According to the 2016 Salary Survey from PR Week, the median salary for public relations professionals jumped over $8,000 from 2015.
With the internet and social media making everything a company and their employees do a potential crisis situation that can turn viral, it’s not hard to see why companies are paying for talent that can keep their brand in the good graces of the public.
The median salary for PR professionals in 2016 was $92,125. Nonprofit PR pros received $68,000 in compensation while their counterparts at corporations were rewarded with $130,000.
Former Journalists Pivot to PR
Reporters and traditional media companies have been hit hard by the digital landscape. Every other day there seems to be another round of layoffs at some newspaper across the country. Many of these reporters naturally gravitate to PR, but the pivot is not as easy as many journalists believe. As a reporter, journalists compete with other journalists. In PR, they the competition could be an MBA graduate, former government executive or a newly minted PR grad.
The industry is also brutal for newcomers who have little room for negotiation. Luckily, the bulk of new hires from other industries were former journalists.
Claudia Patton, chief talent officer at the agency, says, “Most of the people we recruit are top talent; they are not without jobs.”
Read more at PR Week
