Work Environment
Public relations and fundraising managers held about 89,000 jobs in 2020. The largest employers of public relations and fundraising managers were as follows:
- Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations - 22%
- Educational services; state, local, and private - 20%
- Professional, scientific, and technical services - 16%
- Management of companies and enterprises - 8%
Public 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.
Job Outlook
Employment of public relations and fundraising managers is projected to grow 13 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 8,900 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.
Earnings
The median annual wage for public relations and fundraising managers was $119,860 in May 2021. 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 $62,940, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $208,000.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for public relations and fundraising managers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
- Management of companies and enterprises - $151,300
- Professional, scientific, and technical services - $127,730
- Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations - $104,070
- Educational services; state, local, and private - $99,880
Most public relations and fundraising managers work full time, which often includes long workdays. Some managers work more than 40 hours per week.
