Teaching Public Relations vs. Doing Public Relations: Which Pays Better?

Analyze the real hourly rate of doing Public Relations work vs. teaching/consulting on it. Discover why many Public Relations professionals earn more by sharing knowledge on Sidetrain.

📑 Table of Contents

In the world of Public Relations, there is a quiet paradox that high-performing professionals eventually hit: the more successful you become at "doing" the work, the less you seem to earn on an hourly basis.

You land a major retainer. You secure a placement in The New York Times or Forbes. You manage a crisis with surgical precision. But behind the scenes, the hours spent on unscheduled "quick syncs," endless email chains, and the meticulous crafting of media lists begin to cannibalize your profit margins.

Public Relations is a high-skill, high-stakes industry, yet many experts find themselves trapped under an income ceiling. They are trading their hands (execution) when they should be charging for their heads (expertise). This article breaks down the cold, hard math of Doing Public Relations versus Teaching Public Relations to reveal which path actually builds wealth and which one leads to burnout.

The Economics of Doing Public Relations

What "Doing" Looks Like

Execution work is the bread and butter of the industry. It involves the tangible deliverables that clients think they are buying:

• Writing press releases and pitches.
• Building and updating media lists.
• Managing social media accounts and community engagement.
• Event coordination and on-site media management.
• Monthly reporting and analytics.

The Visible Rate

In the freelance PR world, a mid-to-senior level professional typically charges between $75 and $150 per hour, or project fees that equate to roughly that range. On paper, a $3,000 monthly retainer for a client expecting 30 hours of work looks like a solid $100/hour.

The Hidden Time Tax

The "Doing" model suffers from "Scope Leakage"—a phenomenon where the work required to keep a client happy far exceeds the hours quoted.

Project Management (Unpaid)

Clients don’t just pay for the press release; they pay for the 15 emails it took to get the quotes approved.

• Estimate: Add 25% unpaid time for communication.

Administrative Overhead

Proposals, chasing invoices, and managing the subscriptions for tools like Muck Rack, Cision, or Canva.

• Estimate: Add 15% unpaid time.

Learning and Maintenance

The media landscape shifts daily. Staying current on platform algorithm changes or new journalist beats is essential but rarely billable.

• Estimate: Add 10% unpaid time.

---

🚀 Ready to Get Started?

Browse Public Relations Mentors on Sidetrain →

Book your first session in minutes. No commitment required.

---

The Real Math for Public Relations Execution Work

Let’s look at a realistic breakdown of a standard PR project, such as a "Product Launch Campaign."

Example Project Breakdown:

Item	Quoted/Estimated Hours	Actual Hours Logged
Strategy & Pitch Writing	10 hours	12 hours
Media Outreach & Follow-ups	15 hours	22 hours
Client "Quick Calls" & Emails	0 hours	6 hours
Reporting & Admin	5 hours	7 hours
Total Time	30 hours	47 hours

The Real Rate Calculation:

• Client Pays: $3,000 (Based on a 30-hour estimate @ $100/hr)
• Actual Hours Worked: 47
• Real Hourly Rate: $63.82/hour

By "doing" the work, your effective hourly rate has dropped by nearly 36%. This is the income ceiling: to earn more, you must work more hours, but more hours lead to more administrative drag, further lowering your actual value.

The Economics of Teaching/Consulting Public Relations

What "Teaching" Looks Like

Teaching and consulting move you from the "engine room" to the "captain’s bridge." Instead of writing the pitch, you are teaching a founder how to tell their story, or mentoring a junior PR pro on how to navigate a crisis.

On Sidetrain's 1-on-1 video sessions, this looks like:

• Portfolio/Pitch Reviews: Giving 30 minutes of high-impact feedback.
• Strategy Consults: Mapping out a 6-month PR roadmap for a startup.
• Career Mentorship: Helping junior publicists level up their skill sets.

The Visible Rate

Consulting rates are almost universally higher than execution rates. While a freelancer might charge $100/hour to write, a consultant can easily command $150–$300/hour to advise.

Why Teaching Has No Hidden Costs

1. No Deliverables: When the Zoom call ends, the work is done. You aren't "carrying" the project into your evening.
2. No Revisions: You provide the roadmap; the client (or student) drives the car. There is no such thing as a "revision" on a piece of advice given during a live session.
3. Low Admin: By using Sidetrain’s 1-on-1 video sessions, the platform handles the scheduling, the payment processing, and the video link generation.

The Real Math for Public Relations Consulting

Example Session:

Item	Time Invested
60-Minute Strategy Call	60 min
Pre-session Review (Notes/LinkedIn)	15 min
Total Actual Time	75 min

The Real Rate:

• Client Pays: $200 (For a 1-hour expert consult)
• Actual Time: 1.25 hours
• Real Hourly Rate: $160/hour

---

💡 Share Your Expertise

Sell Your Expertise on Sidetrain →

Turn your PR knowledge into a scalable income stream.

---

Head-to-Head Comparison: The Data

Effective Hourly Rate Comparison

Factor	Doing PR (Execution)	Teaching PR (Advisory)
Quoted/Base Rate	$100/hour	$200/hour
Hidden Time Multiplier	1.5x (High Drag)	1.15x (Low Drag)
Effective Rate	$64/hour	$174/hour
Annual Income (at 20 billable hrs/wk)	$66,560	$180,960

Long-Term Trajectory

The "Doing" path hits a wall because you eventually run out of hours in the day. The "Teaching" path scales through Sidetrain's Course Marketplace, where you can record your methodology once and sell it a thousand times.

Year	Doing PR (Real Rate)	Teaching PR (Real Rate)
Year 1	$64/hour	$174/hour
Year 3	$75/hour (Incremental)	$250/hour (Authority built)
Year 5	$85/hour (Maxed out)	$400+/hour (via Courses/Group Sessions)

When Doing Makes Sense (And When It Doesn't)

You should keep Doing PR if:

• You are in the first 3-5 years of your career and need "battle scars" for credibility.
• You are working with a "Unicorn" client that will look incredible on your resume.
• You genuinely enjoy the thrill of the hunt (pitching and securing hits).

You should shift to Teaching PR if:

• You find yourself giving the same 5 pieces of advice to every client.
• You are tired of chasing clients for approvals on minor copy changes.
• Your "Real Hourly Rate" has dipped below what you could earn in a corporate role.

The Hybrid Model

The most successful PR pros use a 60/40 split. They spend 40% of their time on high-level execution for 1-2 anchor clients (keeping their skills sharp) and 60% of their time on high-margin consulting and Sidetrain Group Sessions.

How to Make the Transition

1. Identify Your "Micro-Expertise"

Don't just teach "Public Relations." Teach something specific:

• "How to Pitch Tech Reporters Without a PR Agency."
• "Crisis Management for E-commerce Brands."
• "Building a Personal Brand for Founders."

2. Productize Your Knowledge

Move beyond the clock.

• Digital Products: Sell your media list templates or pitch scripts on Sidetrain’s Digital Marketplace.
• Online Courses: Create a "PR 101 for Startups" video series on Sidetrain’s Course Marketplace, complete with quizzes and certificates.

3. Set Boundaries and Rates

On Sidetrain, you set your availability. If you only want to consult on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the platform enforces it. Start your rate at 20% higher than your current execution rate. Because you are delivering "pure strategy" without the fluff, clients are happy to pay the premium.

The Verdict: Which Pays Better?

On a purely mathematical basis, Teaching Public Relations pays significantly better than Doing Public Relations.

When you "do," you are a line item in a marketing budget—often the first to be cut. When you "teach," you are an investment in a company's internal capability. You are the expert who empowers them.

By shifting your focus to mentorship and advisory work, you eliminate the "Hidden Time Tax" of revisions, project management, and scope creep. You trade a $64/hour reality for a $174/hour (and beyond) future.

---

🚀 Ready to Scale Your Income?

Find Your Public Relations Mentor Today →

Whether you want to learn the ropes or learn how to teach them, Sidetrain is your platform.

---

Explore Related Content

Mentor

Mentor

CEO & SEO Expert | Digital Marketing & Music Industry

Mentor

Mentor

AI Consultant & Speaker | Integrating AI for Business Growth