Public relations specialists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,110 | $21.21 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $74,750 | $35.94 |
| Mean (average) | $84,120 | $40.44 |
| 90th percentile | $135,150 | $64.98 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Public relations specialists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,710 | $39,320 | $111,970 | 2,410 | 0.63 |
| Alaska | $70,050 | $45,140 | $117,210 | 640 | 1.08 |
| Arizona | $66,710 | $45,080 | $111,220 | 5,350 | 0.91 |
| Arkansas | $65,000 | $39,170 | $137,190 | 980 | 0.41 |
| California | $85,030 | $49,550 | $160,520 | 32,710 | 0.99 |
| Colorado | $80,680 | $51,710 | $139,040 | 7,410 | 1.41 |
| Connecticut | $84,990 | $51,410 | $162,280 | 1,910 | 0.62 |
| Delaware | $76,120 | $43,720 | $126,290 | 930 | 1.05 |
| District of Columbia | $102,740 | $64,260 | $202,170 | 16,720 | 13.07 |
| Florida | $63,660 | $37,000 | $115,680 | 17,820 | 0.98 |
| Georgia | $73,200 | $43,590 | $128,190 | 6,860 | 0.77 |
| Guam | $48,460 | $39,050 | $71,480 | ||
| Hawaii | $63,880 | $42,070 | $104,240 | 1,800 | 1.57 |
| Idaho | $61,110 | $36,580 | $101,890 | 1,220 | 0.78 |
| Illinois | $76,380 | $47,690 | $139,570 | 6,200 | 0.56 |
| Indiana | $64,900 | $42,060 | $105,580 | 3,750 | 0.64 |
| Iowa | $62,970 | $38,890 | $104,700 | 2,890 | 1.02 |
| Kansas | $64,860 | $39,820 | $105,500 | 2,340 | 0.89 |
| Kentucky | $60,150 | $37,190 | $103,530 | 2,580 | 0.71 |
| Louisiana | $60,470 | $38,640 | $98,610 | 1,710 | 0.48 |
| Maine | $62,450 | $38,890 | $100,770 | 1,400 | 1.2 |
| Maryland | $79,560 | $42,060 | $147,220 | 4,190 | 0.83 |
| Massachusetts | $79,660 | $51,710 | $139,240 | 6,760 | 1.02 |
| Michigan | $65,300 | $38,560 | $117,290 | 7,510 | 0.94 |
| Minnesota | $68,620 | $42,220 | $111,180 | 8,260 | 1.54 |
| Mississippi | $59,810 | $38,630 | $96,690 | 950 | 0.45 |
| Missouri | $61,130 | $38,490 | $102,850 | 4,820 | 0.9 |
| Montana | $63,780 | $43,770 | $96,050 | 1,760 | 1.89 |
| Nebraska | $61,780 | $41,490 | $93,990 | 1,590 | 0.85 |
| Nevada | $73,840 | $44,710 | $120,160 | 1,600 | 0.57 |
| New Hampshire | $73,280 | $50,430 | $122,390 | 1,140 | 0.92 |
| New Jersey | $80,130 | $49,820 | $138,190 | 4,980 | 0.64 |
| New Mexico | $68,700 | $43,080 | $123,110 | 1,130 | 0.71 |
| New York | $81,250 | $51,730 | $157,610 | 28,250 | 1.6 |
| North Carolina | $67,230 | $39,840 | $136,450 | 9,910 | 1.1 |
| North Dakota | $70,280 | $47,980 | $100,710 | 640 | 0.82 |
| Ohio | $64,840 | $41,540 | $121,460 | 6,670 | 0.66 |
| Oklahoma | $64,920 | $39,380 | $113,780 | 2,280 | 0.73 |
| Oregon | $74,900 | $45,190 | $123,880 | 4,510 | 1.26 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,460 | $32,810 | $102,330 | 11,180 | 1.01 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,950 | $28,540 | $81,330 | 520 | 0.31 |
| Rhode Island | $77,540 | $47,750 | $129,360 | 1,140 | 1.24 |
| South Carolina | $62,730 | $38,920 | $143,940 | 2,950 | 0.7 |
| South Dakota | $64,520 | $48,460 | $102,480 | 210 | 0.25 |
| Tennessee | $60,900 | $37,450 | $98,370 | 3,380 | 0.57 |
| Texas | $65,160 | $39,840 | $109,640 | 25,220 | 0.98 |
| Utah | $62,670 | $41,410 | $119,270 | 1,800 | 0.57 |
| Vermont | $66,060 | $45,330 | $101,520 | 1,260 | 2.27 |
| Virgin Islands | $59,990 | $37,400 | $83,780 | 60 | 1.07 |
| Virginia | $80,380 | $46,840 | $162,050 | 9,990 | 1.33 |
| Washington | $87,470 | $60,760 | $136,020 | 6,430 | 0.99 |
| West Virginia | $56,730 | $39,720 | $103,380 | 350 | 0.27 |
| Wisconsin | $67,240 | $44,790 | $105,970 | 4,410 | 0.82 |
| Wyoming | $67,490 | $50,430 | $115,210 | 480 | 0.93 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for public relations specialists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 23,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for public relations specialists
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Communication, General CIP 09.0100
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric CIP 09.0101
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication CIP 09.0900
- Public Relations/Image Management CIP 09.0902
- Political Communication CIP 09.0904
- Health Communication CIP 09.0905
- Sports Communication CIP 09.0906
- International and Intercultural Communication CIP 09.0907
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication CIP 19.0202
- Business/Corporate Communications, General CIP 52.0501
- Business/Corporate Communications, Other CIP 52.0599
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
- Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
- Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
- Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
- Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
- Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions.
- Coach client representatives in effective communication with the public or with employees.
- Study the objectives, promotional policies, or needs of organizations to develop public relations strategies that will influence public opinion or promote ideas, products, or services.
Technology skills
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (in demand)
- Adobe InDesign (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (in demand)
- Canva (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft SharePoint (in demand)
- WordPress (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
- Cisco Webex (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Time Management, Persuasion, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Communications Specialist, Community Relations Coordinator, Corporate Communications Specialist, Information and Communications Specialist, Media Relations Specialist, Public Affairs Specialist, Public Information Officer, Public Information Specialist, Public Relations Coordinator (PR Coordinator), Public Relations Specialist (PR Specialist).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do public relations specialists make?
The national median annual wage for public relations specialists was $74,750 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $44,110 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $135,150. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do public relations specialists need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is public relations specialists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of public relations specialists to change +1.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 23,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay public relations specialists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($102,740), Washington ($87,470), California ($85,030). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.