How much does a public relations specialist make?
Median yearly pay in the United States: half earn more and half earn less. That is $35.94 an hour or $6,229 a month.
- Hourly
- $35.94
- Average (mean)
- $84,120
- Jobs
- 283,380
| Percentile | Yearly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,110 | $21.21 | |
| 25th | $56,260 | $27.05 | |
| Median | $74,750 | $35.94 | |
| 75th | $100,400 | $48.25 | |
| 90th | $135,200 | $64.98 |
By state
Median yearly pay.
| District of Columbia | $102,700 |
| Washington | $87,470 |
| California | $85,030 |
| Connecticut | $84,990 |
| New York | $81,250 |
| Colorado | $80,680 |
| Virginia | $80,380 |
| New Jersey | $80,130 |
| Massachusetts | $79,660 |
| Maryland | $79,560 |
| Rhode Island | $77,540 |
| Illinois | $76,380 |
| Delaware | $76,120 |
| Oregon | $74,900 |
| Nevada | $73,840 |
| New Hampshire | $73,280 |
| Georgia | $73,200 |
| North Dakota | $70,280 |
| Alaska | $70,050 |
| New Mexico | $68,700 |
| Minnesota | $68,620 |
| Wyoming | $67,490 |
| Wisconsin | $67,240 |
| North Carolina | $67,230 |
| Arizona | $66,710 |
| Vermont | $66,060 |
| Michigan | $65,300 |
| Texas | $65,160 |
| Arkansas | $65,000 |
| Oklahoma | $64,920 |
| Indiana | $64,900 |
| Kansas | $64,860 |
| Ohio | $64,840 |
| South Dakota | $64,520 |
| Hawaii | $63,880 |
| Montana | $63,780 |
| Florida | $63,660 |
| Iowa | $62,970 |
| South Carolina | $62,730 |
| Utah | $62,670 |
| Maine | $62,450 |
| Nebraska | $61,780 |
| Alabama | $61,710 |
| Missouri | $61,130 |
| Idaho | $61,110 |
| Tennessee | $60,900 |
| Louisiana | $60,470 |
| Kentucky | $60,150 |
| Mississippi | $59,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,460 |
| West Virginia | $56,730 |
Highest paying cities
Metro areas, median yearly pay.
| San Jose, CA | $117,600 |
| Kennewick, WA | $103,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | $102,500 |
| Washington, DC | $101,700 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $99,960 |
| Napa, CA | $98,190 |
| Seattle, WA | $96,000 |
| El Centro, CA | $93,100 |
| Bloomington, IL | $91,630 |
| New Haven, CT | $91,530 |
| Sacramento, CA | $89,640 |
| Hartford, CT | $87,830 |
| Salem, OR | $87,740 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $85,650 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $84,990 |
In other countries
Public Relations Specialist belongs to the international group "Public relations professionals".
Compare pay in 140 countriesSimilar jobs
- Broadcast Announcer and Radio Disc Jockey$47,340
- News Analyst$62,200
- Editor$77,920
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Interpreter and Translator$60,170
- Court Reporter and Simultaneous Captioner$72,420
- Media and Communication Worker$73,620
Frequently asked questions
How much does a public relations specialist make an hour?
The median hourly pay is $35.94 ($74,750 a year).
How much does a public relations specialist make a month?
About $6,229 a month before tax, based on a median of $74,750 a year.
How much does a public relations specialist make starting out?
The lowest-paid 10% make $44,110 or less a year ($21.21 an hour); the top 10% make $135,200 or more.
Which state pays public relations specialists the most?
District of Columbia, with a median of $102,700 a year, followed by Washington ($87,470) and California ($85,030).
Which city pays public relations specialists the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $117,600 a year.
How many public relations specialists are there in the United States?
About 283,380 people work as public relations specialists.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.