85,000
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