Public affairs specialist demographics and statistics in the US
Public affairs specialist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates public affairs specialist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our public affairs specialist 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 specialists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 4,532 public affairs specialists currently employed in the United States.
- 52.8% of all public affairs specialists are women, while 47.2% are men.
- The average public affairs specialist age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of public affairs specialists is White (66.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.2%), Black or African American (10.4%) and Asian (5.3%).
- Public affairs specialists are most in-demand in Washington, DC.
- Washington, DC pays an annual average wage of $98,298, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women public affairs specialists earned 95% of what men earned.
- District of Columbia is the best state for public affairs specialists to live.
- Public affairs specialists are 41% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Public affairs specialist demographics by:
Public affairs specialist gender statistics
52.8% of public affairs specialists are women and 47.2% of public affairs specialists are men.
- Female, 52.8%
- Male, 47.2%
Public affairs specialist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 52.8% |
| Male | 47.2% |
Public affairs specialist gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$65,838
Female income
$62,414
Public affairs specialist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in public affairs specialist positions over time. Currently, 52.8% of public affairs specialists are female.
Public affairs specialist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 49.56% | 50.44% |
| 2011 | 52.92% | 47.08% |
| 2012 | 50.50% | 49.50% |
| 2013 | 55.30% | 44.70% |
| 2014 | 50.77% | 49.23% |
| 2015 | 47.49% | 52.51% |
| 2016 | 48.03% | 51.97% |
| 2017 | 52.84% | 47.16% |
| 2018 | 50.03% | 49.97% |
| 2019 | 50.72% | 49.28% |
| 2020 | 49.26% | 50.74% |
| 2021 | 47.22% | 52.78% |
Public affairs specialist related jobs gender ratio
We compared public affairs specialists 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 Specialist | 47% | 53% |
| 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 specialist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among public affairs specialists is White, which makes up 66.3% of all public affairs specialists. Comparatively, 12.2% of public affairs specialists are Hispanic or Latino and 10.4% of public affairs specialists are Black or African American.
- White, 66.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.2%
- Black or African American, 10.4%
- Asian, 5.3%
- Unknown, 5.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Public affairs specialist race
| Public affairs specialist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.2% |
| Black or African American | 10.4% |
| Asian | 5.3% |
| Unknown | 5.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Public affairs specialist race and ethnicity over time
See how public affairs specialist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Public affairs specialist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.50% | 9.75% | 4.34% | 9.33% |
| 2011 | 73.74% | 9.92% | 4.45% | 9.09% |
| 2012 | 73.77% | 9.31% | 3.97% | 9.63% |
| 2013 | 72.57% | 10.53% | 4.44% | 9.60% |
| 2014 | 73.08% | 10.48% | 3.48% | 9.82% |
| 2015 | 72.14% | 9.45% | 5.44% | 10.60% |
| 2016 | 71.51% | 9.74% | 5.23% | 10.13% |
| 2017 | 73.13% | 9.84% | 4.17% | 10.65% |
| 2018 | 70.76% | 8.84% | 5.18% | 11.42% |
| 2019 | 72.51% | 9.00% | 4.66% | 10.80% |
| 2020 | 67.00% | 9.84% | 4.61% | 14.73% |
| 2021 | 66.34% | 10.37% | 5.35% | 12.23% |
Public affairs specialist wage gap by race
According to our data, white public affairs specialists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino public affairs specialists have the lowest average salary at $62,922.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $68,860 |
| White | $69,356 |
| Black or African American | $63,010 |
| Asian | $65,332 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $62,922 |
Average public affairs specialist age
See how the average age of public affairs specialists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Public affairs specialist 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 specialist age breakdown
The average age of public affairs specialists is 40+ years years old, representing 53% of the public affairs specialist population.
Public affairs specialist age breakdown
| Public Affairs Specialist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 53% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Public affairs specialist educational attainment
The most common degree for public affairs specialists is bachelor's degree, with 70% of public affairs specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 15% and master's degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Public affairs specialists by degree level
| Public affairs specialist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 70% |
| Master's | 15% |
| Associate | 9% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Public affairs specialist jobs you might like
Public affairs specialist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,830 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $67,170 |
Public affairs specialist employment statistics
Most public affairs specialists work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where public affairs specialists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where public affairs specialists work.
Public affairs specialist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 11% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 27% |
Public affairs specialist jobs by company type
Employees with the public affairs specialist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most public affairs specialists prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Public affairs specialist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 39% |
| Government | 41% |
Public affairs specialist jobs by industry
The most common industries for public affairs specialists are government, professional and finance.
Public affairs specialist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 29% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Finance | 6% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Education | 6% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Public affairs specialist turnover and employment statistics
Public affairs specialist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for public affairs specialists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Public affairs specialist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Public affairs specialist 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 specialist tenure
The average public affairs specialist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,887 public affairs specialists resumes in Zippia's database.
Public affairs specialist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 12% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 20% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Public affairs specialist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of public affairs specialists 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 |
|---|---|---|
| News Photographer/Editor | 10.10% | 7,009 |
| Anchor/Producer | 10.34% | 10,037 |
| Public Affairs Specialist | 12.01% | - |
| Department Editor | 12.38% | 32,855 |
| Conference Interpreter | 14.90% | 3,933 |
| Freelance Journalist | 16.36% | 10,775 |
| Emcee | 16.36% | 58 |
Similar public affairs specialist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| News Photographer/Editor | 10.10% | 7,009 |
| Anchor/Producer | 10.34% | 10,037 |
| Department Editor | 12.38% | 32,855 |
| Conference Interpreter | 14.90% | 3,933 |
| Freelance Journalist | 16.36% | 10,775 |
| Emcee | 16.36% | 58 |
Foreign languages spoken by public affairs specialists
The most common foreign language among public affairs specialists is Spanish at 56.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.5% and German is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 56.7%
- French, 12.5%
- German, 5.0%
- Arabic, 4.2%
- Portuguese, 2.5%
- Other, 19.1%
Public affairs specialist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 56.7% |
| French | 12.5% |
| German | 5.0% |
| Arabic | 4.2% |
| Portuguese | 2.5% |
| Other | 19.1% |
