Public Relations Specialists
SOC Code: 27-3031 Job Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed
Promote or create an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media. May specialize in using social media.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Public Relations Specialists. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $54,288 | $84,344 | $114,379 | $144,435 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $61,714 | $85,883 | $110,032 | $134,202 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $63,731 | $86,278 | $108,846 | $131,394 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $55,266 | $80,309 | $105,373 | $130,416 |
| Boulder, CO | $56,430 | $80,725 | $105,019 | $129,314 |
| Vallejo, CA | $55,640 | $77,563 | $99,466 | $121,389 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,563 | $82,514 | $100,485 | $118,435 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $49,941 | $72,363 | $94,765 | $117,187 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $45,989 | $69,618 | $93,267 | $116,896 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $54,995 | $75,254 | $95,534 | $115,794 |
H-1B Filing Data
Top H-1B Employers
| Employer | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Americas Society, Inc. | 11 | $86,528 |
| Arizona State University | 9 | $52,885 |
| International Quality Homecare Corporation | 8 | $42,068 |
| NU Media Holdings LLC | 7 | $69,568 |
| The Henry L. Stimson Center | 6 | $94,917 |
| Google LLC | 6 | $179,500 |
| RALPH LAUREN CORPORATION | 6 | $197,068 |
| LaunchSquad LLC | 5 | $67,200 |
| BENTKEY SERVICES, LLC | 5 | $94,800 |
| Colangelo & Partners Public Relations, LLC | 5 | $64,827 |
Filing Trend
| Year | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 109 | $76,503 |
| 2021 | 138 | $79,898 |
| 2022 | 115 | $84,179 |
| 2023 | 352 | $73,949 |
| 2024 | 544 | $304,778 |
| 2025 | 626 | $660,788 |
| 2026 | 61 | $86,919 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 | |
| Active Listening | 4.1 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Writing | 4.0 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 | |
| Time Management | 3.9 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | |
| Coordination | 3.9 | |
| Persuasion | 3.8 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Communications and Media | 4.9 |
| English Language | 4.7 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.0 |
| Administration and Management | 4.0 |
| Sales and Marketing | 3.9 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.5 |
| Administrative | 3.0 |
| Education and Training | 2.8 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 90.9% |
| Doctoral degree | 9.1% |
Typical Tasks
- Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
- Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
- Confer with production or support personnel to produce or coordinate production of advertisements or promotions.
- Arrange public appearances, lectures, contests, or exhibits for clients to increase product or service awareness or to promote goodwill.
- Study the objectives, promotional policies, or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products, or services.
- Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions.
- Consult with advertising agencies or staff to arrange promotional campaigns in all types of media for products, organizations, or individuals.
- Coach client representatives in effective communication with the public or with employees.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Adobe Acrobat Adobe After Effects Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Apple macOS Canva Cascading style sheets CSS Cisco Webex Facebook Google Analytics Google Docs HubSpot software Hypertext markup language HTML
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