Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Public relations specialist salary
Average public relations specialist salary
$48,124
Understanding Public Relations Specialist Salaries
The salary for a Public Relations Specialist reflects the importance of communication in shaping public perception. As of October 2025, the average salary is $48,124 annually. Factors influencing this figure include geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, specialists in high-demand sectors like technology tend to earn more compared to those in non-profit organizations.
States such as California and New York offer some of the highest salaries, with averages surpassing $60,000. Conversely, regions with a lower cost of living, such as certain Midwest states, report salaries closer to the national average. The role also provides potential for growth, with experienced specialists earning upwards of $70,000. Networking, continuous learning, and adapting to industry trends play crucial roles in salary advancement.
For those considering a career in public relations, numerous job opportunities exist across various industries, including healthcare, entertainment, and corporate sectors. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective employees gauge their earning potential and choose the right path for their career growth.
Let Zippia find your next public relations specialist job
Let Zippia find your next public relations specialist job
Where can a Public Relations Specialist earn more?
Public relations specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average public relations specialist salary by state
The average public relations specialist salary in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average public relations specialist salary states are Hawaii, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for public relations specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $63,068 | $30.32 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $65,851 | $31.66 |
| 3 | Virginia | $59,136 | $28.43 |
| 4 | Washington | $67,975 | $32.68 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $53,675 | $25.81 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $57,714 | $27.75 |
| 7 | Alaska | $59,600 | $28.65 |
| 8 | New York | $55,179 | $26.53 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $54,017 | $25.97 |
| 10 | Idaho | $55,732 | $26.79 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $58,310 | $28.03 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $54,751 | $26.32 |
| 13 | Michigan | $51,273 | $24.65 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $51,766 | $24.89 |
| 15 | Maryland | $54,147 | $26.03 |
| 16 | California | $51,616 | $24.82 |
| 17 | Delaware | $49,759 | $23.92 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $46,872 | $22.53 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $50,659 | $24.36 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $47,671 | $22.92 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $50,002 | $24.04 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $45,475 | $21.86 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $49,791 | $23.94 |
| 24 | Ohio | $49,444 | $23.77 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $48,779 | $23.45 |
| 26 | Colorado | $48,241 | $23.19 |
| 27 | Utah | $44,579 | $21.43 |
| 28 | Vermont | $44,557 | $21.42 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $46,482 | $22.35 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $47,047 | $22.62 |
| 31 | Montana | $44,093 | $21.20 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $47,445 | $22.81 |
| 33 | Nevada | $44,716 | $21.50 |
| 34 | Illinois | $45,171 | $21.72 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $42,753 | $20.55 |
| 36 | Arizona | $42,399 | $20.38 |
| 37 | Iowa | $44,295 | $21.30 |
| 38 | Georgia | $41,465 | $19.94 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $42,030 | $20.21 |
| 40 | Missouri | $41,701 | $20.05 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $39,829 | $19.15 |
| 42 | Texas | $40,202 | $19.33 |
| 43 | Florida | $37,801 | $18.17 |
| 44 | Indiana | $40,884 | $19.66 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $39,312 | $18.90 |
| 46 | Maine | $36,833 | $17.71 |
| 47 | Alabama | $39,737 | $19.10 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $39,298 | $18.89 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $38,312 | $18.42 |
| 50 | Kansas | $39,581 | $19.03 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $35,877 | $17.25 |
Highest paying cities for public relations specialists
The highest-paying cities for public relations specialists are Seattle, WA, Washington, DC, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $68,689 | $33.02 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $65,910 | $31.69 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $58,303 | $28.03 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $57,649 | $27.72 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $55,296 | $26.58 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $54,363 | $26.14 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $53,909 | $25.92 |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | $48,973 | $23.54 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $48,354 | $23.25 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $47,205 | $22.69 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $45,380 | $21.82 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $44,102 | $21.20 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $42,505 | $20.44 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $41,509 | $19.96 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $40,213 | $19.33 |
| 16 | Columbus, IN | $40,101 | $19.28 |
| 17 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $39,284 | $18.89 |
| 18 | Orlando, FL | $38,203 | $18.37 |
Public relations specialist salary details
A public relations specialist's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $68,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a public relations specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| Average | $48,124 | $4,010 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
Highest paying public relations specialist jobs
The highest paying types of public relations specialists are public relations director, public relations manager, and senior communications specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicist | $50,679 | $4,223 | $24.36 | 7,343 |
| Community Relations Coordinator | $45,632 | $3,803 | $21.94 | 46,318 |
| Public Relations Internship | $30,868 | $2,572 | $14.84 | 65,163 |
| Public Relations Consultant | $50,333 | $4,194 | $24.20 | 27,882 |
| Public Relations Manager | $91,426 | $7,619 | $43.95 | 35,273 |
| Public Relations Coordinator | $46,225 | $3,852 | $22.22 | 35,324 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for public 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 public relations specialists now:
Which companies pay public relations specialists the most?
Public relations specialist salaries at Meta and Venable are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average public relations specialist salary at companies like PayPal and mCube are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $120,028 | $57.71 |
| 2 | Venable | $103,011 | $49.52 |
| 3 | PayPal | $98,872 | $47.53 |
| 4 | mCube | $94,384 | $45.38 |
| 5 | Kronos Incorporated | $90,341 | $43.43 |
| 6 | Apple | $90,137 | $43.34 |
| 7 | Crown Castle International | $90,103 | $43.32 |
| 8 | ICAP | $88,028 | $42.32 |
| 9 | Cadence Design Systems | $87,236 | $41.94 |
| 10 | Ropes & Gray | $86,258 | $41.47 |
| 11 | Cal | $84,565 | $40.66 |
| 12 | Capital Group | $84,079 | $40.42 |
| 13 | Oracle | $84,056 | $40.41 |
| 14 | DTCC | $82,883 | $39.85 |
| 15 | Autodesk | $82,688 | $39.75 |
| 16 | Barbarian | $80,745 | $38.82 |
| 17 | Boston Connect Real Estate | $77,224 | $37.13 |
| 18 | New Relic | $77,081 | $37.06 |
| 19 | PRWeek | $74,486 | $35.81 |
| 20 | Lopez Negrete Communications | $73,270 | $35.23 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Public Relations Specialist salary by industry
The average public relations specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average public relations specialist salary in the finance industry is $65,431, the highest of any industry.
- The average public relations specialist salary in the finance industry is $53,975.
- Public relations specialists in the start-up industry earn an average salary of $48,465, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for public relations specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $65,431 | $31.46 |
| 2 | Technology | $53,975 | $25.95 |
| 3 | Health Care | $53,449 | $25.70 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $51,309 | $24.67 |
| 5 | Media | $51,149 | $24.59 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $49,576 | $23.83 |
| 7 | Transportation | $49,573 | $23.83 |
| 8 | Non Profits | $48,903 | $23.51 |
| 9 | Start-up | $48,465 | $23.30 |
High paying public relations specialist jobs
Public relations specialist salary trends
The average public relations specialist salary has risen by $7,371 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average public relations specialist earned $40,753 annually, but today, they earn $48,124 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for public relations specialists over the last decade.
Compare public relations specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average public relations specialist salary over time
Compare public relations specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Public relations specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $48,100 | $23.14 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $46,900 | $22.53 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $46,000 | $22.10 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $45,400 | $21.84 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $44,500 | $21.37 | +2.2% |
Recently added public relations specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gensler | Public Relations Specialist | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $99,000 |
| Get It-Marketing | Performance PR Specialist USA-Remote | Pennwyn, PA | 06/29/2025 | $23,000 |
| Spring River Mental Health & Wellness | PR Youth Specialist (Individual/Group) | Riverton, KS | 06/27/2025 | $33,392 |
| DHRM | PR & Outreach Specialist | Richmond, VA | 06/27/2025 | $52,000 |
| State of Virginia | PR & Outreach Specialist | Richmond, VA | 06/26/2025 | $52,000 |
| Amazon | PR Specialist, Operations, Workplace and Operations PR | Arlington, VA | 06/25/2025 | $68,900 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | PR Specialist, Operations, Workplace and Operations PR | Seattle, WA | 06/25/2025 | $68,900 |
| El Paso County, Co | Senior Communications & Public Relations Specialist | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/22/2025 | $62,000 |
| Higher Talent Solutions LLC (USA | SR. Public Relations Specialist | New York, NY | 06/21/2025 | $70,000 |
| Frederick Memorial Healthcare System | Communications & Public Relations Specialist-With Benefits | Frederick, MD | 06/20/2025 | $56,576 |
Public relations specialist salary FAQs
Search for public relations specialist jobs