Community Relations Managers: How to Become One

If you were to ask a group of community relations managers about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.

That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for community relations managers to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of community relations managers expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.

Keep reading to learn more about career steps for community relations managers.

What Education & Experience is Needed for Community Relations Managers?

Do community relations managers need a degree? What kind of experience do community relations managers typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for community relations managers to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for Community Relations Managers

A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of community relations managers. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 70% of positions. In 18% of job listings no education level was listed and in 9% of postings a master's degree was required.

Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Community Relations Managers

While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for community relations managers. In 51% of job postings for Community Relations Managers, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 26% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 10% of job postings for community relations managers.

What Kind of Degree Do Community Relations Managers Need?

So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for community relations managers, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?

According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 16 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective community relations managers, and in 2021 a total of 98,254 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.

Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective community relations managers.

Top Degree Programs for Community Relations Managers

What Skills Do Community Relations Managers Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by community relations managers to secure a job?

A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for community relations managers, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's Community Relations Managers
Based on 2,031 job postings

Based on 2,031 job postings related to community relations managers, fundraising was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 100% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for sales prospecting, marketing, volunteer management, project management and revenue growth were also highly sought.

As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for community relations managers, followed by leadership, management, microsoft office, research and strategic planning.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about community relations managers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for community relations managers.

What do community relations managers do?
How much do community relations managers make?

All Occupations

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

View Other Occupations