BLS also compares communications degree holders with all degree fields. Their median wage was $65,000, against $70,000 for all fields. Fifty-five percent worked in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree, against 62 percent for all fields, and 24 percent held an advanced degree, against 38 percent. Fourteen percent worked part time, against 15 percent for all fields. Those figures describe all communications majors, not public relations graduates alone.
Where do public relations graduates work?
Public relations specialists work in education, agencies, government, healthcare and advocacy organizations. BLS reports that educational services employed 14 percent of specialists in 2025, advertising, public relations and related services 12 percent, government 11 percent, healthcare and social assistance 7 percent, and grantmaking, giving and social advocacy organizations 6 percent. Median pay in May 2025 ran from $64,550 in healthcare and social assistance to $81,350 in government.
Agency work falls inside advertising, public relations and related services. BLS does not report in-house corporate teams as a separate industry, so a graduate weighing an in-house path should read job postings from specific employers. The guide to careers in PR and communications maps the paths by sector and level, and the PR careers map links every guide by career stage.
BLS also notes that public relations specialists work for schools, media buyers and professional associations, and that in government they may be called press secretaries. A graduate searching for work should therefore search several titles, including communications specialist, public information officer and public affairs specialist, which O*NET lists as reported titles for the occupation.
What does a public relations degree pay?
The median annual wage for public relations specialists was $74,750 in May 2025, according to BLS. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,110 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $135,150, so pay depends heavily on employer and experience. For comparison, BLS reports $74,250 for media and communication workers as a group and $50,980 for all occupations.
Public relations managers, a step up from the specialist role, earned a median of $146,910 in May 2025, according to the BLS manager handbook entry for public relations and fundraising managers. That is about twice the specialist median by this guide's arithmetic. BLS says managers typically need five or more years of experience in a related occupation, so the manager pay is a later-career figure and not a starting salary. The PR salary map breaks pay down by role.
The wider return to a bachelor's degree is documented in BLS's Education pays table for 2025. Workers age 25 and over with a bachelor's degree had median usual weekly earnings of $1,578 and an unemployment rate of 2.8 percent, against $966 and 4.3 percent for workers whose highest credential was a high school diploma. BLS notes that the 2025 annual figures are 11-month averages that exclude October because data were not collected during the federal government shutdown. The bachelor's median is about 1.6 times the high school median, by this guide's arithmetic, and the table covers all fields, not public relations alone.
How are recent graduates doing in the job market?
Recent college graduates faced a harder market in 2026. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports on its Labor Market for Recent College Graduates page that the unemployment rate for recent graduates stayed elevated at about 5.6 percent in the second quarter of 2026, and the underemployment rate edged up to 42 percent. The New York Fed defines recent graduates as people aged 22 to 27 with at least a bachelor's degree.
Underemployment has a specific definition. A graduate working in a job that typically does not require a college degree counts as underemployed, and the New York Fed uses O*NET survey data on education requirements to decide which jobs those are. In O*NET's survey for public relations specialists, 91 percent of respondents said a bachelor's degree is required for a new hire. This guide's inference is that a graduate working as a specialist would count as employed in a degree-level job under that framework, while a graduate working in a job outside the degree-level list would not.
The New York Fed also publishes an outcomes-by-major table that includes communications. The by-major table is interactive and was not readable for this guide, so this page does not quote major-level figures. A student comparing programs should open the table directly and check the communications row.
Is public relations a growing field?
Public relations is growing slowly. BLS projects 2 percent employment growth for specialists from 2025 to 2035, which BLS calls slower than the average for all occupations, against 3 percent for all occupations. That is about 5,700 new jobs on a base of 314,500 in 2025.
Most of the roughly 23,000 yearly openings come from workers who leave the occupation or change careers, BLS says. Public relations managers show faster projected growth at 6 percent, with about 80,800 jobs in 2025. BLS also notes that organizations emphasize community outreach and customer relations to protect their reputations, that social media is expected to create new opportunities for specialists, and that artificial intelligence is making inroads into data-rich social media work, which may soften demand for those workers.
For a student, slow growth and steady replacement openings together mean that hiring depends on turnover. A graduate competes for positions as people retire or move on, and evidence of skill matters more than the degree title alone.
What skills does a public relations degree build?
A public relations degree builds writing, speaking, research and planning skills. BLS names five qualities for specialists: interpersonal skills for dealing with the public and the media, organizational skills for managing several events or communications at once, problem-solving for explaining how an organization is handling a sensitive issue, speaking skills for representing the organization, and writing skills for clear press releases, speeches and social media posts.
O*NET gives a ranked view. It scores active listening and speaking at 78, reading comprehension and writing at 75, and critical thinking at 72, and it puts communications and media knowledge at the top at 98, ahead of English language at 93. It lists software that employers frequently include in job postings, such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, WordPress, Google Analytics, Salesforce and HubSpot.
BLS says that bachelor's programs in these fields let students produce a portfolio of work that shows prospective employers what a candidate can do. A student can use coursework to build samples directly: a press release, a pitch email to a named reporter, a short statement for a hypothetical incident and a one-page plan. Hypothetical example: a student in a public relations course chooses a local nonprofit, writes a release about its annual fundraiser, pitches it to the city's community newspaper and records the result. That single exercise produces a sample, a contact and an outcome that an employer can ask about.
Which public relations degree should you choose?
The right degree depends on the starting point: a bachelor's degree suits students entering the field, and a master's degree suits career changers and working professionals. BLS says public relations specialists typically need a bachelor's degree, and O*NET's respondents were split 91 percent bachelor's and 9 percent master's for new hires. For managers, BLS says a bachelor's degree typically is required but that some employers prefer a master's, particularly in public relations, journalism, fundraising or nonprofit management.
The pay data point the same way. BLS's Education pays table for 2025 shows median weekly earnings of $1,876 for master's degree holders against $1,578 for bachelor's degree holders, which is about 1.19 times by this guide's arithmetic, with unemployment of 2.6 percent against 2.8 percent. The table covers all fields and does not include tuition, so it cannot show whether a master's pays back its cost for a particular student. The guide to the master's in public relations degree covers cost and break-even in more detail.
To choose a major before choosing a level, read best majors for a PR career. The PR schools guide ranks programs by alumni outcomes and market fit, and public relations versus journalism degrees helps students still choosing a field. For the theory behind the discipline that these programs teach, read PR education.
Which schools offer a public relations degree?
Four schools stand out at the bachelor's level for combining PR coursework with real client or newsroom experience, and each has a full profile on Everything-PR.
| School | Undergraduate PR offering | Hands-on experience |
|---|
| Syracuse Newhouse | Bachelor of Science in Public Relations | Student media and required internships |
| Oklahoma Gaylord College | ACEJMC-accredited advertising and PR sequences | Student agency Lindsey + Asp and client capstones |
| Hofstra Herbert School | PR within eleven degree programs, ACEJMC-accredited since 2002 | New York internship access |
| Missouri School of Journalism | Strategic communication track | AdZou student agency capstone |
At the master's level the leading programs differ mostly in format. USC Annenberg offers a Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising and an online Master of Science in Public Relations Innovation, Strategy and Management. Syracuse's Newhouse School offers a 33-credit online Master of Science in Communications with a public relations specialization. Hofstra offers a Master of Arts in Communication with public relations and strategic communication concentrations through evening, weekend and online coursework. Georgetown offers a Master of Professional Studies in Public Relations and Corporate Communications for working professionals in Washington.
Northwestern's Medill teaches public relations inside its integrated marketing communications degree, covered in the Northwestern Medill profile. The USC Annenberg profile and the Georgetown profile cover those programs in detail, and students looking abroad can start with the European PR master's programs guide.
Online public relations degrees exist at several of these schools. USC Annenberg's online master's was built for working professionals who do not want to relocate to Los Angeles, Newhouse's Master of Science in Communications is offered online, and Hofstra's master's mixes evening, weekend and online coursework. Oklahoma's Gaylord College runs a funded Ph.D. program with a concentration in public relations and strategic communication and says it admits up to five doctoral students a year, a path that suits students aiming for teaching and research. Prospective students should confirm current format, length and tuition on each school's own site.
How do you get hired with a public relations degree?
Candidates improve their chances with internships and published work. BLS says internships at public relations firms or in the communications departments of other organizations can help, and that some employers prefer candidates with experience on a school newspaper, social media platforms or blogs, or in a leadership role at school or in the community.
BLS adds that professional certification is not typically required to enter the occupation but is preferred by some employers. The best-known credential is Accreditation in Public Relations, known as the APR, which is open to experienced practitioners and is not an entry-level credential. A November 2025 article on the PRSA website describes five years of experience as a recommended ballpark and not a requirement.
A practical sequence is to build samples in coursework, add one or two internships before graduating, publish writing under a byline where possible, and apply to several job titles instead of one. Because many openings replace departing workers, an application that includes finished work gives an employer more to evaluate than one that lists courses.
Is a public relations degree worth it?
A public relations degree is worth it when it leads to a job that uses the skills and pays more than the next best option, and the data show a mixed picture. On the positive side, specialists earn a median of $74,750 against $50,980 for all occupations, and bachelor's degree holders earn about 1.6 times what high school graduates earn weekly. On the cautious side, job growth is slow at 2 percent, recent-graduate unemployment is elevated at about 5.6 percent, and communications degree holders earn a median of $65,000 against $70,000 for all fields.
Three questions help a student decide. Is there a program with internship placement and alumni outcomes the student can verify? What will the degree cost, and can that be recovered at the pay levels above? Is the student willing to apply for several related jobs, since communications graduates spread across many occupations? A student who answers yes to the first and third and has a cost plan for the second is in a stronger position than one choosing on the degree title.
What do people ask about public relations degrees?
What can you do with a public relations degree?
Most graduates look for public relations specialist jobs at schools, agencies, government bodies, healthcare organizations and advocacy groups, according to BLS employment data. BLS's field-of-degree data also show communications degree holders working across management, marketing, sales, human resources, media and education, with no occupation above 5 percent.
How much do public relations graduates earn?
BLS reported a median annual wage of $74,750 for public relations specialists in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,110 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $135,150. Communications degree holders in all jobs had a median wage of $65,000 in 2023.
Is a public relations degree worth it?
It can be. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry requirement, and the $74,750 specialist median is above the $50,980 median for all occupations. Growth is slow at 2 percent through 2035, and recent graduates faced about 5.6 percent unemployment in 2026, so internships and a portfolio matter.
Do you need a master's degree in public relations?
No. BLS says public relations specialists typically need a bachelor's degree, and 91 percent of O*NET respondents said a bachelor's is required for new hires. A master's can suit career changers and working professionals, and some employers prefer one for management roles.
Can you get a public relations degree online?
Yes. USC Annenberg and Syracuse's Newhouse School both offer online master's options, and Hofstra offers a master's with online coursework. Check each school's site for current formats.
Is public relations a good major for getting a job?
The evidence is mixed. Public relations specialist jobs are numerous at 314,500, but growth is slow and most openings replace departing workers. The New York Fed reports 42 percent underemployment among recent graduates overall, and its by-major table should be checked for communications.
Can you work in public relations without a PR degree?
Yes. BLS says specialists typically need a bachelor's degree in public relations or another communications field, social science or business, so related degrees qualify. BLS also says experience through internships, school newspapers, blogs or leadership roles helps candidates.
Where should a student start with a public relations degree?
A student should start with the outcome wanted and work backward to the program. The outcome is usually a first job, and the program is chosen for the internships, writing practice and alumni results that lead to it.
- Write down the first job or sector wanted, and search current postings for three titles that match it.
- Compare two or three programs on internship placement, alumni outcomes and cost, using the schools guide and the table above.
- Choose a bachelor's or master's using the starting point test: entering the field or changing into it.
- Plan one writing sample per semester and one internship before graduation.
- Learn the tools employers list, such as a content management system and an analytics report.
- Check the New York Fed outcomes-by-major table for communications before committing to a program.
The common thread is that a degree is an entry ticket and evidence does the work after it. BLS shows a field with steady openings, modest growth and a wide spread of destinations, so this guide's reasoning is that graduates who can show finished writing, a tested internship and a reason an employer should pick them are better placed for replacement openings. Choose the program that builds that evidence.
