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Best states for a public relations and communications director
Quoted expert
Dr. Arsalan Memon
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for public relations and communications directors in the United States. Public relations and communications director positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for public relations and communications directors.Our research found that California is the best state for public relations and communications directors, while California and Nevada are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $158,125 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for public relations and communications directors.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for public relations and communications directors.We found that California is the best state for public relations and communications director jobs, whereas Florida is the worst.
10 best states for public relations and communications directors in 2025
1. California
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 2,692 Average annual salary: $158,125 Lowest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $241,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
2. Delaware
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 136 Average annual salary: $138,897 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $218,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
3. Nevada
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 143 Average annual salary: $154,712 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $238,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
4. South Dakota
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 241 Average annual salary: $124,032 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 3.03
5. Vermont
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 80 Average annual salary: $130,307 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
6. Connecticut
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 247 Average annual salary: $138,426 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 1
7. New Mexico
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 102 Average annual salary: $147,538 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $231,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
8. Massachusetts
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 759 Average annual salary: $134,675 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
9. District of Columbia
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 440 Average annual salary: $138,309 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 3.52
10. New Jersey
Total public relations and communications director jobs: 534 Average annual salary: $139,179 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $218,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
Public relations and communications director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a public relations and communications director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a public relations and communications director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $158,125 | $103,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,692 |
| 2 | Delaware | $138,897 | $88,000 | 961,939 | 136 |
| 3 | Nevada | $154,712 | $100,000 | 2,998,039 | 143 |
| 4 | South Dakota | $124,032 | $77,000 | 869,666 | 241 |
| 5 | Vermont | $130,307 | $81,000 | 623,657 | 80 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $138,426 | $88,000 | 3,588,184 | 247 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $147,538 | $94,000 | 2,088,070 | 102 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $134,675 | $85,000 | 6,859,819 | 759 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $138,309 | $87,000 | 693,972 | 440 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $139,179 | $88,000 | 9,005,644 | 534 |
| 11 | Michigan | $133,575 | $83,000 | 9,962,311 | 433 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $124,960 | $78,000 | 755,393 | 66 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $131,893 | $81,000 | 3,004,279 | 122 |
| 14 | Georgia | $127,963 | $78,000 | 10,429,379 | 648 |
| 15 | Oregon | $127,789 | $79,000 | 4,142,776 | 327 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $116,276 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 645 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $113,742 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 544 |
| 18 | Kansas | $130,693 | $81,000 | 2,913,123 | 127 |
| 19 | Texas | $126,408 | $76,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,102 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $117,059 | $72,000 | 1,059,639 | 103 |
| 21 | New York | $122,677 | $76,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,207 |
| 22 | Arizona | $118,607 | $71,000 | 7,016,270 | 347 |
| 23 | Idaho | $114,316 | $69,000 | 1,716,943 | 121 |
| 24 | Virginia | $115,653 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 793 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $104,520 | $63,000 | 1,815,857 | 327 |
| 26 | Utah | $110,316 | $66,000 | 3,101,833 | 261 |
| 27 | Indiana | $114,564 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 278 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $113,078 | $69,000 | 5,795,483 | 260 |
| 29 | Alabama | $104,905 | $61,000 | 4,874,747 | 671 |
| 30 | Colorado | $114,739 | $69,000 | 5,607,154 | 384 |
| 31 | Alaska | $108,764 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 71 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $111,145 | $66,000 | 6,715,984 | 230 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $108,878 | $65,000 | 10,273,419 | 609 |
| 34 | Washington | $111,541 | $67,000 | 7,405,743 | 518 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $103,544 | $62,000 | 579,315 | 63 |
| 36 | Iowa | $110,520 | $67,000 | 3,145,711 | 165 |
| 37 | Montana | $105,203 | $64,000 | 1,050,493 | 97 |
| 38 | Maryland | $109,450 | $66,000 | 6,052,177 | 510 |
| 39 | Maine | $103,466 | $62,000 | 1,335,907 | 114 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $106,808 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 117 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $106,170 | $63,000 | 4,454,189 | 178 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $106,160 | $64,000 | 1,342,795 | 103 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $97,483 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 875 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $104,684 | $63,000 | 12,805,537 | 572 |
| 45 | Missouri | $104,445 | $62,000 | 6,113,532 | 290 |
| 46 | Illinois | $102,028 | $61,000 | 12,802,023 | 785 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $100,392 | $58,000 | 2,984,100 | 99 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $82,874 | $57,000 | 1,427,538 | 68 |
| 49 | Ohio | $101,498 | $61,000 | 11,658,609 | 362 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $100,481 | $60,000 | 5,576,606 | 392 |
| 51 | Florida | $85,396 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 885 |
Highest paying states for public relations and communications directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Public Relations And Communications Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $158,125 |
| 2 | Delaware | $138,897 |
| 3 | Nevada | $154,712 |
| 4 | South Dakota | $124,032 |
| 5 | Vermont | $130,307 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $138,426 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $147,538 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $134,675 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $138,309 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $139,179 |
| 11 | Michigan | $133,575 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $124,960 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $131,893 |
| 14 | Georgia | $127,963 |
| 15 | Oregon | $127,789 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $116,276 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $113,742 |
| 18 | Kansas | $130,693 |
| 19 | Texas | $126,408 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $117,059 |
| 21 | New York | $122,677 |
| 22 | Arizona | $118,607 |
| 23 | Idaho | $114,316 |
| 24 | Virginia | $115,653 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $104,520 |
| 26 | Utah | $110,316 |
| 27 | Indiana | $114,564 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $113,078 |
| 29 | Alabama | $104,905 |
| 30 | Colorado | $114,739 |
| 31 | Alaska | $108,764 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $111,145 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $108,878 |
| 34 | Washington | $111,541 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $103,544 |
| 36 | Iowa | $110,520 |
| 37 | Montana | $105,203 |
| 38 | Maryland | $109,450 |
| 39 | Maine | $103,466 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $106,808 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $106,170 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $106,160 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $97,483 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $104,684 |
| 45 | Missouri | $104,445 |
| 46 | Illinois | $102,028 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $100,392 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $82,874 |
| 49 | Ohio | $101,498 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $100,481 |
| 51 | Florida | $85,396 |
Expert opinions on the best states for public relations and communications directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for public relations and communications directors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Arsalan Memon
Assistant Professor and Chair, Lewis University
With a BA in philosophy or philosophy of law, most students go to graduate school or law school. But students can do other things. There are many factors to consider in thinking about work opportunities (to name two): 1) some funding to pursue graduate work (e.g., grants, fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, etc.) and 2) the economic situation (e.g., because of the current pandemic, a lot of universities are no longer accepting new graduate students). A lot of our students go to John Marshall Law School. Very few students from Lewis continue graduate work in philosophy. I would also add: it ultimately depends on the student's interest.
Public relations and communications director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025