Post job

Communications specialist salary

Quoted expert
Michael Riecke

Average communications specialist salary

$51,023

$24.53 hourly rate

Entry-level communications specialist salary
$36,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

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.

On this page
Communications specialist salary by: 

Let Zippi find your next communications specialist job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippi find your next communications specialist job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Communications Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
93k
73k
53k
33k
13k
Columbus, OH$63,271
Indianapolis, IN$43,117
Compare salary by company
Vs
136k
116k
96k
76k
56k
Google$106,901
Corning Incorporated$85,511

Communications specialist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a communications specialist typically falls between $51,023 and $119,879.
zippia
$51,023yearly
glassdoor[1]
$68,673yearly
comparably[2]
$67,055yearly
Salary.com[3]
$119,879yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$67,006yearly
payscale[5]
$58,964yearly

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
Average salary:

Highest paying states for communications specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1District of Columbia$63,238$30.40
2Rhode Island$55,473$26.67
3New York$57,469$27.63
4Delaware$53,481$25.71
5Connecticut$59,008$28.37
6Virginia$55,414$26.64
7Washington$56,705$27.26
8New Jersey$59,402$28.56
9Nevada$52,060$25.03
10Maryland$55,964$26.91
11Massachusetts$55,160$26.52
12North Dakota$49,201$23.65
13New Hampshire$51,927$24.96
14Alaska$51,840$24.92
15Michigan$51,056$24.55
16Hawaii$53,613$25.78
17Oregon$52,507$25.24
18West Virginia$48,786$23.45
19California$54,447$26.18
20Pennsylvania$48,302$23.22
21Vermont$46,543$22.38
22Ohio$49,124$23.62
23New Mexico$49,503$23.80
24North Carolina$47,961$23.06
25Wisconsin$49,082$23.60
26Minnesota$49,978$24.03
27Idaho$46,511$22.36
28Colorado$49,239$23.67
29Tennessee$47,542$22.86
30Nebraska$44,430$21.36
31Utah$43,914$21.11
32Kentucky$47,730$22.95
33Wyoming$40,610$19.52
34Illinois$46,758$22.48
35Arkansas$43,599$20.96
36South Dakota$39,839$19.15
37Iowa$41,515$19.96
38Arizona$43,027$20.69
39Maine$41,314$19.86
40Texas$42,214$20.30
41Indiana$43,304$20.82
42Montana$38,671$18.59
43Georgia$41,670$20.03
44Oklahoma$39,609$19.04
45Florida$37,286$17.93
46Missouri$40,149$19.30
47Alabama$38,792$18.65
48Louisiana$36,384$17.49
49Kansas$37,401$17.98
50Mississippi$36,622$17.61
51South 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.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington, DC$63,271$30.42
2San Francisco, CA$57,852$27.81
3New York, NY$57,618$27.70
4Arlington, VA$56,926$27.37
5Seattle, WA$56,903$27.36
6Baltimore, MD$56,173$27.01
7Boston, MA$55,096$26.49
8Portland, OR$52,226$25.11
9Ann Arbor, MI$50,951$24.50
10Saint Paul, MN$50,048$24.06
11Denver, CO$49,242$23.67
12Madison, WI$48,903$23.51
13Raleigh, NC$48,766$23.45
14Columbus, OH$48,681$23.40
15Philadelphia, PA$48,606$23.37
16Richmond, KY$47,854$23.01
17Chicago, IL$46,992$22.59
18Omaha, NE$44,568$21.43
19Salt Lake City, UT$43,857$21.09
20Indianapolis, IN$43,117$20.73

Communications Specialists are the most in-demand in these five cities:

  1. Washington, DC
  2. San Francisco, CA
  3. New York, NY
  4. Arlington, VA
  5. Seattle, WA

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.

Average communications specialist salary graph
Average communications specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a communications specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly 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 titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Publicist$50,679$4,223$24.367,343
Supervisor Of Communications$63,064$5,255$30.3216,853
Community Relations Coordinator$45,632$3,803$21.9446,318
Communications Internship$33,458$2,788$16.0962,641
Communications Consultant$91,455$7,621$43.9729,942
Communications Manager$81,304$6,775$39.0926,350

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

Starting salaries in the field of media and communication are generally lower than most entry-level professional positions. It's partially a matter of supply and demand. I think young professionals perceive media and communication careers as more glamorous and exciting than other paths. As a result, employers often find themselves with plenty of resumes to sift through. As you advance through your career, you can expect moderate to substantial salary growth.

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:

  1. IBM jobs (54)
  2. CTG jobs (52)
  3. United States Marine Corps jobs (349)
  4. Bank of America jobs (46)
  5. US Air Conditioning Distributors jobs (240)

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.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Google$106,901$51.39
2Barclays$100,716$48.42
3McKinsey & Company Inc$98,820$47.51
4Mastercard$97,870$47.05
5California Resources$96,387$46.34
6Intel$94,925$45.64
7Bristol-Myers Squibb$94,320$45.35
8Citi$94,317$45.34
9Credit Suisse$93,002$44.71
10JPMorgan Chase & Co.$91,542$44.01
11AstraZeneca$90,696$43.60
12Apple$90,391$43.46
13Nabors Industries$89,783$43.16
14HP$88,302$42.45
15American Express$88,219$42.41
16RagingWire Data Centers$87,653$42.14
17BlackRock$87,505$42.07
18City of San Jos$86,759$41.71
19UBS$86,565$41.62
20Corning Incorporated$85,511$41.11

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$51,000$50,400$49,800$49,200$48,600$48,000
MaleFemale

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

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Technology$59,589$28.65
2Manufacturing$57,501$27.64
3Finance$53,597$25.77
4Telecommunication$51,868$24.94
5Professional$51,179$24.61
6Government$50,245$24.16
7Health 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

YearAvg. salaryHourly 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

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
The University of ChicagoCommunications SpecialistChicago, IL06/30/2025$60,314
Navex GlobalCommunication Specialist, Ethics & ComplianceLake Oswego, OR06/30/2025$32,349
Navex GlobalCommunication Specialist-BilingualCharlotte, NC06/30/2025$36,523
Erickson Senior LivingCommunications SpecialistOverland Park, KS06/29/2025$31,305
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & ScienceEnrollment Communications & Slate Specialist-Hybrid/RemoteNorth Chicago, IL06/29/2025$60,000
RosalindfranklinEnrollment Communications & Slate Specialist-Hybrid/RemoteNorth Chicago, IL06/29/2025$60,000
Carillion Health SystemCommunication Specialist I-Ambulance DispatchRoanoke, VA06/29/2025$41,949
National Income LifeCommunication SpecialistHouston, TX06/29/2025$18,000
Get It-MarketingCommunications Specialist-Remote | WFHMcLean, VA06/29/2025$75,522
Global Channel Management, Inc.Remote Communications SpecialistAtlanta, GA06/29/2025$62,610

Communications specialist salary FAQs

Search for communications specialist jobs

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs