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Media relations specialist salary
Average media relations specialist salary
$50,856
Understanding the Salary of a Media Relations Specialist
The average salary for a Media Relations Specialist is approximately $50,856 per year, translating to about $24 per hour. This salary can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry of employment. For instance, specialists working in public relations agencies or large corporations often earn higher salaries compared to those in smaller firms.
States like California and New York tend to offer the highest compensation, reflecting the higher cost of living and a greater concentration of media firms. Additionally, as professionals gain more experience, their salary potential increases, with senior roles commanding upwards of $70,000 annually. It's vital for aspiring media relations specialists to consider these factors when evaluating job offers and career paths.
In summary, a career in media relations not only offers a competitive salary but also a thriving job market, making it an attractive option for communication professionals.
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Where can a Media Relations Specialist earn more?
Media relations specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average media relations specialist salary by state
The average media relations specialist salary in Washington, Connecticut, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average media relations specialist salary states are North Carolina, Nebraska, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for media relations specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $65,395 | $31.44 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $61,482 | $29.56 |
| 3 | Oregon | $56,698 | $27.26 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $54,377 | $26.14 |
| 5 | Washington | $61,987 | $29.80 |
| 6 | New York | $55,064 | $26.47 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $50,725 | $24.39 |
| 8 | Maryland | $58,973 | $28.35 |
| 9 | Delaware | $50,756 | $24.40 |
| 10 | Idaho | $51,201 | $24.62 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $51,939 | $24.97 |
| 12 | Alaska | $52,824 | $25.40 |
| 13 | Virginia | $54,218 | $26.07 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $59,345 | $28.53 |
| 15 | Michigan | $51,502 | $24.76 |
| 16 | California | $55,292 | $26.58 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $48,523 | $23.33 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $45,596 | $21.92 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $51,288 | $24.66 |
| 20 | Utah | $46,903 | $22.55 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $53,618 | $25.78 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $49,536 | $23.82 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $49,199 | $23.65 |
| 24 | Colorado | $50,887 | $24.46 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $47,524 | $22.85 |
| 26 | Arizona | $46,485 | $22.35 |
| 27 | Ohio | $48,451 | $23.29 |
| 28 | Nevada | $46,725 | $22.46 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $47,514 | $22.84 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $43,089 | $20.72 |
| 31 | Illinois | $45,654 | $21.95 |
| 32 | Iowa | $42,538 | $20.45 |
| 33 | Texas | $44,527 | $21.41 |
| 34 | Vermont | $42,189 | $20.28 |
| 35 | Florida | $43,748 | $21.03 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $45,435 | $21.84 |
| 37 | Georgia | $44,018 | $21.16 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $43,519 | $20.92 |
| 39 | Indiana | $44,012 | $21.16 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $41,030 | $19.73 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $42,600 | $20.48 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $42,430 | $20.40 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $41,279 | $19.85 |
| 44 | Montana | $39,893 | $19.18 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $41,798 | $20.10 |
| 46 | Alabama | $41,361 | $19.89 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $41,584 | $19.99 |
| 48 | Maine | $35,227 | $16.94 |
| 49 | Missouri | $41,779 | $20.09 |
| 50 | Kansas | $40,060 | $19.26 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,958 | $18.25 |
Highest paying cities for media relations specialists
The highest-paying cities for media relations specialists are Washington, DC, Seattle, WA, and Baltimore, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $65,400 | $31.44 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $62,296 | $29.95 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $59,207 | $28.46 |
| 4 | Mahwah, NJ | $59,012 | $28.37 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $58,074 | $27.92 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $56,474 | $27.15 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $55,808 | $26.83 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $55,327 | $26.60 |
| 9 | Ann Arbor, MI | $51,421 | $24.72 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $51,178 | $24.60 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $50,827 | $24.44 |
| 12 | Harrisburg, PA | $49,256 | $23.68 |
| 13 | Carson City, NV | $48,593 | $23.36 |
| 14 | Murray, UT | $46,825 | $22.51 |
| 15 | Scottsdale, AZ | $46,536 | $22.37 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $45,846 | $22.04 |
| 17 | Saint Paul, MN | $45,434 | $21.84 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $44,757 | $21.52 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $44,218 | $21.26 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $44,046 | $21.18 |
Media relations specialist salary details
A media relations specialist's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $69,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a media relations specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| Average | $50,856 | $4,238 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
Highest paying media relations specialist jobs
The highest paying types of media relations specialists are senior communications specialist, public affairs specialist, and specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicist | $50,679 | $4,223 | $24.36 | 7,343 |
| Social Media Editor | $53,943 | $4,495 | $25.93 | 37,769 |
| Social Media Internship | $31,145 | $2,595 | $14.97 | 79,411 |
| Communications Coordinator | $47,075 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 39,790 |
| Public Relations | $48,383 | $4,032 | $23.26 | 22,721 |
| Community Relations Coordinator | $45,632 | $3,803 | $21.94 | 46,318 |
Top companies hiring media relations specialists now:
Which companies pay media relations specialists the most?
Media relations specialist salaries at Edelman Financial Engines and Morgan Stanley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average media relations specialist salary at companies like Ketchum and Stripe are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edelman Financial Engines | $80,531 | $38.72 |
| 2 | Morgan Stanley | $74,810 | $35.97 |
| 3 | Ketchum | $71,119 | $34.19 |
| 4 | Stripe | $69,622 | $33.47 |
| 5 | Crown Castle International | $64,441 | $30.98 |
| 6 | Deloitte | $63,459 | $30.51 |
| 7 | Fahlgren Mortine | $62,306 | $29.95 |
| 8 | CyberLink | $61,657 | $29.64 |
| 9 | Versar | $61,096 | $29.37 |
| 10 | Medline | $60,909 | $29.28 |
| 11 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | $60,572 | $29.12 |
| 12 | Bosch USA | $60,401 | $29.04 |
| 13 | Center for International Environmental Law | $59,969 | $28.83 |
| 14 | Cambria | $59,450 | $28.58 |
| 15 | Mount Sinai Health System | $59,406 | $28.56 |
| 16 | Guardian Credit Union | $58,933 | $28.33 |
| 17 | Small Business Administration | $58,617 | $28.18 |
| 18 | BridgePoint Healthcare | $58,533 | $28.14 |
| 19 | COUNTRY Financial | $56,206 | $27.02 |
| 20 | Blue Origin | $55,836 | $26.84 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Media Relations Specialist salary by industry
The average media relations specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average media relations specialist salary in the finance industry is $65,925, the highest of any industry.
- The average media relations specialist salary in the finance industry is $65,468.
- Media relations specialists in the media industry earn an average salary of $50,476, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for media relations specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $65,925 | $31.69 |
| 2 | Government | $65,468 | $31.48 |
| 3 | Automotive | $51,418 | $24.72 |
| 4 | Health Care | $51,265 | $24.65 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $51,188 | $24.61 |
| 6 | Non Profits | $50,979 | $24.51 |
| 7 | Media | $50,476 | $24.27 |
High paying media relations specialist jobs
Media relations specialist salary trends
The average media relations specialist salary has risen by $7,789 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average media relations specialist earned $43,067 annually, but today, they earn $50,856 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for media relations specialists over the last decade.
Compare media relations specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average media relations specialist salary over time
Compare media relations specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Media relations specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,900 | $24.45 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $49,500 | $23.80 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $48,600 | $23.36 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $48,000 | $23.08 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $47,000 | $22.59 | +2.2% |
Recently added media relations specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cella Inc. | Media Relations Specialist | Washington, DC | 06/26/2025 | $62,610 |
| Aircommunities | Resident Relations Specialist | Raleigh, NC | 06/10/2025 | $37,566 |
| Strivetogether Inc. | Specialist, Media Relations | Cincinnati, OH | 05/26/2025 | $62,000 |
| American Geophysical Union | Media Relations Specialist | Washington, DC | 05/18/2025 | $55,600 |
| Navitus Health Solutions | Specialist II, Pharmacy Relations | Madison, WI | 05/17/2025 | $47,309 |
| L.A. Care Health Plan | Media Relations Specialist III (ALD) | Los Angeles, CA | 05/13/2025 | $88,854 |
| RH Strategic | Senior Media Relations Expert | Seattle, WA | 05/04/2025 | $95,000 |
| 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. | Vendor Relations Specialist | Jericho, NY | 04/25/2025 | $50,088 |
| RH Strategic | Senior Media Relations Expert | Washington, DC | 04/24/2025 | $95,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Madison | Media Relations Specialist | Madison, WI | 04/18/2025 | $60,000 |
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