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Community relations specialist salary
Average community relations specialist salary
$49,344
Understanding the Community Relations Specialist Salary
As a Community Relations Specialist, your salary is influenced by various factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the industry you work in. On average, professionals in this field earn about $49,344 per year, translating to approximately $24 per hour. However, this figure can fluctuate significantly depending on the factors mentioned.
Salary Variations by State
In different states, salaries for Community Relations Specialists can vary widely. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to their higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in this area. Understanding where to find the highest-paying jobs is crucial for maximizing your earnings.
Industry Impact on Salary
Furthermore, the industry plays a significant role in salary determination. Sectors such as non-profit organizations and corporate sectors may offer differing compensation packages. By targeting your job search towards high-demand industries, you can enhance your earning potential and career prospects in community relations.
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Where can a Community Relations Specialist earn more?
Community relations specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average community relations specialist salary by state
The average community relations specialist salary in Virginia, New Jersey, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average community relations specialist salary states are Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for community relations specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $66,701 | $32.07 |
| 2 | Oregon | $58,220 | $27.99 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $62,935 | $30.26 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $63,150 | $30.36 |
| 5 | New York | $58,259 | $28.01 |
| 6 | Alaska | $57,990 | $27.88 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $55,683 | $26.77 |
| 8 | Washington | $57,994 | $27.88 |
| 9 | Arizona | $51,520 | $24.77 |
| 10 | Delaware | $52,396 | $25.19 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $63,402 | $30.48 |
| 12 | Ohio | $58,542 | $28.15 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $53,474 | $25.71 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $52,369 | $25.18 |
| 15 | California | $57,639 | $27.71 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $49,066 | $23.59 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $52,227 | $25.11 |
| 18 | Idaho | $52,634 | $25.30 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $48,258 | $23.20 |
| 20 | Nevada | $47,723 | $22.94 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $44,126 | $21.21 |
| 22 | Michigan | $48,757 | $23.44 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $51,737 | $24.87 |
| 24 | Maryland | $48,107 | $23.13 |
| 25 | Vermont | $45,413 | $21.83 |
| 26 | Georgia | $47,306 | $22.74 |
| 27 | Colorado | $47,928 | $23.04 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $46,534 | $22.37 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $46,951 | $22.57 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $42,667 | $20.51 |
| 31 | Illinois | $46,002 | $22.12 |
| 32 | Iowa | $41,989 | $20.19 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $42,880 | $20.62 |
| 34 | Utah | $42,353 | $20.36 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $43,277 | $20.81 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $42,031 | $20.21 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $45,052 | $21.66 |
| 38 | Indiana | $43,803 | $21.06 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $41,943 | $20.16 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $42,476 | $20.42 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $40,314 | $19.38 |
| 42 | Florida | $35,189 | $16.92 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $40,534 | $19.49 |
| 44 | Montana | $40,829 | $19.63 |
| 45 | Texas | $36,930 | $17.75 |
| 46 | Missouri | $38,471 | $18.50 |
| 47 | Maine | $38,148 | $18.34 |
| 48 | Alabama | $37,892 | $18.22 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $37,359 | $17.96 |
| 50 | Kansas | $36,418 | $17.51 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $34,668 | $16.67 |
Highest paying cities for community relations specialists
The highest-paying cities for community relations specialists are Alexandria, VA, San Francisco, CA, and Bridgewater, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandria, VA | $69,531 | $33.43 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $64,099 | $30.82 |
| 3 | Bridgewater, NJ | $63,448 | $30.50 |
| 4 | Newtown, CT | $63,184 | $30.38 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $58,428 | $28.09 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $57,969 | $27.87 |
| 7 | Fairborn, OH | $56,190 | $27.01 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $53,390 | $25.67 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $52,259 | $25.12 |
| 10 | Glendale, AZ | $51,647 | $24.83 |
| 11 | Carson City, NV | $51,621 | $24.82 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $48,971 | $23.54 |
| 13 | Baltimore, MD | $48,297 | $23.22 |
| 14 | Charleston, WV | $47,326 | $22.75 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $46,417 | $22.32 |
| 16 | Salt Lake City, UT | $42,114 | $20.25 |
| 17 | Nashville, TN | $41,914 | $20.15 |
| 18 | Evansville, IN | $39,637 | $19.06 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $38,666 | $18.59 |
| 20 | Austin, TX | $36,846 | $17.71 |
Community relations specialist salary details
A community relations specialist's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a community relations specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,344 | $4,112 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying community relations specialist jobs
The highest paying types of community relations specialists are communications consultant, senior communications specialist, and community relations manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicist | $50,679 | $4,223 | $24.36 | 7,343 |
| Public Relations | $48,383 | $4,032 | $23.26 | 22,721 |
| Public Relations Consultant | $50,333 | $4,194 | $24.20 | 27,882 |
| Public Relations Coordinator | $46,225 | $3,852 | $22.22 | 35,324 |
| Communications Consultant | $91,455 | $7,621 | $43.97 | 29,942 |
| Communications Coordinator | $47,075 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 39,790 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for community relations specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Riecke
Assistant Professor, State University of New York at Oswego
They may not openly admit it, but many employers see the first job as a test of who has the stamina, talent, and passion for succeeding. If a new employee puts in the effort, doesn't balk at long hours, and gets the job done well without a sizeable financial reward, it's generally interpreted by the employer as a sign of commitment. That display of commitment typically gets rewarded.
Top companies hiring community relations specialists now:
Which companies pay community relations specialists the most?
Community relations specialist salaries at City National Bank and Eversource Energy are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average community relations specialist salary at companies like Bloodworks Northwest and Health First are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City National Bank | $87,823 | $42.22 |
| 2 | Eversource Energy | $65,665 | $31.57 |
| 3 | Bloodworks Northwest | $64,970 | $31.24 |
| 4 | Health First | $64,534 | $31.03 |
| 5 | California Institute of Technology | $63,498 | $30.53 |
| 6 | Stantec | $62,017 | $29.82 |
| 7 | Wikimedia Foundation | $61,979 | $29.80 |
| 8 | Centene | $61,138 | $29.39 |
| 9 | Deloitte | $60,197 | $28.94 |
| 10 | Aftermath Services | $58,839 | $28.29 |
| 11 | J.F. Shea Co | $58,543 | $28.15 |
| 12 | Philip Morris International | $57,529 | $27.66 |
| 13 | South Central Regional Medical Center | $57,449 | $27.62 |
| 14 | F.H. Furr | $56,608 | $27.22 |
| 15 | First Service Residential Florida Inc | $56,207 | $27.02 |
| 16 | eyecarecenter | $56,068 | $26.96 |
| 17 | Federal Reserve Bank | $55,798 | $26.83 |
| 18 | Waste Management | $55,633 | $26.75 |
| 19 | Kaiser Permanente | $53,677 | $25.81 |
| 20 | CHKD Thrift Store | $52,731 | $25.35 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Community Relations Specialist salary by industry
The average community relations specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average community relations specialist salary in the government industry is $64,928, the highest of any industry.
- The average community relations specialist salary in the finance industry is $59,426.
- Community relations specialists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $36,891, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for community relations specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $64,928 | $31.22 |
| 2 | Insurance | $59,426 | $28.57 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $51,928 | $24.97 |
| 4 | Health Care | $48,662 | $23.40 |
| 5 | Education | $44,507 | $21.40 |
| 6 | Retail | $36,891 | $17.74 |
High paying community relations specialist jobs
Community relations specialist salary trends
The average community relations specialist salary has risen by $7,557 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average community relations specialist earned $41,787 annually, but today, they earn $49,344 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for community relations specialists over the last decade.
Compare community relations specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average community relations specialist salary over time
Compare community relations specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Community relations specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,300 | $23.72 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $48,000 | $23.10 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $47,100 | $22.66 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $46,600 | $22.40 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $45,600 | $21.91 | +2.2% |
Recently added community relations specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick County, Ks | Community Relations Specialist-Strategic Communications | Wichita, KS | 06/28/2025 | $60,070 |
| Aveanna Healthcare | Bilingual Community Relations Specialist | Hayward, CA | 06/27/2025 | $58,656 |
| GTT, LLC | Community Relations Specialist | Marlborough, MA | 06/17/2025 | $91,411 |
| Willow Valley Communities | Guest Relations Specialist | Lancaster, PA | 06/15/2025 | $31,305 |
| DRW | University Relations Specialist | Chicago, IL | 06/14/2025 | $80,000 |
| Unique Homes & Lumber | Community Relations | Bloomington, IL | 06/12/2025 | $55,000 |
| O2EPCM, Inc. | Facilities Community Relations Specialist | Los Angeles, CA | 06/09/2025 | $77,000 |
| Maryland Wellness | Community Relations Specialist (Hybrid) | Cumberland, MD | 06/07/2025 | $45,760 |
| Lifespanorporated | Community Enrichment Specialist Meck | Charlotte, NC | 06/05/2025 | $31,305 |
| Exelon | SR Community Relations Specialist | Baltimore, MD | 05/30/2025 | $80,000 |
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