Communications

The overall outlook for employment in media and communication is fair, with the Department of Labor predicting growth that will be about as fast as the average through 2033. Job growth will vary depending on the nature of the work and the industry. Employment in some areas is expected to decline at broadcast companies and publishers due to increased online content and diminished newspaper circulations and advertising revenues. News organizations will also consolidate to share resources and staff, which may mean the need for fewer workers. News analysts, reporters, and journalists will have a 3 percent decline in employment through 2033. Multimedia journalism, on the other hand, is expected to continue growing and will offer more employment opportunities for those with knowledge of recording and editing pieces for various media platforms. There may also be more job opportunities with local newspapers and TV and radio stations as opposed to large broadcast networks, where competition among job applicants is typically fierce.

Enrollment in postsecondary schools is expected to grow through 2033, which means demand for postsecondary educators and academic professionals will likewise grow. The Department of Labor predicts faster than average employment growth of 8 percent in the coming years for part-time and full-time postsecondary teachers. Hiring rates will vary, however, depending on educational institutions’ budgets. For example, in public colleges and universities, budgets are controlled by local and state governments. If the governments reduce spending on higher education, there may be fewer employment opportunities for educators. Also, the growing trend is for educational institutions to hire teachers for part-time positions, and competition for full-time positions as well as full-time tenure positions is expected to be keen.

Job growth for college and university professors will also vary depending on the field of study. Communications professors will have good employment opportunities through 2033: The DOL predicts 3 percent job growth for postsecondary communications teachers. As of 2023, there were 35,000 communications professors employed in the United States, and that number will grow to 36,200 by 2033. Teachers with a Ph.D. will have better job opportunities than those with a master’s degree.

Communications majors who pursue a career in market research have a bright future. The Department of Labor predicts 8 percent employment growth for market research analysts, which is faster than the average for all other occupations. Companies and organizations will continue to need market research and data to understand their customers’ needs and wants, with the overall goal of increasing sales and improving business efficiency. Market researchers will continue to be in demand to help companies develop marketing strategies, conduct customer surveys, and analyze and report on the market research findings. There were 903,400 market research analysts and marketing specialists employed in the United States in 2023; that number is expected to increase to 978,300 by 2033.

Faster than average employment growth, approximately 6 percent, is predicted for public relations specialists through 2033, according to the DOL. There will continue to be a need for public relations specialists to help individuals, groups, and companies maintain and enhance their good reputation. Also, as social media continues to grow, companies will need public relations specialists’ assistance with social media strategies and messaging, and guidance in monitoring the conversations with customers and the general public. Job growth will be tempered by the fierce competition in the field. Public relations is a popular industry and the job candidates always far outweigh the number of job openings. In May 2023, there were 308,000 public relations specialists working in the United States. By 2033, that number will rise to 327,200.

Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will have varied employment growth, depending on the profession. The DOL predicts a 3 percent decline in employment growth for advertising and promotions managers through 2033, and an 8 percent increase in employment of marketing managers, through 2033. Marketing managers will be in demand because marketing plays an important role in an organization’s revenue stream. Advertising and promotions managers are also important to companies, however, and will continue to be needed to help manage existing advertising and promotional campaigns. They will also be needed to introduce new products to the marketplace. A decline in employment of advertising and promotions managers in newspaper publishing is expected to continue, while more jobs will be available in digital media. Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will be needed to help companies reach customers through Web sites, social media, and live chats. Competition is keen for these types of jobs; those with advertising management software skills and digital and social media knowledge will have the best chances of securing work. Approximately 21,700 advertising and promotions managers and 420,800 marketing managers will be employed in the United States by 2033.

Like many career fields, communications faced significant challenges from the 2020 pandemic. The ability for many communications professionals to work remotely allowed them to better adapt to the restrictions created by lockdowns. Network availability and a strong IT infrastructure proved essential to workers in all aspects of communications industries. Those teaching communications in higher education shifted to remote platforms to connect with students and may have faced reduced support for research and other academic activities, hiring freezes, and other changes. Post pandemic, many companies in the communications industry realized the benefits of remote work and professionals in various media continue to work remotely and in hybrid work schedules.

The public relations firms industry experienced slow growth in 2020. One area that fared well, however, was crisis public relations services, which had high demand due to businesses needing communications help to minimize fallout. The PR industry continues to rebound post pandemic. According to a report by Research and Markets, the public relations industry is expected to have an annual growth rate of 6 percent through 2028. The market research group projects that this growth will be "linked to the dominance of digital and social media, the integration of influencer marketing, emphasis on authenticity and transparency, the impact of globalization and cross-cultural communication, and the increasing reliance on data-driven decision-making."

The U.S. television broadcasting industry also continues to recover from a nearly 12 percent decline in revenue in 2020, and steady growth is predicted in the coming years. "Digital distribution will likely remain an important component of the industry's strategy as consumers' relationship to TV content continues to evolve." TV broadcasters will also have improved growth compared to other media industries because of the dominance of large media companies with many resources. As described in a Statista report, "Overall, the U.S. television market seems to have entered a time of transition rather than decline. Newer streaming platforms have made shows more accessible to many consumers, but networks that fail to adapt to these changes in consumer preferences are sure to lose their grip on the market."

As for the advertising industry, Statista predicts nearly 5.3 percent annual growth in the U.S. advertising market from 2024 through 2029. The largest market in the U.S. advertising industry continues to be television and video advertising. By 2029, it is projected that the majority (82 percent) of total ad spending will be derived from digital advertising, and that 87 percent of the advertising industry's revenue will be generated from programmatic advertising. The U.S. advertising market will continue to focus on more personalized and targeted digital campaigns to reach specific audiences more effectively and to maximize its return on investment.