jobfacts

Public relations and communications directors

SOC 2020 1133

Public relations and communications directors plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the public relations, communications and public information activities of an organisation or on behalf of clients.

Also calledDirectorDirector of communicationsPolicy and communications directorDirector of policy and communicationsDirector of external relationsHead of public affairsand 9 more titles
Typical full-time pay£72,9002025 Provisional
People in the job32,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month243↓ 1.2%on last year · 331st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time public relations and communications directors earn, 2025
£72,900 typical£55,000lowest 20%£59,80025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£55,000
25%£59,800
Median£72,900
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £72,900
London£81,700
East of England!£61,300
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £72,900
London£81,700
East of England£61,300 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £78,800
  • 2024 £77,300
  • 2025 Provisional£72,900
↓ 7.6% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 243 jobs for public relations and communications directors are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026393
Jul 2026287
Jun 2026279
May 2026267
Apr 2026209
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026195
Jan 2026212
Dec 2025155
Nov 2025265
Oct 2025229
Sept 2025180
Aug 2025193
Jul 2025284
Jun 2025347
May 2025406
Apr 2025262
Mar 2025256
Feb 2025245
Jan 2025192
Dec 2024148
Nov 2024212
Oct 2024228
Sept 2024187
Aug 2024221
Jul 2024197
Jun 2024224
May 2024252
Apr 2024279
Mar 2024256
Feb 2024281
Jan 2024275
Dec 2023218
Nov 2023280
Oct 2023275
Sept 2023280
Aug 2023299
Jul 2023274
Jun 2023380
May 2023372
Apr 2023282
Mar 2023405
Feb 2023450
Jan 2023422
Dec 2022407
Nov 2022424
Oct 2022402
Sept 2022383
Aug 2022536
Jul 2022486
Jun 2022508
May 2022616
Apr 2022482
Mar 2022588
Feb 2022556
Jan 2022541
Dec 2021457
Nov 2021453
Oct 2021460
Sept 2021427
Aug 2021485
Jul 2021617
Jun 2021466
May 2021422
Apr 2021386
Mar 2021670
Feb 2021379
Jan 2021344
Dec 2020330
Nov 2020297
Oct 2020358
Sept 2020339
Aug 2020276
Jul 2020360
Jun 2020321
May 2020257
Apr 2020275
Mar 2020483
Feb 2020454
Jan 2020473
Dec 2019307
Nov 2019421
Oct 2019402
Sept 2019422
Aug 2019359
Jul 2019584
Jun 2019491
May 2019476
Apr 2019346
Mar 2019413
Feb 2019361
Jan 2019369
Dec 2018246
Nov 2018362
Oct 2018409
Sept 2018342
Aug 2018353
Jul 2018368
Jun 2018376
May 2018393
Apr 2018388
Mar 2018435
Feb 2018386
Jan 2018475
Dec 2017281
Nov 2017342
Oct 2017366
Sept 2017327
Aug 2017399
Jul 2017344
Jun 2017421
May 2017418
Apr 2017394
Mar 2017426
Feb 2017382
Jan 2017435
Is there a shortage of public relations and communications directors?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was critical.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
12%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for functional managers and directors, which includes public relations and communications directors. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London322
Birmingham23
Manchester21
City of Edinburgh14
Leeds12
Newcastle upon Tyne11
Bristol, City of10
Cambridge10
Belfast8
Cardiff8
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where public relations and communications directors are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 48 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, France, Germany, ranking it 140th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of public relations and communications directors
n/p
39%!
33%!
20%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
25–34Not published
35–4439% (small sample)
45–5433% (small sample)
55–6420% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent92%
Higher education below degree!5.7%
A levels or equivalent–
Not published
GCSEs or equivalent!7.4%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent92%
Higher education below degree5.7% (small sample)
A levels or equivalentNot published
GCSEs or equivalent7.4% (small sample)

Main employers: public relations and communication activities (16%), business and other management consultancy activities (9%), general public administration activities (6.6%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (5.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
92%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • develops and reviews the public relations policy and direction of an organisation
  • directs and oversees the work of the communications department of an organisation or work on behalf of clients at a public relations firm
  • liaises with client to discuss their needs and develops the most appropriate strategy to deliver the objectives directs public relations campaigns and communicates messages through a variety of media
  • reviews and revises campaign strategy and takes appropriate corrective measures if necessary
  • stays abreast of changes in media, readership or viewing figures
  • directs the arranging of conferences, exhibitions, seminars, etc. to promote the image of a product, service or organisation

Skills

  • advise on communication strategies
  • advise on public image
  • analyse external factors of companies
  • analyse internal factors of companies
  • apply diplomatic principles
  • apply grammar and spelling rules
  • compile content
  • develop communication strategies
  • develop public relations strategies
  • identify clients' needs
  • integrate strategic foundation in daily performance
  • perform public relations
  • prepare presentation material
  • proofread text

Knowledge

  • communication principles
  • corporate social responsibility
  • diplomatic principles
  • forming of public opinion
  • grammar
  • market research
  • office software
  • rhetoric

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for corporate managers and directors, a group of 20 jobs that includes public relations and communications directors.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 3%about 78,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.4 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the 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. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.