Public affairs officer demographics and statistics in the US
Public affairs officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates public affairs officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our public affairs officer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about public affairs officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 5,918 public affairs officers currently employed in the United States.
- 40.8% of all public affairs officers are women, while 59.2% are men.
- The average public affairs officer age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of public affairs officers is White (67.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.9%), Black or African American (10.0%) and Asian (5.3%).
- Public affairs officers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Washington, DC pays an annual average wage of $110,960, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women public affairs officers earned 94% of what men earned.
- New York is the best state for public affairs officers to live.
- Public affairs officers are 39% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Public affairs officer demographics by:
Public affairs officer gender statistics
40.8% of public affairs officers are women and 59.2% of public affairs officers are men.
- Male, 59.2%
- Female, 40.8%
Public affairs officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 59.2% |
| Female | 40.8% |
Public affairs officer gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$65,366
Female income
$61,396
Public affairs officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in public affairs officer positions over time. Currently, 40.8% of public affairs officers are female.
Public affairs officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.47% | 38.53% |
| 2011 | 64.59% | 35.41% |
| 2012 | 62.35% | 37.65% |
| 2013 | 66.76% | 33.24% |
| 2014 | 62.60% | 37.40% |
| 2015 | 59.48% | 40.52% |
| 2016 | 60.01% | 39.99% |
| 2017 | 64.52% | 35.48% |
| 2018 | 61.91% | 38.09% |
| 2019 | 62.55% | 37.45% |
| 2020 | 61.18% | 38.82% |
| 2021 | 59.22% | 40.78% |
Public affairs officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared public affairs officers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public address announcer and track announcer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Paraprofessional Interpreter | 12% | 88% |
| Deaf Interpreter | 15% | 85% |
| Fashion Journalist | 15% | 85% |
| Public Affairs Officer | 59% | 41% |
| Sports Announcer | 91% | 9% |
| Track Announcer | 92% | 8% |
| Public Address Announcer | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Public affairs officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among public affairs officers is White, which makes up 67.1% of all public affairs officers. Comparatively, 11.9% of public affairs officers are Hispanic or Latino and 10.0% of public affairs officers are Black or African American.
- White, 67.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.9%
- Black or African American, 10.0%
- Asian, 5.3%
- Unknown, 5.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Public affairs officer race
| Public affairs officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.9% |
| Black or African American | 10.0% |
| Asian | 5.3% |
| Unknown | 5.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Public affairs officer race and ethnicity over time
See how public affairs officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Public affairs officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.25% | 9.41% | 4.28% | 9.01% |
| 2011 | 74.49% | 9.57% | 4.39% | 8.77% |
| 2012 | 74.52% | 8.96% | 3.91% | 9.32% |
| 2013 | 73.32% | 10.18% | 4.38% | 9.29% |
| 2014 | 73.83% | 10.14% | 3.42% | 9.51% |
| 2015 | 72.90% | 9.10% | 5.38% | 10.29% |
| 2016 | 72.26% | 9.40% | 5.18% | 9.82% |
| 2017 | 73.88% | 9.49% | 4.11% | 10.34% |
| 2018 | 71.51% | 8.49% | 5.12% | 11.11% |
| 2019 | 73.26% | 8.65% | 4.60% | 10.49% |
| 2020 | 67.75% | 9.49% | 4.55% | 14.42% |
| 2021 | 67.09% | 10.02% | 5.29% | 11.92% |
Public affairs officer wage gap by race
According to our data, white public affairs officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino public affairs officers have the lowest average salary at $61,983.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $68,898 |
| White | $69,481 |
| Black or African American | $62,085 |
| Asian | $64,777 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $61,983 |
Average public affairs officer age
See how the average age of public affairs officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Public affairs officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 47 | 35.5 |
| White | 43 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 49.5 | 45 |
| Asian | 36 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 | 36 |
Public affairs officer age breakdown
The average age of public affairs officers is 40+ years years old, representing 53% of the public affairs officer population.
Public affairs officer age breakdown
| Public Affairs Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 53% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Public affairs officer educational attainment
The most common degree for public affairs officers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of public affairs officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Public affairs officers by degree level
| Public affairs officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 70% |
| Master's | 18% |
| Associate | 7% |
| Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Public affairs officer jobs you might like
Public affairs officer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $73,580 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,919 |
Public affairs officer employment statistics
Most public affairs officers work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where public affairs officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where public affairs officers work.
Public affairs officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 23% |
Public affairs officer jobs by company type
Employees with the public affairs officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most public affairs officers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Public affairs officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 18% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 39% |
| Government | 36% |
Public affairs officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for public affairs officers are government, education and non profits.
Public affairs officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 25% |
| Education | 15% |
| Non Profits | 10% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Real Estate | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Public affairs officer turnover and employment statistics
Public affairs officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for public affairs officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Public affairs officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Public affairs officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.84% |
| 2011 | 5.89% |
| 2012 | 4.61% |
| 2013 | 4.57% |
| 2014 | 3.98% |
| 2015 | 3.27% |
| 2016 | 2.78% |
| 2017 | 2.36% |
| 2018 | 2.01% |
| 2019 | 3.01% |
| 2020 | 3.59% |
| 2021 | 3.67% |
Average public affairs officer tenure
The average public affairs officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,518 public affairs officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Public affairs officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 14% |
| 1-2 years | 39% |
| 3-4 years | 19% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Public affairs officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of public affairs officers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Journalist | 10.10% | 3,048 |
| Radio Broadcaster | 10.34% | 2,182 |
| Public Affairs Officer | 12.01% | - |
| News Copy Editor | 12.38% | 6,177 |
| Per Diem Interpreter | 14.90% | 38,934 |
| Contract Copywriter | 16.36% | 19,488 |
| Train Caller | 16.36% | 2,521 |
Similar public affairs officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Journalist | 10.10% | 3,048 |
| Radio Broadcaster | 10.34% | 2,182 |
| News Copy Editor | 12.38% | 6,177 |
| Per Diem Interpreter | 14.90% | 38,934 |
| Contract Copywriter | 16.36% | 19,488 |
| Train Caller | 16.36% | 2,521 |
Foreign languages spoken by public affairs officers
The most common foreign language among public affairs officers is Spanish at 40.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.9% and German is the third-most popular at 6.1%.
- Spanish, 40.5%
- French, 16.9%
- German, 6.1%
- Arabic, 6.1%
- Russian, 4.1%
- Other, 26.3%
Public affairs officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 40.5% |
| French | 16.9% |
| German | 6.1% |
| Arabic | 6.1% |
| Russian | 4.1% |
| Other | 26.3% |
