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Average communication major salary
Average communication major salary
Updated September 14, 2023
$45,257
What is the average communication major salary in the US?
As a communication major graduate in the USA, you can expect to earn on average $45,257 per year or $21.76 per hour.There is a huge gap between the top 10 percent earners and the bottom 10 percent earners -- about $72,000. The top 10 percent earn over $93,000, while the bottom 10 percent make less than $21,000 annually.The most abundant employment opportunities for communication majors are in retail companies and professional companies.New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts are some of the states with the best salaries for communication major graduates in the US.
Best paying cities
$54,303
$54,172
$53,357
Average communication salary by company
There is good job security for communication major graduates. However, some industries offer better pay and benefit packages than others.retail companies and professional companies have the most job opportunities for communication major graduates.Microsoft and Meta are the highest paying companies.Also, companies like IBM and Apple pay communication major graduates very well.
Average communication major salary by city
As a communication major graduate in the U.S., you can expect to earn on average $45,257 per year or $21.76 per hour.The city with the highest salaries for communication major graduates is New York, NY at $54,303 per year.The average entry-level salary in New York, NY is $25,000.Other top cities with competitive salaries are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, Hartford, CT, Boston, MA, Des Moines, WA, and Baltimore, MD.New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts are the top 5 highest earning states for communication major graduates.On the other hand, South Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas report the lowest wages for communication major graduates.
Average salary by location
| Rank | City | Average communication salary | Salary range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $54,303 | $28k $81k |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $54,172 | $28k $81k |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $53,357 | $28k $81k |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | $51,810 | $28k $81k |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $50,923 | $28k $81k |
| 6 | Des Moines, WA | $50,091 | $28k $81k |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $47,400 | $28k $81k |
| 8 | Albany, OR | $46,012 | $28k $81k |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $45,824 | $28k $81k |
| 10 | Richmond, VA | $45,597 | $28k $81k |
| 11 | Portland, ME | $44,248 | $28k $81k |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $44,057 | $28k $81k |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $43,919 | $28k $81k |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $43,535 | $28k $81k |
| 15 | Cleveland, OH | $43,013 | $28k $81k |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $42,646 | $28k $81k |
| 17 | Milwaukee, WI | $42,360 | $28k $81k |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $42,208 | $28k $81k |
| 19 | Raleigh, NC | $41,939 | $28k $81k |
| 20 | San Antonio, TX | $41,742 | $28k $81k |
Average communication major salary by state
The darker areas on the map show where communication majors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary
Communication major average salary by state
| State | Average communication major salary | Average hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $54,116 | $26.02 |
| New Jersey | $52,370 | $25.18 |
| Connecticut | $52,265 | $25.13 |
| California | $51,761 | $24.89 |
| Massachusetts | $51,004 | $24.52 |
| Washington | $49,972 | $24.02 |
| Rhode Island | $48,701 | $23.41 |
| Delaware | $47,418 | $22.80 |
| Maryland | $47,285 | $22.73 |
| New Hampshire | $46,067 | $22.15 |
| Oregon | $45,867 | $22.05 |
| Virginia | $45,863 | $22.05 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,503 | $21.88 |
| Vermont | $44,494 | $21.39 |
| Alaska | $44,405 | $21.35 |
| Hawaii | $44,370 | $21.33 |
| Illinois | $44,023 | $21.16 |
| Michigan | $43,917 | $21.11 |
| Minnesota | $43,901 | $21.11 |
| Maine | $43,813 | $21.06 |
| Nevada | $43,806 | $21.06 |
| Colorado | $42,754 | $20.55 |
| North Dakota | $42,531 | $20.45 |
| Wisconsin | $42,302 | $20.34 |
| Arizona | $42,146 | $20.26 |
| Ohio | $41,963 | $20.17 |
| Texas | $41,494 | $19.95 |
| North Carolina | $41,389 | $19.90 |
| West Virginia | $40,828 | $19.63 |
| Georgia | $39,862 | $19.16 |
| Idaho | $39,738 | $19.10 |
| Indiana | $39,702 | $19.09 |
| New Mexico | $39,531 | $19.01 |
| Wyoming | $39,493 | $18.99 |
| Iowa | $38,895 | $18.70 |
| Kentucky | $38,860 | $18.68 |
| South Dakota | $38,845 | $18.68 |
| Tennessee | $38,785 | $18.65 |
| Utah | $38,620 | $18.57 |
| Missouri | $38,495 | $18.51 |
| Montana | $38,360 | $18.44 |
| Nebraska | $37,993 | $18.27 |
| Kansas | $37,986 | $18.26 |
| Florida | $37,926 | $18.23 |
| South Carolina | $37,612 | $18.08 |
| Alabama | $37,469 | $18.01 |
| Oklahoma | $37,357 | $17.96 |
| Louisiana | $36,927 | $17.75 |
| Arkansas | $36,689 | $17.64 |
| Mississippi | $35,557 | $17.09 |
Average communication major salary by industry
The type of industry that a communication major graduate works in can influence their earning potential.Our data shows that telecommunication companies, manufacturing companies, and finance companies tend to have the highest salaries for communication major graduates.telecommunication companies pay communication major graduates an average salary of $37,921, manufacturing companies pay $37,850, and finance companies come in at $36,795.The average communication major salary in the retail industry is lower than the rest, coming in at $31,094.
Average salary by industry
| Rank | Industry | Average communication major salary | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $37,921 | $24k $50k |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $37,850 | $24k $50k |
| 3 | Finance | $36,795 | $24k $50k |
| 4 | Technology | $36,564 | $24k $50k |
| 5 | Government | $36,248 | $24k $50k |
| 6 | Health Care | $34,276 | $24k $50k |
| 7 | Professional | $33,793 | $24k $50k |
| 8 | Hospitality | $32,791 | $24k $50k |
| 9 | Retail | $31,094 | $24k $50k |
Salary history for communication major graduates
This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Communication major graduates.
Salaries for related majors
| Rank | Major | Average salary | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Advertising | $62,238 | $35k $88k |
| 2 | Speech Communication And Rhetoric | $61,295 | $35k $88k |
| 3 | Publishing | $55,507 | $35k $88k |
| 4 | Journalism | $53,479 | $35k $88k |
| 5 | Journalism And Mass Communications | $53,372 | $35k $88k |
| 6 | Public Relations | $50,648 | $35k $88k |
| 7 | Digital Media | $48,393 | $35k $88k |