### Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Public Relations and Fundraising Managers Summary
                        
            
                                                        
                                                                
                        
            
            
            
                            
                                                
                                                
                                                
                                                
            						
							
				                                                
                                            




            			public relations managers imagePublic relations and fundraising managers plan campaigns to raise donations or improve the public image of their clients.							
						Quick Facts:     Public Relations and Fundraising Managers2023     Median Pay
            						$130,480     per year
										$62.73     per hourTypical Entry-Level Education
                                    Bachelor's degreeWork Experience in a Related Occupation
                                    5 years or moreOn-the-job Training
                                    NoneNumber of Jobs, 2022
                                    105,700Job Outlook, 2022-32
                                    6% (Faster than average)Employment Change, 2022-32
                                    6,000What Public Relations and Fundraising Managers Do
                                                
                        
                        
Public relations managers direct the creation of materials that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.
            
                        Work Environment
                        
Public relations and fundraising managers generally work in offices during regular business hours. However, many of these managers travel to give speeches and to attend meetings and community activities. Some work more than 40 hours per week.

            
                                                How to Become a Public Relations or Fundraising Manager
                                                
                        
Public relations and fundraising managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, and some positions may require a master’s degree. Many years of related work experience are also necessary.
            
                        Pay
                        												                            																				    														The median annual wage for fundraising managers was $119,200 in May 2023.									                                														The median annual wage for public relations managers was $134,760 in May 2023.									                                					
						
            
                        Job Outlook
                        						
												Overall employment							of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow							 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
						About 7,800 openings for public relations and fundraising managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
            			
            			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
						State & Area Data
                       Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for public relations and fundraising managers.
            
            
						
                        Similar Occupations
                        
                                                    Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of public relations and fundraising managers with similar occupations.
            
            
                        More Information, Including Links to O*NET
                        
                                               
                        Learn more about public relations and fundraising managers by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
 What Public Relations and Fundraising Managers Do 
            

			public relations managers imagePublic relations and fundraising managers plan an organization’s communication with the public, including consumers, investors, and media outlets.			
Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.
Duties
Public relations managers typically do the following:
Develop their organization’s or client’s corporate image and identity
Identify audiences and determine the best way to reach them
Designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source for media inquiries
Help clients communicate effectively with the public
Write press releases and prepare information for the media
Assist and inform an organization’s executives and spokespeople
Devise advertising and promotion programs
Assign, supervise, and review the activities of staffFundraising managers typically do the following:
Develop and carry out fundraising strategies
Identify and contact potential donors
Create and plan different events that can generate donations
Meet face-to-face with donors
Apply for grants
Manage progress toward achieving an organization’s fundraising goals
Assign, supervise, and review the activities of staff***Public relations managers*** review press releases and sponsor corporate events to help maintain and improve the image of their organization or client.
Public relations managers help clarify their organization’s point of view to its main audience through media releases and interviews. They monitor social, economic, and political trends that might affect their organization, and they recommend ways to enhance the firm’s image on the basis of those trends. For example, in response to concern about damage to the environment, the public relations manager for an oil company may create a campaign to publicize its efforts to develop cleaner fuels.
In large organizations, public relations managers often supervise a staff of public relations specialists. They also work with advertising, promotions, and marketing managers to ensure that advertising campaigns are compatible with the image the company or client is trying to portray. For example, if a firm decides to emphasize its appeal to a certain group, such as young people, the public relations manager needs to make sure that current advertisements are well received by that group.
In addition, public relations managers may handle internal communications, such as company newsletters, and may help financial managers produce an organization’s reports. They may also draft speeches, arrange interviews, and maintain other forms of public contact to help the organization’s top executives.
Public relations managers must be able to work well with many types of specialists. In some cases, the information they write has legal consequences. As a result, they must work with the company’s or client's lawyers to be sure that the information they release is both legally accurate and clear to the public.
***Fundraising managers*** oversee campaigns and events intended to bring in donations for their organization. Many organizations that hire fundraising workers rely heavily on the donations they gather in order to run their operations.
Fundraising managers usually decide which fundraising techniques are necessary in a certain situation. Common techniques include annual campaigns, capital campaigns, planned giving, and soliciting for major gifts. Social media has created another avenue for fundraising managers to connect with potential donors and to spread their organization’s message.
Those who work on annual campaigns focus heavily on contacting donors who have given in the past to request that they give again. Finding new contacts for future donations is also part of a successful annual campaign.
In contrast, fundraising managers who work on capital campaigns generally focus on raising money over a short time period for a specific project, such as the construction of a new building at a university.
Fundraising managers who spend most of their time on planned giving must have specialized training in taxes related to gifts of stocks, bonds, charitable annuities, and real estate bequests in a will. Major gifts are a feature of many fundraising efforts, and fundraising managers generally request these gifts in person, given the large value of the potential donation.
 Work Environment
			Public relations managersPublic relations managers and specialists work in fairly high-stress environments, often managing and organizing several events at the same time.			

	    
				
	
	
	
	
	
	
	    					 Fundraising managers held about 33,700 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of fundraising managers were as follows:
        Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations
                36%Educational services; state, local, and private
                30Social assistance
                7Arts, entertainment, and recreation
                6Hospitals; state, local, and private
                5Public relations managers held about 72,000 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of public relations managers were as follows:
        Professional, scientific, and technical services
                20%Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations
                18Educational services; state, local, and private
                13Management of companies and enterprises
                8Government
                6Public relations and fundraising managers usually work in offices during regular business hours. However, many must travel to deliver speeches and attend meetings and community activities.
They work in high-stress environments, often managing and organizing several events at the same time.
Work Schedules
Most public relations and fundraising managers work full time, which often includes long workdays. Some managers work more than 40 hours per week.
 How to Become a Public Relations or Fundraising Manager

			public relations managers imageA bachelor’s degree and years of work experience are typically needed for public relations or fundraising manager positions.			
Public relations and fundraising managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, and some positions may require a master’s degree. Many years of related work experience are also necessary.
Education
For public relations and fundraising management positions, a bachelor’s degree in a field such as public relations, communications, or business typically is required. However, some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a master’s degree, particularly in public relations, journalism, fundraising, or nonprofit management.
Courses in advertising, business administration, public affairs, public speaking, and creative and technical writing can be helpful.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Although not mandatory, public relations managers can become certified through the Public Relations Society of America. Candidates qualify based on a combination of experience and education and must pass an exam to become certified.
The Certified Fund Raising Executive program, offered by CFRE International, is also voluntary, but fundraisers who are awarded certification demonstrate a level of professional competency to prospective employers. To become certified, candidates must meet certain education, professional practice, and professional performance requirements, as well as pass an exam. Fundraisers must apply for renewal every 3 years to keep their certification valid.
The International Association of Business Communicators offers two credentials that allow communications specialists to demonstrate higher levels of knowledge and expertise. Public relations and fundraising managers may apply to take the certification exams when they have 6 to 8 years of experience in the communications field.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Public relations and fundraising managers must have several years of experience in a related occupation, such as public relations specialist or fundraiser.
Important Qualities
***Interpersonal skills.*** Public relations and fundraising managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive support from, their media contacts and donors.
***Leadership skills.*** Managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities.
***Organizational skills.*** Public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills.
***Problem-solving skills.*** Managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues. They must use good judgment in what they report and how they report it.
***Speaking skills.*** Public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak for their organization. When doing so, they must be able to explain the organization’s position clearly.
***Writing skills.*** Managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches. They must be able to succinctly present the key messages they want to get across in order to keep the attention of busy readers or listeners.
 Pay

			



	
 
                                                     
            
    
                        Public Relations and Fundraising ManagersMedian annual wages, May 2023Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers$139,850  Public relations managers$134,760  Public relations and fundraising managers$130,480  Fundraising managers$119,200  Total, all occupations$48,060Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
 

	
	



		
	
	
	
The median annual wage for fundraising managers was $119,200 in May 2023. 


The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $68,800, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $212,730.The median annual wage for public relations managers was $134,760 in May 2023. 


The lowest 10 percent earned less than $76,160, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $239,200.





		
	    					 In May 2023, the median annual wages for fundraising managers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Hospitals; state, local, and private
                $134,110Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations
                125,520Educational services; state, local, and private
                124,260Arts, entertainment, and recreation
                107,980Social assistance
                91,680In May 2023, the median annual wages for public relations managers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:	
        Management of companies and enterprises
                $166,880Professional, scientific, and technical services
                161,030Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations
                127,470Government
                115,750Educational services; state, local, and private
                105,040Most public relations and fundraising managers work full time, which often includes long workdays. Some managers work more than 40 hours per week.
 Job Outlook

   
        
    
          
        
    
                      Public Relations and Fundraising ManagersPercent change in employment, projected 2022-32Public relations managers6%  Public relations and fundraising managers6%  Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers5%  Fundraising managers5%  Total, all occupations3%Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
            
            
			 
	
	
	

			Overall employment				of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow				 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
			
			About 7,800 openings for public relations and fundraising managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
			
			 Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
			Employment
	
			
Organizations continue to emphasize community outreach and customer relations as a way to enhance their reputation and visibility. Public opinion can change quickly, particularly as social media increases the speed at which news travels. Consequently, public relations managers will be needed to coordinate and help respond to news developments to maintain their organization’s reputation.
Fundraising managers are expected to become increasingly important for organizations, such as colleges and universities, that depend heavily on donations. More nonprofit organizations are focusing on cultivating an online presence and are increasingly using social media for fundraising activities.
			

                        Employment projections data for     public relations and fundraising managers, 2022-32
                Occupational Title
                        SOC Code
                        Employment, 2022
                        Projected Employment, 2032
                        Change, 2022-32
                        Employment by IndustryPercent
                        NumericSOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program**Public relations and fundraising managers**
			—
			105,700
			111,700
			6
			6,000
			—**Fundraising managers**
			11-2033
			33,700
			35,400
			5
			1,700
			Get data**Public relations managers**
			11-2032
			72,000
			76,300
			6
			4,300
			Get data
 State & Area Data **Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Fundraising managers
					Public relations managers **Projections Central** Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. **CareerOneStop** CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.
 Similar Occupations This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of public relations and fundraising managers. Occupation
                Job Duties
                ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION
                2023     MEDIAN PAY**Advertising Sales Agents**
            Advertising sales agents sell advertising space to businesses and individuals.
            High school diploma or equivalent
            $61,270**Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers**
            Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services.
            Bachelor's degree
            $156,580**Fundraisers**
            Fundraisers organize events and campaigns to raise money and other kinds of donations for an organization.
            Bachelor's degree
            $64,160**Market Research Analysts**
            Market research analysts study consumer preferences, business conditions, and other factors to assess potential sales of a product or service.
            Bachelor's degree
            $74,680**Special Effects Artists and Animators**
            Special effects artists and animators create images that appear to move and visual effects for various forms of media and entertainment.
            Bachelor's degree
            $99,060**Public Relations Specialists**
            Public relations specialists create and maintain a positive public image for the clients they represent.
            Bachelor's degree
            $66,750
 Contacts for More Information
								
For more information about public relations and fundraising managers, including professional certification, visit
CFRE International
International Association of Business Communicators
Public Relations Society of America

                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                    O*NET
                                        Fundraising ManagersPublic Relations Managers
 Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.  Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Public Relations and Fundraising Managers, 
        	 at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/public-relations-managers.htm (visited *May 21, 2024*).
 **Last Modified Date:**
                        Wednesday, April 17, 2024


**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics**
Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections 
PSB Suite 2135 
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE  
Washington, DC 20212-0001 Telephone:1-202-691-5700 

www.bls.gov/ooh
Contact OOH