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Public Relations Specialists

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.

Also called: Communications Specialist, Community Relations Coordinator, Corporate Communications Specialist, Information and Communications Specialist, Media Relations Specialist, Public Affairs Specialist

Median pay in Greater Boston
$81,440
$39.16/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
5,380
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.7%
700 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$53,800$62,940$81,440$111,860$145,720

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
  • Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
  • Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
  • Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
  • Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
  • Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure93 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 85
  • Language-model AIOE 95
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 99

Observed AI use today: Substantial (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure is higher for this job, and observed AI use is substantial. Federal projections say AI tools are being used for social media content, and generative AI can produce some content on its own, so less of this work may fall to specialists. Relationships with the media and community groups, and judgment about an organization's image, still rely on people.

Likely to change

  • Writing press releases and social posts
  • Updating website and social media content

Still relies on people

  • Building relationships with media and community groups
  • Deciding messaging and handling sensitive requests

What federal projections say

“Productivity change, capital/labor substitution - share decreases as public relations specialists increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) tools for social media content. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is also increasingly used in public relations to produce some content on its own, requiring less involvement of public relations specialists.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

35 programs near Boston (plus 13 graduate)

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