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Communications specialist salary
Average communications specialist salary
$51,023
Understanding the Communications Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Communications Specialist stands at approximately $51,023 per year, translating to about $25 per hour. However, salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific industry in which one works. For instance, roles in high-demand sectors may offer salaries exceeding this average.
Salary by State
In states like California and New York, Communications Specialists often earn more, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in these regions. For example, California's top-tier salaries can reach up to $65,000 annually.
Industries with the Highest Pay
Industries such as public relations, marketing, and media frequently offer the highest salaries for Communications Specialists. This highlights the importance of aligning your career path with growing sectors to enhance your earning potential.
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Where can a Communications Specialist earn more?
Communications specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average communications specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for communications specialists are New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York. The lowest average communications specialist salary states are Montana, South Carolina, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for communications specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $63,238 | $30.40 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $55,473 | $26.67 |
| 3 | New York | $57,469 | $27.63 |
| 4 | Delaware | $53,481 | $25.71 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $59,008 | $28.37 |
| 6 | Virginia | $55,414 | $26.64 |
| 7 | Washington | $56,705 | $27.26 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $59,402 | $28.56 |
| 9 | Nevada | $52,060 | $25.03 |
| 10 | Maryland | $55,964 | $26.91 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $55,160 | $26.52 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $49,201 | $23.65 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $51,927 | $24.96 |
| 14 | Alaska | $51,840 | $24.92 |
| 15 | Michigan | $51,056 | $24.55 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $53,613 | $25.78 |
| 17 | Oregon | $52,507 | $25.24 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $48,786 | $23.45 |
| 19 | California | $54,447 | $26.18 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $48,302 | $23.22 |
| 21 | Vermont | $46,543 | $22.38 |
| 22 | Ohio | $49,124 | $23.62 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $49,503 | $23.80 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $47,961 | $23.06 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $49,082 | $23.60 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $49,978 | $24.03 |
| 27 | Idaho | $46,511 | $22.36 |
| 28 | Colorado | $49,239 | $23.67 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $47,542 | $22.86 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $44,430 | $21.36 |
| 31 | Utah | $43,914 | $21.11 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $47,730 | $22.95 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $40,610 | $19.52 |
| 34 | Illinois | $46,758 | $22.48 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $43,599 | $20.96 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $39,839 | $19.15 |
| 37 | Iowa | $41,515 | $19.96 |
| 38 | Arizona | $43,027 | $20.69 |
| 39 | Maine | $41,314 | $19.86 |
| 40 | Texas | $42,214 | $20.30 |
| 41 | Indiana | $43,304 | $20.82 |
| 42 | Montana | $38,671 | $18.59 |
| 43 | Georgia | $41,670 | $20.03 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $39,609 | $19.04 |
| 45 | Florida | $37,286 | $17.93 |
| 46 | Missouri | $40,149 | $19.30 |
| 47 | Alabama | $38,792 | $18.65 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $36,384 | $17.49 |
| 49 | Kansas | $37,401 | $17.98 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $36,622 | $17.61 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $37,715 | $18.13 |
Highest paying cities for communications specialists
The highest-paying cities for communications specialists are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $63,271 | $30.42 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $57,852 | $27.81 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $57,618 | $27.70 |
| 4 | Arlington, VA | $56,926 | $27.37 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $56,903 | $27.36 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $56,173 | $27.01 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $55,096 | $26.49 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $52,226 | $25.11 |
| 9 | Ann Arbor, MI | $50,951 | $24.50 |
| 10 | Saint Paul, MN | $50,048 | $24.06 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $49,242 | $23.67 |
| 12 | Madison, WI | $48,903 | $23.51 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $48,766 | $23.45 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $48,681 | $23.40 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $48,606 | $23.37 |
| 16 | Richmond, KY | $47,854 | $23.01 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $46,992 | $22.59 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $44,568 | $21.43 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, UT | $43,857 | $21.09 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $43,117 | $20.73 |
Communications Specialists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Communications specialist salary details
A communications specialist's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $71,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a communications specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| Average | $51,023 | $4,252 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
Highest paying communications specialist jobs
The highest paying types of communications specialists are communications lead, communications consultant, and staff specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicist | $50,679 | $4,223 | $24.36 | 7,343 |
| Supervisor Of Communications | $63,064 | $5,255 | $30.32 | 16,853 |
| Community Relations Coordinator | $45,632 | $3,803 | $21.94 | 46,318 |
| Communications Internship | $33,458 | $2,788 | $16.09 | 62,641 |
| Communications Consultant | $91,455 | $7,621 | $43.97 | 29,942 |
| Communications Manager | $81,304 | $6,775 | $39.09 | 26,350 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for communications specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Riecke
Assistant Professor, State University of New York at Oswego
They may not openly admit it, but many employers see the first job as a test of who has the stamina, talent, and passion for succeeding. If a new employee puts in the effort, doesn't balk at long hours, and gets the job done well without a sizeable financial reward, it's generally interpreted by the employer as a sign of commitment. That display of commitment typically gets rewarded.
Top companies hiring communications specialists now:
Which companies pay communications specialists the most?
Communications specialist salaries at Google and Barclays are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average communications specialist salary at companies like McKinsey & Company Inc and Mastercard are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $106,901 | $51.39 | |
| 2 | Barclays | $100,716 | $48.42 |
| 3 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $98,820 | $47.51 |
| 4 | Mastercard | $97,870 | $47.05 |
| 5 | California Resources | $96,387 | $46.34 |
| 6 | Intel | $94,925 | $45.64 |
| 7 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $94,320 | $45.35 |
| 8 | Citi | $94,317 | $45.34 |
| 9 | Credit Suisse | $93,002 | $44.71 |
| 10 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $91,542 | $44.01 |
| 11 | AstraZeneca | $90,696 | $43.60 |
| 12 | Apple | $90,391 | $43.46 |
| 13 | Nabors Industries | $89,783 | $43.16 |
| 14 | HP | $88,302 | $42.45 |
| 15 | American Express | $88,219 | $42.41 |
| 16 | RagingWire Data Centers | $87,653 | $42.14 |
| 17 | BlackRock | $87,505 | $42.07 |
| 18 | City of San Jos | $86,759 | $41.71 |
| 19 | UBS | $86,565 | $41.62 |
| 20 | Corning Incorporated | $85,511 | $41.11 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Communications Specialist salary by industry
The average communications specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average communications specialist salary in the technology industry is $59,589, the highest of any industry.
- The average communications specialist salary in the finance industry is $57,501.
- Communications specialists in the health care industry earn an average salary of $48,189, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for communications specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $59,589 | $28.65 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $57,501 | $27.64 |
| 3 | Finance | $53,597 | $25.77 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $51,868 | $24.94 |
| 5 | Professional | $51,179 | $24.61 |
| 6 | Government | $50,245 | $24.16 |
| 7 | Health Care | $48,189 | $23.17 |
High paying communications specialist jobs
Communications specialist salary trends
The average communications specialist salary has risen by $7,815 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average communications specialist earned $43,208 annually, but today, they earn $51,023 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for communications specialists over the last decade.
Compare communications specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average communications specialist salary over time
Compare communications specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Communications specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,000 | $24.53 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $49,700 | $23.88 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $48,700 | $23.43 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $48,200 | $23.16 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $47,100 | $22.66 | +2.2% |
Recently added communications specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago | Communications Specialist | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $60,314 |
| Navex Global | Communication Specialist, Ethics & Compliance | Lake Oswego, OR | 06/30/2025 | $32,349 |
| Navex Global | Communication Specialist-Bilingual | Charlotte, NC | 06/30/2025 | $36,523 |
| Erickson Senior Living | Communications Specialist | Overland Park, KS | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science | Enrollment Communications & Slate Specialist-Hybrid/Remote | North Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $60,000 |
| Rosalindfranklin | Enrollment Communications & Slate Specialist-Hybrid/Remote | North Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $60,000 |
| Carillion Health System | Communication Specialist I-Ambulance Dispatch | Roanoke, VA | 06/29/2025 | $41,949 |
| National Income Life | Communication Specialist | Houston, TX | 06/29/2025 | $18,000 |
| Get It-Marketing | Communications Specialist-Remote | WFH | McLean, VA | 06/29/2025 | $75,522 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Remote Communications Specialist | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $62,610 |
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