How much does a Public Relations Specialist make?
Public Relations Specialists in the United States bring home a median salary of $74,750 a year, or around $35.94 an hour. Pay spans a wide range: the bottom 10% earn under $44,110, while the top 10% earn $135,150.
That is $13,360 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Public Relations Specialist salary range by percentile
Half of all Public Relations Specialists earn between $56,260 and $100,370 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $44,110 | $21.21 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $56,260 | $27.05 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $74,750 | $35.94 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $100,370 | $48.25 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $135,150 | $64.98 |
Highest-paying states for Public Relations Specialist
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. District of Columbia leads the country for Public Relations Specialist pay at $102,740 a year, followed by Washington ($87,470) and California ($85,030). At the other end, West Virginia posts the lowest median at $56,730 — a gap of $46,010 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $102,740 | $49.39 | +37% |
| 2 | Washington | $87,470 | $42.05 | +17% |
| 3 | California | $85,030 | $40.88 | +14% |
| 4 | Connecticut | $84,990 | $40.86 | +14% |
| 5 | New York | $81,250 | $39.06 | +9% |
Public Relations Specialist salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 51 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 283,000 people work as Public Relations Specialists in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $84,120 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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