Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a public relations director
Quoted expert
John Hartman
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like public relations directors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for public relations directors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Although there are abundant public relations director jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Nevada is the best state in the country for public relations director jobs.
In order to get you the best states for public relations directors, 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 Nevada is the best state for public relations director jobs, whereas Florida is the worst.
10 best states for public relations directors in 2025
1. Nevada
Total public relations director jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $136,009 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $213,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
2. Oregon
Total public relations director jobs: 265 Average annual salary: $118,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
3. Delaware
Total public relations director jobs: 51 Average annual salary: $120,387 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
4. New Jersey
Total public relations director jobs: 373 Average annual salary: $119,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
5. Washington
Total public relations director jobs: 314 Average annual salary: $119,120 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. Idaho
Total public relations director jobs: 41 Average annual salary: $121,770 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 0.55
7. New Mexico
Total public relations director jobs: 46 Average annual salary: $122,162 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.51
8. Virginia
Total public relations director jobs: 402 Average annual salary: $118,161 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
9. New York
Total public relations director jobs: 863 Average annual salary: $114,589 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
10. Illinois
Total public relations director jobs: 512 Average annual salary: $112,870 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
Public relations director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a public relations director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a public relations director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $136,009 | $86,000 | 2,998,039 | 85 |
| 2 | Oregon | $118,754 | $73,000 | 4,142,776 | 265 |
| 3 | Delaware | $120,387 | $75,000 | 961,939 | 51 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $119,906 | $75,000 | 9,005,644 | 373 |
| 5 | Washington | $119,120 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 314 |
| 6 | Idaho | $121,770 | $75,000 | 1,716,943 | 41 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $122,162 | $75,000 | 2,088,070 | 46 |
| 8 | Virginia | $118,161 | $73,000 | 8,470,020 | 402 |
| 9 | New York | $114,589 | $71,000 | 19,849,399 | 863 |
| 10 | Illinois | $112,870 | $70,000 | 12,802,023 | 512 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $115,199 | $71,000 | 693,972 | 301 |
| 12 | California | $114,680 | $71,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,925 |
| 13 | Colorado | $111,204 | $68,000 | 5,607,154 | 228 |
| 14 | Kansas | $112,452 | $69,000 | 2,913,123 | 54 |
| 15 | Utah | $103,801 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 141 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $111,280 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 40 |
| 17 | Iowa | $110,997 | $69,000 | 3,145,711 | 68 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $110,633 | $68,000 | 3,004,279 | 45 |
| 19 | Maryland | $111,558 | $68,000 | 6,052,177 | 243 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $108,078 | $66,000 | 6,715,984 | 130 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $107,098 | $66,000 | 869,666 | 25 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $109,265 | $67,000 | 1,920,076 | 43 |
| 23 | Vermont | $105,968 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 26 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $98,042 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 66 |
| 25 | Arizona | $102,702 | $62,000 | 7,016,270 | 218 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $101,178 | $62,000 | 12,805,537 | 362 |
| 27 | Missouri | $104,927 | $64,000 | 6,113,532 | 149 |
| 28 | Ohio | $99,214 | $60,000 | 11,658,609 | 247 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $97,080 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 148 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $95,039 | $57,000 | 10,273,419 | 387 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $100,895 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 16 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $86,023 | $51,000 | 3,930,864 | 522 |
| 33 | Alabama | $84,872 | $50,000 | 4,874,747 | 567 |
| 34 | Montana | $89,021 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 50 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $95,762 | $58,000 | 5,795,483 | 125 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $93,806 | $57,000 | 4,454,189 | 80 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $80,720 | $48,000 | 2,984,100 | 321 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $91,460 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 16 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $87,304 | $53,000 | 6,859,819 | 468 |
| 40 | Indiana | $92,356 | $56,000 | 6,666,818 | 131 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $89,172 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 214 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $78,016 | $46,000 | 4,684,333 | 547 |
| 43 | Michigan | $86,251 | $52,000 | 9,962,311 | 215 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $89,572 | $54,000 | 1,815,857 | 23 |
| 45 | Georgia | $80,356 | $48,000 | 10,429,379 | 435 |
| 46 | Alaska | $83,770 | $58,000 | 739,795 | 30 |
| 47 | Maine | $82,532 | $50,000 | 1,335,907 | 47 |
| 48 | Texas | $81,640 | $48,000 | 28,304,596 | 725 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $79,656 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 144 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $75,324 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 20 |
| 51 | Florida | $67,241 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 565 |
Highest paying states for public relations directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Public Relations Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $136,009 |
| 2 | Oregon | $118,754 |
| 3 | Delaware | $120,387 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $119,906 |
| 5 | Washington | $119,120 |
| 6 | Idaho | $121,770 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $122,162 |
| 8 | Virginia | $118,161 |
| 9 | New York | $114,589 |
| 10 | Illinois | $112,870 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $115,199 |
| 12 | California | $114,680 |
| 13 | Colorado | $111,204 |
| 14 | Kansas | $112,452 |
| 15 | Utah | $103,801 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $111,280 |
| 17 | Iowa | $110,997 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $110,633 |
| 19 | Maryland | $111,558 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $108,078 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $107,098 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $109,265 |
| 23 | Vermont | $105,968 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $98,042 |
| 25 | Arizona | $102,702 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $101,178 |
| 27 | Missouri | $104,927 |
| 28 | Ohio | $99,214 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $97,080 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $95,039 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $100,895 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $86,023 |
| 33 | Alabama | $84,872 |
| 34 | Montana | $89,021 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $95,762 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $93,806 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $80,720 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $91,460 |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $87,304 |
| 40 | Indiana | $92,356 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $89,172 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $78,016 |
| 43 | Michigan | $86,251 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $89,572 |
| 45 | Georgia | $80,356 |
| 46 | Alaska | $83,770 |
| 47 | Maine | $82,532 |
| 48 | Texas | $81,640 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $79,656 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $75,324 |
| 51 | Florida | $67,241 |
Expert opinions on the best states for public relations directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for public relations directors to find work opportunities?
John Hartman
Emeritus Professor, Central Michigan University
Generally, faster-growing regions have more opportunities for journalists, so west and south would be best. Some north and east cities are growing, such as Columbus and Indianapolis, and would be attractive. The ability to telecommute opens up new opportunities as well.
Public relations director best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for public relations director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025