1122-NOC

Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations

(NOC 1123)
High opportunity occupation High opportunity occupation
Annual Earnings
$57,291
Typical Education Background
Degree
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
5,380

Career Overview

People who have professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations are responsible for analyzing, developing and implementing communication and promotion strategies and information programs.

This occupational group also includes entertainment, literary, and sports agents.

People in this career group maintain media relations on behalf of businesses, governments and other organizations, as well as for performers, athletes, writers and other talented individuals.

Those who specialize in advertising, marketing and public relations:

  • Analyze advertising needs
  • Develop appropriate advertising and marketing plans
  • Publicize activities and events

They may be self-employed or work for consulting firms, advertising agencies, corporations, associations, governments, social agencies, museums, galleries, public interest groups, and cultural and other organizations.

Duties

Specialists in advertising, marketing and public relations:

  • Assess characteristics of products or services to be promoted and advise on the advertising needs of an establishment.
  • Advise clients on advertising or sales promotion strategies.
  • Develop and implement advertising campaigns appropriate for print or electronic media.
  • Gather, research and prepare communications material for internal and external audiences.
  • Develop, implement and evaluate communications strategies and programs designed to inform clients, employees and the general public of initiatives and policies of businesses, governments and other organizations.
  • Conduct public opinion and attitude surveys to identify the interests and concerns of key groups served by their organization.
  • Prepare or oversee preparation of reports, briefs, bibliographies, speeches, presentations, websites and press releases.
  • Develop and organize workshops, meetings, ceremonies and other events for publicity, fundraising and information purposes.
  • Prepare and deliver educational and publicity programs and informational materials to increase awareness of museums, galleries and other tourist attractions.
  • Initiate and maintain contact with the media.
  • Arrange interviews and news conferences.
  • Act as spokesperson for an organization and answer written and oral inquiries.
  • Co-ordinate special publicity events and promotions for internal and external audiences.
  • Assist in the preparation of brochures, reports, newsletters and other material.
  • Represent and act as an agent for talented individuals or individuals with specific occupational expertise.
  • Prepare or oversee preparation of sports, literary, performance or other contracts.

Special duties

  • Literary agents specialize in representing specific types of authors and writers.
  • Performance agents specialize in representing specific singers, musicians, actors or other performers.
  • Sports agents specialize in representing specific athletes or sports teams.

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$57,291

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$48.08/hr
Median$27.47/hr
Low$18.27/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

11,400

% Employed Full Time

54%
Source: 2016 Census

Work takes place in a conventional indoor setting.

Career Pathways

Progression to managerial positions in public relations, communications and fundraising is possible with additional training and experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Enterprising
Enterprising

Job Titles

Administrator, affiliated stations
Advertising consultant / e-media
Agent, arts / sports / authors
Art educator - museum
Communications consultant
Development officer - university
Event marketing specialist
Fundraiser
Information consultant
Media relations co-ordinator
Officer, community information
Officer, museum education
Officer, tourism information
Product manager - marketing
Promoter, boxing
Promotion strategies consultant
Public relations agent
Publicist / publicity agent
Social media community manager
Spokesperson
Student recruiter - post-secondary education

Education, Training and Skills

  • A university degree or college diploma in business marketing, public relations, communications, journalism, museology or a discipline related to a particular subject matter is usually required.
  • Practitioners in public relations may require an APR (Accredited in Public Relations) designation.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Marketing
  • Communication/Media Studies
  • Journalism
  • Public Relations
EducationPlannerBC Logo
Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

74%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

73%
Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

71%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

71%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

68%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

64%
Judgment and Decision-Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

62%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

62%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

61%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

61%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

11,400
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 100 1.1%
Kootenay 160 1.4%
Mainland/Southwest 10,740 76.6%
North Coast and Nechako 60 0.5%
Northeast 30 0.4%
Thompson-Okanagan 810 6.3%
Vancouver Island/Coast 1,820 13.7%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

5,380
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 0.0%
Kootenay 50 0.6%
Mainland/Southwest 4,120 1.6%
North Coast and Nechako 0 0.0%
Northeast 0 2.9%
Thompson-Okanagan 350 1.8%
Vancouver Island/Coast 790 1.7%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services148,000
Information, Culture and Recreation57,300
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services46,100
Educational Services64,500
Public Administration49,200
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.