How to hire public relations managers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff. • Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage. • Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans. • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities. • Facilitate consumer relations or the relationship between parts of the company, such as the managers and employees, or different branch offices. • Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan. • Manage communications budgets. • Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking and active learning skills • Working knowledge of communications and media, English Language, administration and management and sales and marketing • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $70.63 an hour ($146,910 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for public relations managers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What public relations managers do
- Assign, supervise, and review the activities of public relations staff.
- Develop and maintain the company's corporate image and identity, which includes the use of logos and signage.
- Develop, implement, or maintain crisis communication plans.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, government officials, and media representatives and use these relationships to develop new business opportunities.
- Facilitate consumer relations or the relationship between parts of the company, such as the managers and employees, or different branch offices.
- Identify main client groups and audiences, determine the best way to communicate publicity information to them, and develop and implement a communication plan.
- Manage communications budgets.
- Write interesting and effective press releases, prepare information for media kits, and develop and maintain company internet or intranet web pages.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for public relations managers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 4 to 6 years (O*NET)
- Experience usually needed to start: 5 years or more (BLS)
- Job outlook: +5.7% over ten years, faster than average · about 6,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay public relations managers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $197,600 |
| New York | $180,880 |
| Virginia | $176,340 |
| New Jersey | $174,980 |
| Massachusetts | $171,740 |
| Kentucky | $112,320 |
| South Carolina | $104,920 |
| Alabama | $98,210 |
See public relations managers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.