Blaming burnout, half of PR professionals considered leaving their jobs in the last year, Muck Rack’s new report “The State of Work-Life Balance in PR” finds.
The PR software company surveyed more than 2,000 public relations professionals on issues related to their work, such as stress, burnout, vacation days and salary. Muck Rack reports that on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most stressful, PR pros typically rated their stress at 7.
At agencies, 75% of respondents rated their stress above 5, compared to 67% of those who work at brands. Half of all PR professionals surveyed considered leaving their jobs in the last year because of burnout, citing heavy workloads, deadlines and “always being on” as the primary sources of stress. An exception was PR people in C-suite roles, who were less likely to say they thought about quitting because of burnout or exhaustion.
The survey finds that PR pros use less than 75% of their full allotment of vacation days. Some 88% of respondents said that work had interrupted them at least once while on vacation. Nearly all, 96%, reported difficulty “switching off” after work, with 25% naming “always being on” among their most significant stressors.
Most PR pros who responded to the survey believe their workplace would support them should they struggle with mental health problems. Some 72% said they would receive at least some support from their coworkers, while 60% expected to receive support from their company leaders.
The survey finds that the average salary for PR professionals is $90,000. At brands, a communicator can earn $110,000 yearly compared to $83,500 at agencies. Census Bureau data places PR salaries at $94,000 a year.
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I have worked as a PR professional since the mid-90s in such big city markets as Washington, DC, and Chicago and have seen how much the industry has changed over the years and how increasingly overwhelming it has become. In addition to having a still-active communications practice, I also work as a life coach as I’ve also taken action to change and improve my life.
Feel free to contact me if anyone here is to improve and have better results in these areas of their life: time/money freedom, health/well-being, love/relationships, and career/creativity. I can relate and feel your pain as a PR professional but can also work with you to find solutions and hope!