¶ … job descriptions and research. Specifically it will discuss two U.S. web sites and a specific job on those sites. The job chosen is a Public Affairs Specialist, located in a Department of Labor (DOL) office in San Francisco, California. The pay range for this job, which can be a GS 12 or GS 13 pay level, is "GS-12 $79,781 - $103,710 per annum and GS-13 $94,871 - $123,335 per annum. Salaries include applicable locality pay" ("Public Affairs Specialist). The published duties of the job include this job description. "The mission of the regional office is to provide the Department with a comprehensive regional public affairs program designed to enhance program effectiveness and inform the public of the Department's policies, programs and activities, primarily through interaction with the media" ("Public Affairs Specialist"). It also notes that the job will fill in for the Regional Director of Public Affairs if they are gone. The person has to be a U.S. citizen, they may travel frequently, they have to be fluent in English and Spanish, and they may have a background check done on them. Typically, the public affairs specialist...

They may have to work against tight deadlines, and they may have to deal with department emergencies and disaster information, as well.
The outlook for this job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is good, with more than average growth predicted. They average it at about an 18% growth rate up to 2016. However, they say that there is heavy competition for entry-level jobs in the field. Pay rates vary widely. The national average pay for Public Affairs Specialists is $47,350, but the lowest paid only earn about $28,000 a year ("Public Relations Specialists"). Clearly, this specific government position is paid far higher than the national average. The highest wages ($96,990 per year) are paid in the District of Columbia, followed by Nevada, California, Idaho, and New York. The lowest paying states are Mississippi ($38.930) and West Virginia ($38,880) ("Public Relations Specialists").

These positions are considered part of the media, and people in them need to be creative,…