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| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 227 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 229 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 229 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 224 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 219 | 0.00% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $79,405 | $38.18 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $77,307 | $37.17 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $75,853 | $36.47 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $74,968 | $36.04 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $73,350 | $35.26 | +2.2% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 377 | 54% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 210 | 24% |
| 3 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 257 | 19% |
| 4 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 373 | 18% |
| 5 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 303 | 17% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,059 | 16% |
| 7 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,053 | 16% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 147 | 15% |
| 9 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 706 | 14% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 685 | 14% |
| 11 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 628 | 14% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 86 | 14% |
| 13 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,336 | 13% |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 458 | 12% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 815 | 10% |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 705 | 10% |
| 17 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 312 | 10% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 102 | 10% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 73 | 10% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 60 | 10% |
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $98,863 |
| 2 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $62,779 |
| 3 | Charlotte | 1 | 0% | $64,729 |
Grand Valley State University
Saint Mary's College
Bowie State University
Wartburg College
San Francisco State University
University of Houston - Downtown
California State University - Dominguez Hills
San Jose State University
American University
Matthew Turner Ph.D., M.B.A.: People like the flexibility and excitement that can come with being a communication specialist. You can often meet interesting and important people and travel to new places. You can get new challenges frequently so you don’t fall into a rut. One of the things that people dislike about being a communication specialist is that it can sometimes feel amorphous. They might wonder what are the most important things to learn, what skills, tools, software, etc. are most valuable and how will changing technology make that knowledge obsolete? It often involves retraining and evolving job responsibilities and positions.
Laura Willis Calo Ph.D.: A couple of skills that will become all the more important in coming years are editing and critical thinking. With AI being able to produce initial drafts of content, our role as 'writer' is transitioning to that of 'editor.' In reworking AI-generated content, we need to think critically to ensure it is in line with the strategy driving our work.
Laura Willis Calo Ph.D.: Highlight your relevant experiences from internships and/or courses focused on experiential learning. Complete certifications, such as those offered through PRSA, Hubspot, and Google, that further develop your skills and demonstrate your mastery.
Dr. Joy Daggs: I think making yourself the most well-rounded candidate you can be is the best way to maximize your salary potential. Try lots of things in your undergraduate experience. What you think you want to do as a freshman may not be as appealing after you try it. Most jobs do not require only one skill, so having a variety of skills where you can plug in several places in an organization is helpful. Even if you want to go into something like event planning, you still need writing skills, design skills, interpersonal skills, etc. to do that job effectively.
Don't be afraid to negotiate your salary. There are workshops from organizations such as AAUW (American Association of University Women) to help you build those skills.
Dr. Joy Daggs: I have quite a bit of advice:
1. Get as much experience as an undergraduate as possible. Many programs require internships, but even if they don't, seek opportunities to get experience. Take leadership roles in student organizations. Even if it's not specifically a 'public relations' entitled position, anything where you practice your skills is helpful. Even if you need to work a job in retail or service, those jobs still provide important benefits other than a paycheck. Don't discount your experiences!
2. Don't pass up opportunities to meet professionals. Many schools and departments bring their alumni on campus or do virtual events so that you can meet and chat with professionals. Even if it's not required for class, GO. You never know when a casual conversation may lead to an internship or an important professional connection.
3. Use your LinkedIn profile to your advantage. Make sure you have a professional picture that shows you in your best light. Follow organizations that you want to work for and other professional organizations related to your interests. I know of people getting interviews based off of LinkedIn interactions. Check your other social media accounts to make sure that you are not presenting yourself poorly. Most likely, organizations will Google you or look up your personal social media. There are reports of students losing opportunities because of poor social media choices.
Erica Haugtvedt Ph.D.: The skills I think that will become more prevalent and important in the next 3-5 years are critical thinking skills. By critical thinking, I mean looking at the big picture and thinking about values, ethics, and thinking ahead to implications and consequences. AI will be able to produce a lot of words, but whether those words are appropriate to the situation, purpose, and context--whether those words are the words that we need--that will be something that only a conscientious and intelligent person can bring to the situation. People who are able to do that should be leaders in any field.
Erica Haugtvedt Ph.D.: Liberal Arts majors are able to enter a wide variety of fields with their skill sets in communication and critical thinking. The advice that I would give to graduates just beginning their careers is to be very observant of whatever workplaces they are entering and figure out what the social dynamics and expectations are, as well as the expectations for what kind of work is valued. Look for what gets rewarded, ask whether what gets rewarded is worthwhile, and think critically about whether there are innovations that are needed that you can (eventually) provide. Figure out what role you need to play, and then figure out what role you want to play and how to get there.
Erica Haugtvedt Ph.D.: You can maximize your salary potential by presenting your previous experience in the best light and keying it to what the jobs you’re applying for want and need, even if you don’t have experience in that exact job before. If you’re able to write a compelling resume, you could land in a better starting position with a higher salary. The other advice I would give is to always negotiate. Even if you only get a little bit more money in salary for asking, all of that adds up over the years!
Dr. Holly Sullenger PhD: Soft skills such as communication, active listening, giving and receiving feedback, writing, and presenting well are crucial and will become more important.
Dr. Holly Sullenger PhD: Don't bring up salary in the first interview, look for published salary ranges, connect with current employees on LinkedIn, ask about workplace, teams, leadership, and address salary expectations at the end of the second interview or in response to the job offer.
Mr. Daniel Routh: More and more companies want to expand their presence on social media, and someone with good video, photography, writing, and spoken communication skills is in demand. Someone who communicates well also has potential for leadership and promotion, especially in HR and PR fields.
Mr. Daniel Routh: Most communication specialists enjoy new challenges and projects that require some creativity, interacting with people, and getting a message out. Some communication specialist work is more project based, which can mean late nights before an event or video project deadline.
Mr. Daniel Routh: On a day-to-day basis, a communication specialist is likely to be interviewing or networking, planning an event, taking photos or videos, posting and managing social media on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube, meeting with teams or clients about branding and marketing, editing videos, or writing news updates.
David Painter Ph.D.: Many Communication Specialists appreciate the variety in their work as well as their ability to decide which industry they want to promote. From crafting compelling brand narratives for tourist or hospitality organizations to managing digital platforms for financial or legal organizations to strategizing communication plans for sports, fashion, or automotive companies, the possibilities are nearly infinite. Moreover, communication specialists enjoy the creativity, strategic thinking, and collaboration their role demands. However, the job can also be stressful, particularly during crises or when managing conflicting narratives. Long hours and balancing multiple projects can be challenging, but for many, the fast-paced nature and the ability to shape public perception make it worth it.
Dr. Alice Veksler Ph.D., BCPA: We have seen an increased focus on soft skills which are crucial to professional success. This means knowing email/slack/zoom etiquette, knowing how to manage time effectively, having conflict resolution skills, having the ability to effectively collaborate with others, and showing initiative, are all crucial and highly in-demand skills. As we move into a more technological direction, knowing how to use AI will become more and more important. Project management is also a key skill that can substantially improve earning potential (especially if credentialed). Understanding the geo-political climate can also help one's ability to move forward within one's career and if in a corporate setting, can facilitate climbing the corporate ladder. An understanding of, and respect for, diversity is also going to continue to matter to employers so cultural competence will become more and more important as well.
Dr. Alice Veksler Ph.D., BCPA: Practice your interpersonal skills and think about how what you have learned in your coursework translates to your chosen field of work. Teamwork, conflict resolution, social media savvy, and professionalism can make or break a career. Being able to articulate and demonstrate mastery of these skills with concrete examples during an interview can help land the job and then embodying the skillset of an excellent communicator will lead to professional success. Networking is also key so making sure that you do internships and engage with others in your chosen field helps with securing a job. Forging connections early in one's career can pay massive dividends down the road. We say that 'you get jobs by talking to people' and this maxim is especially true for a broad field like communication studies. Finally, I always encourage a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout and maximize productivity.
Dr. Alice Veksler Ph.D., BCPA: The single most important thing you can do is learn effective negotiation skills so that you negotiate a good salary and benefits package. Starting salaries will often set the baseline for future earning potential so being able to ensure that you are paid your worth early on is very important. New hires are often hesitant to negotiate salary to their detriment. Effective salary negotiation requires knowing how to do some basic market research to know what is reasonable and requires an understanding of the basics of principled negotiation. For example, it is important to know about positions vs. interests and what a BATNA/WATNA are. Beyond that, you need to stay proactive to ensure you are getting regular salary increases commensurate with norms in the field. Those increases are largely contingent on performance so excelling at the job then becomes the key to ongoing financial success. Making yourself an indispensable and irreplaceable asset to the employer is also very important.
Dr. Mikhila Wildey PhD: I think the ability to engage and connect with people will be very important in the field as we shift more and more to a culture that is driven by AI. Although AI can be a useful tool, it likely won’t ever fully replace the value of human interaction and connection. In addition, employers often comment that they want to see employees with strong work ethic, and I think this will continue to be the case in 3-5 years. Having a strong work ethic can separate the people that move forward in their careers to those who remain stagnant.
Dr. Mikhila Wildey PhD: My general advice for a graduate beginning their career in the field is to work hard, stay open-minded, and network! Most employees won’t stay in the same position for their entire career, and so I often tell graduates to not get too hung up on the first job needing to be the 'perfect' job for them. Often, the first job will be a place where they learn how to navigate the workplace, learn about their own strengths/weaknesses, and figure out what they like and don’t like. I encourage graduates to use this information to help them make decisions about the next steps in their career. And, if they are working hard and networking with people at their job, then opportunities will often times present themselves or be more available to them as they navigate their future career path.
Dr. Veronica Hefner: I would recommend that a new graduate shows up and does the work to the best of their ability. So much of success is determined by reliability, competency, and effort. Aim to achieve a work/life balance that helps you stay mentally and physically healthy, but realize that means that when you're at work, you need to work. The most successful people are not always the most talented or the most educated, but they are the ones who exert the most effort and ambition. However, when you go home at the end of the day, leave work behind and focus on yourself. Finally, show respect to others. If you disagree with them, or just don't like them, you still need to show respect. Respect diverse people, ideas, perspectives, and consider the experiences you have with people and ideas that are different from your own as a privilege that helps you learn and grow.
Dr. Rochelle Daniel: My general advice to a graduate who transitions into that first professional job in the Communication field is similar to advice I give Communication students for navigating internship workspaces (Communications Internship Handbook: What HBCU Students Need to Know, 2022). Be intentional about learning the organizational or office culture, really listen to find out what is expected of you, be flexible and adaptable when there are changes in workflow, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Dr. Penni Pier: You must be confident in the skill sets you have and negotiate for a beginning salary that is commensurate with your skills. A lot of emerging professionals shy away from negotiation (or making the right fit for that matter) because they are afraid of turning down a job. Interviews and the first series of negotiations set the tone for the relationship you will have with your employer. You also must be willing to look in geographic areas and related industries that need your skill sets to make give you the most opportunities to be choosy with your first professional position. While at your first position, it is important to make sure that your portfolio stays current, and they you are continuing to do professional development. Be proactive and learn (or enhance) any skills you find lacking. Work on client interaction and how to be a good collaborator with your colleagues. If you do these things and there is room for advancement with the organization that first hired, you this will give you a “leg up” in terms of salary potential. If there is not opportunity for advancement a first position will give you tangible work experience for your portfolio and an opportunity to practice your skills which in turn will make you more marketable if or when you decide to move on.
Dr. Penni Pier: I wholeheartedly believe the same skills that have been important over the past 50. You need to be a good storyteller, a good writer, and a good researcher. Technology will change, the mediums will change, but the skills of being able to research, use your resources and tell a compelling story that touches the heart of your consumer or target audience remains constant.
Dr. Nick DiFrancesco: Communication- many grads lack even basic communication skills such as presenting, writing, or conversation; the industry is going to be seeking out not just the best and brightest, individuals who are personable, can relate and have rational discussions with others. The inability to engage in conversation and debate, or network with others is a serious issue among students, and these are skills that are absolutely vital to any professional.
Dr. Geri Merrigan: Listening, empathy, and perspective-taking remain as important as ever, because change is the only certainty, and globalization connects us to people quite different from ourselves. That means skills for inclusive communication matter – analyzing an audience and crafting messages for diverse stakeholders. Finally, understanding the technology (especially AI) that is most consequential for your industry/sector, for Communication Studies majors, means understanding current events, reading about AI, and evaluating the credibility of what you read.
University of Houston - Downtown
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
Paul Mandell Ph.D.: Study after study has shown that the better that individuals entering almost any job market in the U.S. who can hear, speak, understand and read and write in two or more languages stand to be offered higher salaries that individuals who are monolingual. The vast majority of the world population is at least bilingual if not multilingual. Explaining to a potential employer that a candidate can communicate in more than one language is a guaranteed way to increase, sometimes greatly, any salary offer, almost regardless of the field. Those abilities will prove to be true assets in the market place.
Larry Hygh Jr., Ed.D.: Negotiate the highest possible salary at the beginning of your career. Intern throughout your collegiate career and build a portfolio to make yourself more marketable.
Larry Hygh Jr., Ed.D.: Writing is always the most important skill to have in communications. Great communications professional are also great storytellers. Keeping up with trends is important.
Larry Hygh Jr., Ed.D.: Be open to all opportunities even if the opportunity is not something you have planned for your career trajectory. Networking is extremely crucial in the field of communications. Network, network, network, then network some more!
Kailee Gaither: I think that the ability to communicate will become more important and being able to use and understand technology.
Kailee Gaither: I would tell graduates to always be open to new ideas and opportunities, make sure you show up and work hard, and enjoy what you do. It is important to remain a lifelong learner and engage in ongoing professional development and networking. The world is changing quickly.
Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV: In this field, maximizing your salary typically requires being able to jump from one job to another, after a reasonable amount of time at each (1-2 years). You're much more likely to get a raise moving to a new job than staying at your current one. Networking will be the key to helping you make these moves — and remember to help those in your network when you have the opportunity to do so.
Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV: The career path for media professionals is not nearly as linear as many other careers. Be prepared to work hard, develop meaningful connections, and try new things. You'll have to be a life-long learner in this field, always updating your skills, because things change quickly. Success almost never happens overnight, but passion and hard work will put you in a position for success when opportunities present themselves. Take those opportunities, as they may not happen again!
Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV: Artificial intelligence and augmented reality will be important tools to understand in the next 3-5 years. You won't necessarily have to be an expert in these tools, but you should understand them, have familiarity with using them, and be able to speak intelligently about them, at a minimum.
San Jose State University
Entrepreneurial And Small Business Operations
Joseph Dworak: The influence of technology has tilted employment towards specialization. The employment pendulum is swinging back, and the opportunities will be different in the future. Beyond focusing on a particular discipline, career, or profession I would grasp the fundamentals of the following subjects. English composition – words have always been more powerful than weapons. Battles always end but ideas never die. Business law – we are all directly or indirectly controlled by governmental fiat. Understand how you can operate within the system rather than the system operating you. Accounting and finance – American historically can and has monetized just about every endeavor. Financial information is often the numerical shibboleth to accessing the capital markets. History – Understanding another both as an individual but often more importantly as a larger group is often foundational to building a meaningful business or a personal relationship.
American University
Public Relations, Advertising, And Applied Communication
Jason Mollica: It starts with research. Look at the location, cost of living, and the comparable salaries to the specific position, as well as those within the company where you’ve applied. If you can get details on benefits offered, such as health coverage and paid time off, this can help your potential ask. Also consider if a position is fully remote, will the salary be adjusted to the state where you live as opposed to where they are located? Finally, don’t hesitate to stress the skills and experienced gained from internships or leadership positions you’ve held while in college. It can be a considerable advantage when it comes time for a potential employer to make a decision.