Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a media relations specialist
Quoted expert
Karen Myers Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a media relations specialist at Nielsen Holdings, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for media relations specialists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research found that District of Columbia is the best state for media relations specialists, while Washington and Connecticut are ranked highest in terms of median salary. District of Columbia has a median salary of $65,395 and Washington has the highest median salary among all 50 states for media relations specialists.
In order to get you the best states for media relations specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for media relations specialists, and the Northeast is the worst. Washington, DC is the best city in the country for media relations specialist jobs, where as District of Columbia is the best state in the country.
10 best states for media relations specialists in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total media relations specialist jobs: 304 Average annual salary: $65,395 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 2.36
2. Connecticut
Total media relations specialist jobs: 265 Average annual salary: $61,482 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
3. Oregon
Total media relations specialist jobs: 383 Average annual salary: $56,698 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
4. Rhode Island
Total media relations specialist jobs: 121 Average annual salary: $54,377 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
5. Washington
Total media relations specialist jobs: 519 Average annual salary: $61,987 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
6. New York
Total media relations specialist jobs: 1,404 Average annual salary: $55,064 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
7. North Dakota
Total media relations specialist jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $50,725 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
8. Maryland
Total media relations specialist jobs: 506 Average annual salary: $58,973 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
9. Delaware
Total media relations specialist jobs: 141 Average annual salary: $50,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
10. Idaho
Total media relations specialist jobs: 145 Average annual salary: $51,201 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
Media relations specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a media relations specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a media relations specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $65,395 | $45,000 | 693,972 | 304 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $61,482 | $42,000 | 3,588,184 | 265 |
| 3 | Oregon | $56,698 | $39,000 | 4,142,776 | 383 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $54,377 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 121 |
| 5 | Washington | $61,987 | $43,000 | 7,405,743 | 519 |
| 6 | New York | $55,064 | $38,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,404 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $50,725 | $36,000 | 755,393 | 85 |
| 8 | Maryland | $58,973 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 506 |
| 9 | Delaware | $50,756 | $35,000 | 961,939 | 141 |
| 10 | Idaho | $51,201 | $35,000 | 1,716,943 | 145 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $51,939 | $36,000 | 3,004,279 | 202 |
| 12 | Alaska | $52,824 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 92 |
| 13 | Virginia | $54,218 | $37,000 | 8,470,020 | 791 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $59,345 | $41,000 | 9,005,644 | 521 |
| 15 | Michigan | $51,502 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 529 |
| 16 | California | $55,292 | $37,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,327 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $48,523 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 118 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $45,596 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 90 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $51,288 | $36,000 | 6,859,819 | 718 |
| 20 | Utah | $46,903 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 326 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $53,618 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 85 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $49,536 | $34,000 | 12,805,537 | 834 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $49,199 | $35,000 | 1,342,795 | 129 |
| 24 | Colorado | $50,887 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 429 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $47,524 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 390 |
| 26 | Arizona | $46,485 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 506 |
| 27 | Ohio | $48,451 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 558 |
| 28 | Nevada | $46,725 | $31,000 | 2,998,039 | 165 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $47,514 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 218 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $43,089 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 100 |
| 31 | Illinois | $45,654 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 885 |
| 32 | Iowa | $42,538 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 301 |
| 33 | Texas | $44,527 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,462 |
| 34 | Vermont | $42,189 | $30,000 | 623,657 | 100 |
| 35 | Florida | $43,748 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,331 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $45,435 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 432 |
| 37 | Georgia | $44,018 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 710 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $43,519 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 298 |
| 39 | Indiana | $44,012 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 353 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $41,030 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 196 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $42,600 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 359 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $42,430 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 227 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $41,279 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 742 |
| 44 | Montana | $39,893 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 99 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $41,798 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 194 |
| 46 | Alabama | $41,361 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 280 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $41,584 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 130 |
| 48 | Maine | $35,227 | $26,000 | 1,335,907 | 111 |
| 49 | Missouri | $41,779 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 346 |
| 50 | Kansas | $40,060 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 192 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,958 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 123 |
Highest paying states for media relations specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Media Relations Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $65,395 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $61,482 |
| 3 | Oregon | $56,698 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $54,377 |
| 5 | Washington | $61,987 |
| 6 | New York | $55,064 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $50,725 |
| 8 | Maryland | $58,973 |
| 9 | Delaware | $50,756 |
| 10 | Idaho | $51,201 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $51,939 |
| 12 | Alaska | $52,824 |
| 13 | Virginia | $54,218 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $59,345 |
| 15 | Michigan | $51,502 |
| 16 | California | $55,292 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $48,523 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $45,596 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $51,288 |
| 20 | Utah | $46,903 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $53,618 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $49,536 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $49,199 |
| 24 | Colorado | $50,887 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $47,524 |
| 26 | Arizona | $46,485 |
| 27 | Ohio | $48,451 |
| 28 | Nevada | $46,725 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $47,514 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $43,089 |
| 31 | Illinois | $45,654 |
| 32 | Iowa | $42,538 |
| 33 | Texas | $44,527 |
| 34 | Vermont | $42,189 |
| 35 | Florida | $43,748 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $45,435 |
| 37 | Georgia | $44,018 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $43,519 |
| 39 | Indiana | $44,012 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $41,030 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $42,600 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $42,430 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $41,279 |
| 44 | Montana | $39,893 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $41,798 |
| 46 | Alabama | $41,361 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $41,584 |
| 48 | Maine | $35,227 |
| 49 | Missouri | $41,779 |
| 50 | Kansas | $40,060 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,958 |
Expert opinions on the best states for media relations specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for media relations specialists to find work opportunities?
Karen Myers Ph.D.
Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
Thank goodness, our graduates are positioned pretty well to take advantage of many job opportunities during the pandemic. Any industry that can serve its clients remotely AND whose products are still in demand and sold during the epidemic is in a good position. Tech companies have been disrupted, but mostly they have adjusted and have an even greater need for their products. These companies are hiring and onboarding workers remotely. (I'm working on a research project studying workers who have been onboarded/socialized entirely remotely to compare it to traditional, in-person training.) A number of our grads have been hired in tech industries. I also see a lot of activity in marketing/PR. As long as these companies are serving industries and customers who are still buying, they are recovering and learning how to function in the new circumstances.
Media relations specialist best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for media relations specialist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025