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Public relations salary
Average public relations salary
$48,383
Public Relations Salary Overview
The average public relations salary in the United States is $48,383 per year or approximately $23 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on geographic location, years of experience, and specific industries. Public relations roles in larger metropolitan areas often command higher salaries compared to those in smaller cities.
Salary by State
For instance, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries, with average annual compensation reaching up to $60,000. In contrast, states such as Arkansas and Mississippi report significantly lower averages.
Opportunities in Different Industries
Public relations professionals can find lucrative roles across various industries, including technology, healthcare, and entertainment. Those working in corporate communications or with large brands often see the highest earning potential.
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Where can a Public Relations earn more?
Public relations salary estimates from across the web
Average public relations salary by state
The average public relations salary in Virginia, Washington, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average public relations salary states are Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for public relations
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $65,678 | $31.58 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $66,019 | $31.74 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $55,379 | $26.62 |
| 4 | Oregon | $55,903 | $26.88 |
| 5 | Washington | $64,219 | $30.87 |
| 6 | New York | $57,467 | $27.63 |
| 7 | Nevada | $54,445 | $26.18 |
| 8 | Alaska | $60,461 | $29.07 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $57,450 | $27.62 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $57,810 | $27.79 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $55,148 | $26.51 |
| 12 | California | $56,179 | $27.01 |
| 13 | Utah | $50,267 | $24.17 |
| 14 | Idaho | $55,662 | $26.76 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $53,784 | $25.86 |
| 16 | Delaware | $53,082 | $25.52 |
| 17 | Maryland | $52,164 | $25.08 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $49,128 | $23.62 |
| 19 | Colorado | $50,572 | $24.31 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $49,839 | $23.96 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $49,248 | $23.68 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $51,501 | $24.76 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $49,318 | $23.71 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $48,164 | $23.16 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $46,519 | $22.36 |
| 26 | Ohio | $47,389 | $22.78 |
| 27 | Arizona | $47,066 | $22.63 |
| 28 | Michigan | $46,978 | $22.59 |
| 29 | Illinois | $46,187 | $22.21 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $47,151 | $22.67 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $43,482 | $20.90 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $53,135 | $25.55 |
| 33 | Montana | $43,441 | $20.89 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $44,564 | $21.43 |
| 35 | Vermont | $43,111 | $20.73 |
| 36 | Missouri | $44,575 | $21.43 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $44,235 | $21.27 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $41,876 | $20.13 |
| 39 | Maine | $42,495 | $20.43 |
| 40 | Texas | $42,985 | $20.67 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $43,321 | $20.83 |
| 42 | Iowa | $42,212 | $20.29 |
| 43 | Georgia | $38,243 | $18.39 |
| 44 | Florida | $39,492 | $18.99 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $36,715 | $17.65 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $36,967 | $17.77 |
| 47 | Kansas | $41,078 | $19.75 |
| 48 | Indiana | $39,718 | $19.10 |
| 49 | Alabama | $37,202 | $17.89 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $36,188 | $17.40 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $36,564 | $17.58 |
Highest paying cities for public relations
The highest-paying cities for public relations are Richmond, VA, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond, VA | $65,484 | $31.48 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $62,113 | $29.86 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $57,614 | $27.70 |
| 4 | Bayonne, NJ | $57,554 | $27.67 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $55,916 | $26.88 |
| 6 | Lowell, MA | $54,740 | $26.32 |
| 7 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $53,167 | $25.56 |
| 8 | Lakewood, CO | $50,647 | $24.35 |
| 9 | Salt Lake City, UT | $50,276 | $24.17 |
| 10 | Eagan, MN | $49,238 | $23.67 |
| 11 | Cleveland, OH | $48,849 | $23.49 |
| 12 | East Lansing, MI | $46,885 | $22.54 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $46,389 | $22.30 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $43,136 | $20.74 |
| 15 | Gainesville, FL | $40,428 | $19.44 |
| 16 | Indianapolis, IN | $39,432 | $18.96 |
| 17 | Gainesville, GA | $38,358 | $18.44 |
| 18 | Enid, OK | $37,097 | $17.84 |
| 19 | Anderson, SC | $36,873 | $17.73 |
| 20 | San Juan, PR | $28,293 | $13.60 |
Public relations salary details
A public relations's salary ranges from $32,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $72,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a public relations's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| Average | $48,383 | $4,032 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
Highest paying public relations jobs
The highest paying types of public relations are communications consultant, senior communications specialist, and public affairs specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media Internship | $31,145 | $2,595 | $14.97 | 79,411 |
| Government Relations Internship | $34,678 | $2,890 | $16.67 | 58,470 |
| Communications Coordinator | $47,075 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 39,790 |
| Communications Consultant | $91,455 | $7,621 | $43.97 | 29,942 |
| Communications Internship | $33,458 | $2,788 | $16.09 | 62,641 |
| Community Relations Coordinator | $45,632 | $3,803 | $21.94 | 46,318 |
Top companies hiring public relations now:
Which companies pay public relations the most?
Public relations salaries at Edelman Financial Engines and Citi are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average public relations salary at companies like Gillette and AXA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edelman Financial Engines | $105,779 | $50.86 |
| 2 | Citi | $88,702 | $42.65 |
| 3 | Gillette | $78,033 | $37.52 |
| 4 | AXA | $74,089 | $35.62 |
| 5 | hisoft | $68,300 | $32.84 |
| 6 | PE Systems | $64,359 | $30.94 |
| 7 | Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership | $64,274 | $30.90 |
| 8 | CorVel | $63,161 | $30.37 |
| 9 | Firstbank Corp | $59,209 | $28.47 |
| 10 | UL | $56,822 | $27.32 |
| 11 | Air Products | $56,451 | $27.14 |
| 12 | Eurofins | $54,962 | $26.42 |
| 13 | The Hershey Company | $54,221 | $26.07 |
| 14 | Associated Veterans | $53,583 | $25.76 |
| 15 | ARUP Laboratories | $53,470 | $25.71 |
| 16 | NewYork.com | $51,768 | $24.89 |
| 17 | The Walt Disney Company | $51,356 | $24.69 |
| 18 | Redi Electric | $50,981 | $24.51 |
| 19 | AGCO | $50,430 | $24.25 |
| 20 | auto | $50,063 | $24.07 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Public Relations salary by industry
The average public relations salary varies across industries:
- The average public relations salary in the professional industry is $56,027, the highest of any industry.
- The average public relations salary in the finance industry is $53,385.
- Public relations in the retail industry earn an average salary of $41,258, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for public relations
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $56,027 | $26.94 |
| 2 | Media | $53,385 | $25.67 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $52,505 | $25.24 |
| 4 | Health Care | $52,289 | $25.14 |
| 5 | Transportation | $51,992 | $25.00 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $50,929 | $24.49 |
| 7 | Agriculture | $49,799 | $23.94 |
| 8 | Education | $49,637 | $23.86 |
| 9 | Retail | $41,258 | $19.84 |
High paying public relations jobs
Public relations salary trends
The average public relations salary has risen by $7,411 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average public relations earned $40,972 annually, but today, they earn $48,383 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for public relations over the last decade.
Compare public relations salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average public relations salary over time
Compare public relations salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Public relations salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,400 | $23.26 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $47,100 | $22.65 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $46,200 | $22.22 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $45,700 | $21.96 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $44,700 | $21.49 | +2.2% |
Recently added public relations salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Foods | Machine OPR PR ST Shift | Enid, OK | 06/29/2025 | $38,296 |
| Tyson Foods | Forklift OPR PR ST Shift (Hickman RD) | Union City, TN | 06/27/2025 | $36,523 |
| Uchealth | Coord Marketing and Public Relations | Denver, CO | 06/27/2025 | $50,318 |
| Havas Pr | Public Relations Fellowship, September 2025 | Fine, NY | 06/27/2025 | $55,000 |
| Onward Search | SR. Marketing & Pr/Communications [78815] | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $120,000 |
| Advance Food Company | Machine OPR PR ST Shift | Enid, OK | 06/23/2025 | $35,688 |
| Nj Cure | Business Operations Leadership Development PR | Detroit, MI | 06/19/2025 | $60,000 |
| at&T Stadium | Public Relations | Frisco, TX | 06/12/2025 | $29,218 |
| Dallas Cowboys | Public Relations | Frisco, TX | 06/12/2025 | $29,218 |
| Global Channel Management | Public Relations | Culver City, CA | 06/10/2025 | $43,827 |
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