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Public relations consultant salary
Average public relations consultant salary
$50,333
Detailed Overview of Public Relations Consultant Salaries
The role of a Public Relations Consultant is vital in shaping the public image of organizations. As of October 2025, the average annual salary stands at $50,333. This figure can vary based on several key elements:
- Experience: Entry-level consultants may start at lower salaries, while those with extensive experience can earn significantly more.
- Location: Regions with a high demand for public relations expertise, such as New York and California, often offer higher salaries.
- Industry: Consultants working in niche sectors like healthcare or technology may see different compensation packages.
Highest Paying States
According to recent data, states like New York and California lead in average salaries for this role. Those interested in maximizing their earning potential should consider relocating to these regions or seeking opportunities within high-paying industries. Understanding the salary landscape is crucial for making informed career decisions.
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Where can a Public Relations Consultant earn more?
Public relations consultant salary estimates from across the web
Average public relations consultant salary by state
The highest-paying states for public relations consultants are Washington, Oregon, and Virginia. The lowest average public relations consultant salary states are Kansas, New Mexico, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for public relations consultants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $63,448 | $30.50 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $67,286 | $32.35 |
| 3 | Virginia | $63,389 | $30.48 |
| 4 | Washington | $66,913 | $32.17 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $51,689 | $24.85 |
| 6 | Michigan | $53,422 | $25.68 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $54,655 | $26.28 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $61,598 | $29.61 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $58,142 | $27.95 |
| 10 | California | $58,346 | $28.05 |
| 11 | Idaho | $56,297 | $27.07 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $47,802 | $22.98 |
| 13 | New York | $55,518 | $26.69 |
| 14 | Alaska | $57,053 | $27.43 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $53,748 | $25.84 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $53,791 | $25.86 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $53,931 | $25.93 |
| 18 | Maryland | $57,926 | $27.85 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $50,460 | $24.26 |
| 20 | Ohio | $51,986 | $24.99 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $51,917 | $24.96 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $45,248 | $21.75 |
| 23 | Delaware | $53,226 | $25.59 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $51,243 | $24.64 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $49,989 | $24.03 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $47,513 | $22.84 |
| 27 | Nevada | $47,668 | $22.92 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $44,533 | $21.41 |
| 29 | Utah | $45,734 | $21.99 |
| 30 | Colorado | $49,859 | $23.97 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $49,140 | $23.63 |
| 32 | Illinois | $46,412 | $22.31 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $48,297 | $23.22 |
| 34 | Montana | $43,039 | $20.69 |
| 35 | Arizona | $44,656 | $21.47 |
| 36 | Alabama | $40,959 | $19.69 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $40,819 | $19.62 |
| 38 | Vermont | $42,107 | $20.24 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $39,635 | $19.06 |
| 40 | Georgia | $42,698 | $20.53 |
| 41 | Iowa | $44,615 | $21.45 |
| 42 | Indiana | $43,549 | $20.94 |
| 43 | Missouri | $42,861 | $20.61 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $42,726 | $20.54 |
| 45 | Maine | $34,769 | $16.72 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $37,085 | $17.83 |
| 47 | Texas | $41,655 | $20.03 |
| 48 | Florida | $39,614 | $19.05 |
| 49 | Kansas | $40,678 | $19.56 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $40,709 | $19.57 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $38,113 | $18.32 |
Highest paying cities for public relations consultants
The highest-paying cities for public relations consultants are Seattle, WA, Menlo Park, CA, and Edison, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $67,520 | $32.46 |
| 2 | Menlo Park, CA | $63,517 | $30.54 |
| 3 | Edison, NJ | $61,643 | $29.64 |
| 4 | Minneapolis, MN | $58,179 | $27.97 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $58,059 | $27.91 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $55,807 | $26.83 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $53,477 | $25.71 |
| 8 | Troy, MI | $53,472 | $25.71 |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $53,292 | $25.62 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $51,566 | $24.79 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $50,268 | $24.17 |
| 12 | Memphis, TN | $47,278 | $22.73 |
| 13 | Las Vegas, NV | $47,111 | $22.65 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $46,680 | $22.44 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $44,766 | $21.52 |
| 16 | Kansas City, MO | $43,046 | $20.70 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $42,814 | $20.58 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $41,937 | $20.16 |
| 19 | Tallahassee, FL | $39,968 | $19.22 |
Public relations consultant salary details
A public relations consultant's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $85,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a public relations consultant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| Average | $50,333 | $4,194 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying public relations consultant jobs
The highest paying types of public relations consultants are public relations director, marketing and communication consultant, and communications consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media Internship | $31,145 | $2,595 | $14.97 | 79,411 |
| Account Coordinator | $39,973 | $3,331 | $19.22 | 93,480 |
| Communications Internship | $33,458 | $2,788 | $16.09 | 62,641 |
| Communications Coordinator | $47,075 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 39,790 |
| Consultant | $78,912 | $6,576 | $37.94 | 171,733 |
| Media Consultant | $53,443 | $4,454 | $25.69 | 28,768 |
Top companies hiring public relations consultants now:
Which companies pay public relations consultants the most?
Public relations consultant salaries at AbbVie and Morgan Stanley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average public relations consultant salary at companies like Allergan plc and Health Alliance are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AbbVie | $97,946 | $47.09 |
| 2 | Morgan Stanley | $95,472 | $45.90 |
| 3 | Allergan plc | $77,591 | $37.30 |
| 4 | Health Alliance | $68,945 | $33.15 |
| 5 | Cambridge Health Alliance | $61,883 | $29.75 |
| 6 | Deloitte | $61,002 | $29.33 |
| 7 | Stanford Children's Health | $58,103 | $27.93 |
| 8 | Henry Ford Health System | $57,410 | $27.60 |
| 9 | Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital Inc | $56,007 | $26.93 |
| 10 | M.E.I | $51,129 | $24.58 |
| 11 | DKMS | $50,142 | $24.11 |
| 12 | The Henry Ford | $47,287 | $22.73 |
| 13 | FleishmanHillard | $45,681 | $21.96 |
| 14 | Lighthouse | $43,813 | $21.06 |
| 15 | Trinity Health | $34,886 | $16.77 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Public Relations Consultant salary by industry
The average public relations consultant salary varies across industries:
- The average public relations consultant salary in the media industry is $55,422, the highest of any industry.
- The average public relations consultant salary in the finance industry is $52,717.
- Public relations consultants in the retail industry earn an average salary of $40,510, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for public relations consultants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $55,422 | $26.65 |
| 2 | Technology | $52,717 | $25.34 |
| 3 | Government | $51,831 | $24.92 |
| 4 | Professional | $50,593 | $24.32 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $50,371 | $24.22 |
| 6 | Health Care | $49,799 | $23.94 |
| 7 | Hospitality | $47,107 | $22.65 |
| 8 | Non Profits | $43,821 | $21.07 |
| 9 | Retail | $40,510 | $19.48 |
High paying public relations consultant jobs
Public relations consultant salary trends
The average public relations consultant salary has risen by $7,709 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average public relations consultant earned $42,624 annually, but today, they earn $50,333 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for public relations consultants over the last decade.
Compare public relations consultant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average public relations consultant salary over time
Compare public relations consultant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Public relations consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,300 | $24.20 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $49,000 | $23.56 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $48,100 | $23.12 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $47,500 | $22.85 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $46,500 | $22.35 | +2.2% |
Recently added public relations consultant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California System | Workforce Relations (Labor Relations) Consultant | Orange, CA | 06/11/2025 | $116,000 |
| Wells Fargo | Employee Relations Consultant-General Consulting | West Des Moines, IA | 04/23/2025 | $63,600 |
| Wells Fargo | Employee Relations Consultant-General Consulting | Phoenix, AZ | 04/23/2025 | $63,600 |
| Nypcc-New York Psychotherapy Counseling Center | Public Relations Consultant | Fine, NY | 03/27/2025 | $104,350 |
| LPL Financial Services | Public Relations Consultant | San Diego, CA | 03/14/2025 | $60,188 |
| LPL Financial Corp | Public Relations Consultant | Charlotte, NC | 03/14/2025 | $60,188 |
| Monde A LLC | PR & Brand Consultant | New York, NY | 02/06/2025 | $112,698 |
| Baylor Scott & White Health | Austin Area Media and Public Relations Consultant-Senior | Atlanta, GA | 01/12/2025 | $66,221 |
| Baylor Scott & White Health | Austin Area Media and Public Relations Consultant-Senior | Helena, MT | 01/12/2025 | $66,221 |
| Baylor Scott & White Health | Austin Area Media and Public Relations Consultant-Senior | Little Rock, AR | 01/12/2025 | $66,221 |
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