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How much do public relations contractor jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for public relations contractor in the United States is $83,626.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,000.00 and $97,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a typical day look like for a Public Relations Contractor?

A typical day for a Public Relations Contractor involves developing and distributing press releases, reaching out to media contacts, monitoring news coverage, and strategizing on ways to enhance a client’s public image. Contractors often manage multiple client accounts simultaneously, requiring effective prioritization and organization of tasks. Collaboration with marketing, design, and leadership teams is common to ensure consistent messaging and campaign success. Expect a dynamic work environment where adaptability and proactive communication are key, as priorities may shift quickly in response to client or media needs.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Public Relations Contractor position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Public Relations Contractor, you need expertise in crafting press releases, media pitching, brand messaging, and strategic communications, typically backed by a degree in communications, public relations, or a related field. Familiarity with media monitoring tools, project management platforms, and social media analytics software is often expected. Standout professionals demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, creativity, adaptability, and the ability to manage multiple projects independently. These qualities are crucial for building positive media relationships, effectively promoting client brands, and delivering results in a dynamic and deadline-driven environment.

What does a Public Relations Contractor do?

A Public Relations (PR) Contractor is a communications professional hired on a contract basis to manage and enhance a company's public image. They develop press releases, coordinate media outreach, handle crisis communication, and create strategic messaging to promote a brand or business. Unlike in-house PR staff, contractors work independently or with multiple clients, offering specialized expertise for specific campaigns or ongoing media relations. They may also assist with social media management, event planning, and influencer partnerships. Their goal is to ensure positive media coverage and maintain a favorable public perception.

More about Public Relations Contractor jobs
What states have the most Public Relations Contractor jobs? States with the most job openings for Public Relations Contractor jobs include:
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Public Relations Contractor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Public Relations Contractor job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, and 50% Contract. Highlights an 50% In-person, and 50% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $83,626 per year, or $40.2 per hour.
Director of Public Relations & Communications

Director of Public Relations & Communications

Worth Rises

Manhattan, NY • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 6 days ago

Job description

We're looking for a
Director of Public Relations & Communications!
Worth Rises seeks a dynamic Director of Public Relations & Communications (exempt) to work remotely to lead the strategy for and execution of all traditional and digital communications for the organization and its campaigns. The Director of Public Relations & Communications should be a seasoned public relations professional with deep media relationships in print, online, broadcast, and streaming, a strong track record of earned media placement, and exceptional pitching and storytelling skills. They should also have experience in digital communications and marketing. They should have a strong understanding of criminal justice issues and operate as both a high-level strategist and a hands-on doer. The Director of Public Relations & Communications will report to the Chief Narrative Officer and collaborate closely with the staff across the organization in strategy and content development.
Worth Rises is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of those it touches. Partnering with directly impacted people, we work to expose the commercialization of the criminal legal system and advocate and organize to protect the economic resources extracted from affected communities and strip the industry of its power. Through our work, we strive to pave a road toward a safe and just world free of police and prisons.
Key Results (Year One)
  • Land at least 12 media pitches, including at least three opinion editorials, in major national or regional outlets.
  • Land a speaking appearance on a major television network or streaming platform for the organization and its work.
  • Create and implement an integrated digital strategy covering owned media that grows our email subscriber and social follower base by 25% each and small donors by 15%.
Major Responsibilities
  • Strategy & Management
    • Co-develop a communications strategy, including editorial direction, with the Chief Narrative Officer and Executive Director that amplifies the organization's brand, content, work, and staff to establish the organization as an expert, promote its thought leadership, advance impact, and support fundraising.
    • Collaborate with other directors and staff to ensure that all campaigns and projects have strategic public relations and communications support, considering campaign and project goals, audience, and resources and helping to develop effective messaging.
    • Manage the organization's branding guide and ensure brand consistency in our public image and across all our work, including our print and digital presence.
    • Manage relationships with all marketing and communications-related contractors and vendors and oversee their contracted work product.
    • Lead the communications department, managing a growing team of staff and consultants supporting traditional media, digital media, storytelling, and creative design.
    • Develop and implement systems and processes to streamline marketing and communications workflow, with protocol to test new strategies and messaging.
    • Set, track, and analyze clear and measurable metrics to regularly inform strategy.
  • Media Relations & Public Relations
    • Develop and deepen relationships with producers, editors, and journalists, especially in broadcast and streaming media, and lead on media relationships and outreach.
    • Oversee traditional media functions, including drafting press releases, hosting press conferences, pitching coverage, and drafting opinion editorials.
    • Monitor daily news cycle and relevant coverage to pitch follow-up pieces and ensure the organization is a part of timely public conversations.
    • Prepare Executive Director for media appearances and speaking engagements.
  • Digital Media & Creative Design
    • Oversee the organization's digital presence, including the website, email communications, and all social media.
    • Develop and implement an effective marketing funnel to increase the subscriber base, subscriber engagement, and small donor support.
    • Oversee the production of all written and digital content, including copywriting and creative design.
    • Oversee the ads program, including the full spend of donated Google Ads funds.
Critical Factors for Success
This role requires a motivated self-starter who takes initiative unprompted, consistently delivers high-quality work, is an excellent project manager, is a proactive and innovative problem-solver, appreciates direct feedback, and has the following:
  • At least five years of professional experience developing and executing effective public relations and communications strategies with a demonstrated track record of earned media placement across print, broadcast, and streaming, including major national outlets.
  • At least two years of professional experience driving social strategies and content development for Instagram, Twitter/X, BlueSky, TikTok, and YouTube, including collecting, analyzing, and reflecting performance data.
  • At least two years of professional experience directly managing full-time staff and contractors.
  • Proven ability to distill dense, complicated issues into clear, specific messaging - not just accessible, but precise. Avoids clichés and generic advocacy language in favor of concrete, evidence-grounded narratives that reflect the nuance of the work.
  • Strong existing relationships - and a proven ability to build new ones - with producers, editors, and journalists at both major and niche media outlets, especially those covering social and racial justice, business or economics, and politics.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, planning well ahead of deadlines, maintaining centralized tracking systems, proactively surfacing blockers with proposed solutions, and following through.
  • Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including storytelling and copyediting.
  • Goal-oriented creative mind.
  • Ability to leverage data and analytics to assess impact and adapt strategies.
  • Experience identifying and training media spokespeople.
  • Understanding of the importance of brand standards and proven ability to clearly define and implement brand guidelines.
  • Experience working with the email automation platform Mailchimp or similar platforms.
  • Willingness to work outside normal office hours as needed in timely media cycles.
  • Working understanding of criminal justice, the prison industry, and/or the finance industry, and strong interest in learning more. Experience in criminal justice is strongly preferred.
  • Genuine commitment to our organizational values: act with integrity, focus on impact, deliver excellence, get it done, and operate with intellectual curiosity (visit worthrises.org/jointhefight).
Compensation and Benefits
The annual salary for the Director of Public Relations & Communications is $135,000. Worth Rises offers a generous compensation package, including comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, 20 days of vacation time, ten days of personal/sick leave, and three days of bereavement leave in addition to 11 holidays and winter break. Employees also receive a generous 401k contribution match, $75 monthly technology stipend, monthly wellness reimbursement, and dedicated budget for professional development. Finally, we offer retention benefits every five years. We currently operate in a remote-first environment with office options and an on-video culture.
Worth Rises is an equal opportunity employer, and strongly encourages formerly incarcerated individuals, directly impacted individuals, people of color, members of the disability community, gender-variant and non-binary individuals, and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community to apply.

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