Working in PR: Daily Duties, Hours, Pay and Who Hires
Working in PR means writing press materials, pitching reporters, briefing executives and watching social channels, mostly full time and sometimes beyond 40 hours a week. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counted about 314,500 public relations specialist jobs in 2025 and reports a median wage of $74,750. Education, advertising and PR firms, and government employ the most specialists.
Managers earn more, with a median of $146,910, but BLS lists five or more years of related experience for the manager group and describes PR work as fairly high-stress. This guide covers the weekly duties, hours, employers, pay by industry and the skills the job requires.
What do PR specialists do in a normal week?
PR specialists spend a normal week writing for the media, answering reporters, preparing executives and monitoring public opinion. BLS lists seven duties for the job, and the table pairs each with EPR's description of how the duty shows up in the week.
BLS duty
EPR description of the weekly work
Write press releases and prepare information for the media
Drafting releases, fact sheets and statements against a client's news date
Respond to information requests from the media
Answering reporter questions the same day, usually after an executive signs off
Help clients communicate effectively with the public
Reviewing web, email and social copy for message and tone
Draft speeches and arrange interviews for top executives
Writing talking points, booking interviews and briefing the executive beforehand
Evaluate public opinion of clients through social media
Tracking mentions and flagging a rising complaint before it becomes a story
Evaluate advertising and promotion programs for fit
Checking campaign materials against the public relations message
Help maintain the organization's image and identity
Guarding names, claims and tone across public statements
BLS says public relations specialists are also called communications specialists, and that government specialists may be called press secretaries. Search job boards for all three titles, because the same work is posted under each. The guide to what each PR job title means maps the rest of the ladder, and what a public relations specialist does covers the core role in depth.
How many hours do PR professionals work, and is it stressful?
Most PR professionals work full time, and some work more than 40 hours a week, according to BLS. BLS also says public relations managers and specialists work in fairly high-stress environments, often organizing several events or communications at the same time, and that managers often have long workdays.
EPR's observation is that the hours follow the client's calendar, not the clock. A product launch date, an earnings call or a breaking story sets the deadline, so the work comes in bursts. The PR job interview guide covers the writing test and the questions that signal how a team handles those bursts.
Where do PR specialists work, and what do they earn?
PR specialists work in a wide mix of industries, and pay differs by industry. BLS lists the largest employers and the May 2025 median wage in each.
Advertising, public relations and related services
12 percent
$77,480
Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals
11 percent
$81,350
Healthcare and social assistance
7 percent
$64,550
Grantmaking, giving services and social advocacy organizations
6 percent
$71,720
Government pays the most of the five at $81,350, and healthcare pays the least at $64,550, a gap of $16,800. BLS reports that the lowest-paid 10 percent of specialists earned less than $44,110 and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $135,150. For pay by metro area, read PR salary by city and industry, and for pay by experience, read the PR salary map.
Where do PR managers work, and what do they earn?
PR managers work mostly in professional services, associations, schools and large companies, and the highest pay sits in company headquarters and professional services. BLS counted about 80,800 public relations manager jobs in 2025.
Industry employing managers
Share of managers
May 2025 median wage
Professional, scientific and technical services
19 percent
$169,030
Religious, grantmaking, civic and professional organizations
17 percent
$134,400
Educational services
14 percent
$116,650
Management of companies and enterprises
9 percent
$171,250
Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals
8 percent
$127,720
Government flips from the top specialist payer to the lowest manager payer in this table, at $127,720. The six-rung path from coordinator to Chief Communications Officer is laid out in the PR career ladder.
Which skills does PR work require?
PR work requires writing, speaking, organizing, problem-solving and interpersonal skill, according to BLS. Each skill maps to a task in the weekly duties above.
BLS skill
What BLS says the job demands
Writing
Clear press releases, speeches and social media posts that carry the key message
Speaking
Explaining a client's or organization's position when speaking for it
Organizing
Managing several events or communications at the same time
Problem-solving
Explaining how a client is handling a sensitive issue, with sound judgment
Interpersonal skill
Dealing with the public and the media regularly, staying open and friendly
BLS says a bachelor's degree is the usual entry requirement, that a portfolio of work can show employers your ability, and that internships at PR firms or in company PR departments can help. EPR's PR internships guide covers how to turn an internship into an offer, and what you can do with a public relations degree compares study options and programs by level.
How is AI changing PR work?
AI is changing the daily work most in data-rich social media tasks. BLS projects 2 percent employment growth for PR specialists from 2025 to 2035, about 23,000 openings a year mostly from turnover, and says AI is making inroads into data-rich social media work, which may soften demand for specialists.
EPR's own guides track the effect on hiring. The PR job market in 2026 reports that hiring favors senior, specialist and AI visibility roles, and how AI is changing public relations covers which tasks are being automated and which are gaining value.
Is PR the right job for you?
PR suits people who like writing under deadline and varied work, and it suits people less who need fixed hours. The table matches common preferences to what BLS data says to expect.
If you want...
What to expect
Writing as the core of the job
Releases, speeches and posts are named in BLS's skill list and duty list
Varied tasks across a week
Seven BLS duties span media, executives, social and campaign review
Fixed 40-hour weeks
BLS says some specialists work more than 40 hours, and managers often have long workdays
Fast pay growth
Manager pay is double specialist pay at the median, but BLS lists five or more years of experience first
A fast-growing field
BLS projects 2 percent growth for specialists and 6 percent for managers from 2025 to 2035
What should you do next?
Start with the stage you are in. If you are weighing the field, read the PR careers hub, which organizes every EPR career guide by stage, and What Is Public Relations? for the discipline itself. If you are job hunting, read the entry-level PR roles guide and how to break into PR. If you already work in PR and want the next rung, check the manager requirements above before you plan a move.
A PR specialist writes releases and statements, answers reporter questions, prepares executives for interviews, and monitors public opinion on social media. BLS lists these duties, and the mix changes by employer and week.
How many hours do PR professionals work?
Most work full time, and BLS says some work more than 40 hours a week. Managers often have long workdays, and deadlines come from client news dates.
Is PR a stressful career?
BLS describes public relations managers and specialists as working in fairly high-stress environments, often organizing several events or communications at once. Stress levels depend on the employer and the seat.
Where do most PR specialists work?
Educational services employ 14 percent of specialists, advertising and public relations firms 12 percent, government 11 percent, healthcare 7 percent, and grantmaking and advocacy organizations 6 percent, per BLS.
Do you need a degree to work in PR?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the usual entry requirement for specialists, in public relations, another communications field, social science or business. Internships and a portfolio help. Last updated October 12, 2026. Figures come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook pages for public relations specialists and public relations and fundraising managers, last modified August 27, 2026.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
