How much does a university relations director make?

The average university relations director salary in the United States is $95,885. University relations director salaries typically range between $56,000 and $163,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for university relations directors is $46.1 per hour. University relations director salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. University relations directors earn the highest average salary in Nevada.

University relations director salary

Q: What state pays University Relations Directors the most?

Nevada pays University Relations Directors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $121,774 per year, or $58.55 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a university relations director?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a university relations director if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in California you should be paid close to $116,994 per year.

Average university relations director salary

$95,885

$46.1 hourly rate

Entry-level university relations director salary

$56,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Role of a University Relations Director

A University Relations Director serves as the bridge between educational institutions and employers, focusing on fostering partnerships that benefit students and organizations alike. The average salary for this role is approximately $95,885 per year, with variations based on experience and location. For instance, directors in states like California and New York often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled professionals.

Factors Influencing Salary

Salary figures can differ significantly based on several factors:

Experience: More seasoned professionals generally command higher salaries.
Location: Urban areas with a higher cost of living typically offer better compensation.
Industry: Directors in sectors such as technology or healthcare may earn more compared to those in non-profit organizations.

In addition to salary, positions offer various benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development. For those looking to advance in this field, networking and continuous education can lead to enhanced job prospects and increased salaries.

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Where can a University Relations Director earn more?

Compare salary by location

141k

121k

101k

81k

61k

41k

Columbus, OH$125,400

Orlando, FL$71,113

Compare salary by company

173k

153k

133k

113k

93k

73k

53k

Nike$146,211

Crowe$82,552

University relations director salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a university relations director typically falls between $95,885 and $150,522.

zippia

$95,885yearly

glassdoor[1]

$150,522yearly

comparably[2]

$111,521yearly

Average university relations director salary by state

The average university relations director salary in Nevada, California, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average university relations director salary states are Minnesota, Maine, and South Carolina.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for university relations directors

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	North Dakota	$104,691	$50.33
2	South Dakota	$102,965	$49.50
3	Oregon	$110,009	$52.89
4	California	$116,994	$56.25
5	Nevada	$121,774	$58.55
6	Connecticut	$109,050	$52.43
7	Delaware	$110,059	$52.91
8	New York	$106,664	$51.28
9	Illinois	$102,612	$49.33
10	New Mexico	$115,005	$55.29
11	New Jersey	$105,501	$50.72
12	Utah	$99,474	$47.82
13	Georgia	$98,572	$47.39
14	Arkansas	$99,689	$47.93
15	Alaska	$105,798	$50.86
16	Vermont	$98,249	$47.24
17	Washington	$98,254	$47.24
18	Kansas	$100,912	$48.52
19	North Carolina	$93,969	$45.18
20	Louisiana	$89,533	$43.04
21	District of Columbia	$97,522	$46.89
22	Pennsylvania	$92,384	$44.42
23	Massachusetts	$94,233	$45.30
24	Idaho	$97,461	$46.86
25	Rhode Island	$90,571	$43.54
26	Colorado	$93,620	$45.01
27	Oklahoma	$85,708	$41.21
28	Virginia	$93,191	$44.80
29	Arizona	$89,737	$43.14
30	Montana	$92,184	$44.32
31	West Virginia	$80,917	$38.90
32	Wisconsin	$88,946	$42.76
33	Indiana	$89,764	$43.16
34	Michigan	$87,363	$42.00
35	Alabama	$78,673	$37.82
36	Tennessee	$83,805	$40.29
37	Wyoming	$86,504	$41.59
38	Maryland	$84,990	$40.86
39	South Carolina	$74,600	$35.87
40	Texas	$78,671	$37.82
41	Mississippi	$74,561	$35.85
42	Iowa	$83,091	$39.95
43	Nebraska	$84,308	$40.53
44	Hawaii	$72,666	$34.94
45	Kentucky	$81,661	$39.26
46	Ohio	$78,884	$37.92
47	Maine	$76,790	$36.92
48	Missouri	$79,639	$38.29
49	New Hampshire	$80,656	$38.78
50	Minnesota	$77,035	$37.04
51	Florida	$70,144	$33.72

Top university relations director jobs near you

Highest paying cities for university relations directors

The highest-paying cities for university relations directors are San Francisco, CA, Beaverton, OR, and West Hartford, CT.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$125,400	$60.29
2	Beaverton, OR	$109,552	$52.67
3	West Hartford, CT	$108,767	$52.29
4	New York, NY	$107,036	$51.46
5	Voorhees, NJ	$105,661	$50.80
6	Chicago, IL	$102,863	$49.45
7	Salt Lake City, UT	$99,106	$47.65
8	Raleigh, NC	$95,042	$45.69
9	Boston, MA	$94,367	$45.37
10	Denver, CO	$93,518	$44.96
11	Phoenix, AZ	$90,233	$43.38
12	South Bend, IN	$90,051	$43.29
13	Baton Rouge, LA	$89,307	$42.94
14	Milwaukee, WI	$89,156	$42.86
15	Grand Rapids, MI	$86,725	$41.69
16	Baltimore, MD	$85,115	$40.92
17	Nashua, NH	$81,224	$39.05
18	Dallas, TX	$80,290	$38.60
19	Gladstone, MO	$79,308	$38.13
20	Orlando, FL	$71,113	$34.19

University relations director salary details

A university relations director's salary ranges from $56,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $163,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average university relations director salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a university relations director's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$163,000	$13,583	$78
75th Percentile	$127,000	$10,583	$61
Average	$95,885	$7,990	$46
25th Percentile	$72,000	$6,000	$35
10th Percentile	$56,000	$4,667	$27

Highest paying university relations director jobs

The highest paying types of university relations directors are vice president of communication, director, customer relations, and director of client relations.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Vice President Of Communication	$156,662	$13,055	$75.32	43,726
Manager Of Corporate Communications	$84,161	$7,013	$40.46	34,908
Director Of Public Affairs	$114,639	$9,553	$55.11	26,290
Publications Manager	$94,155	$7,846	$45.27	18,211
Communications Manager	$81,304	$6,775	$39.09	26,350
Communications Lead	$96,988	$8,082	$46.63	20,413

Top companies hiring university relations directors now:

Which companies pay university relations directors the most?

University relations director salaries at Nike and First Republic Bank are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average university relations director salary at companies like PVH and Aspiration are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Nike	$146,211	$70.29
2	First Republic Bank	$145,771	$70.08
3	PVH	$145,179	$69.80
4	Aspiration	$143,369	$68.93
5	Zoho	$138,365	$66.52
6	ENERGY RECOVERY, INC.	$131,357	$63.15
7	Splunk	$127,877	$61.48
8	Medifast	$114,266	$54.94
9	Easter Seals Midwest	$107,544	$51.70
10	TravelPerk	$103,018	$49.53
11	Affirm	$102,253	$49.16
12	Chicago Public Schools	$102,244	$49.16
13	Upstream USA	$101,382	$48.74
14	American Water	$98,008	$47.12
15	Rockwell Automation	$96,788	$46.53
16	Bausch + Lomb	$95,035	$45.69
17	Labor	$94,891	$45.62
18	United States Courts	$92,420	$44.43
19	HNTB	$87,974	$42.30
20	Crowe	$82,552	$39.69

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$93,000$91,200$89,400$87,600$85,800$84,000

MaleFemale

University relations director salary trends

The average university relations director salary has risen by $22,523 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average university relations director earned $73,362 annually, but today, they earn $95,885 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for university relations directors over the last decade.

Compare university relations director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average university relations director salary over time

Compare university relations director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

University relations director salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2026	$95,900	$46.10	+3.9%
2025	$92,100	$44.29	+2.0%
2024	$90,300	$43.39	+3.1%
2023	$87,500	$42.06	+3.6%
2022	$84,400	$40.57	+3.0%

Recently added university relations director salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Holton Arms School	Director of Donor Relations	Bethesda, MD	06/21/2025	$95,000
City of Philadelphia	Director I-Family Court, Domestic Relations	Philadelphia, PA	06/13/2025	$94,068
Hillel International	Director of Song at Boston University Hillel	Boston, MA	06/09/2025	$50,000
IEHP	Director, Ancillary Relations	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	06/05/2025	$169,312
University of Vermont	Director University Bookstore	Burlington, VT	05/28/2025	$110,000
Tyson Foods	Director Government Relations	Washington, MN	05/24/2025	$123,000
Precision Medicine Group	Director Investor Relations	New York, NY	05/23/2025	$137,000
City University of New York	University Payroll Director	New York, NY	05/21/2025	$119,995
Cencal Health	Government Relations Director	Santa Barbara, CA	05/15/2025	$170,124
Cencal Health	Government Relations Director	Santa Barbara, CA	05/14/2025	$170,124

University relations director salary FAQs

What state pays University Relations Directors the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a university relations director?

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Updated December 15, 2025

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