Public Relations Specialists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for public relations specialistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $84,120 ≈ $40/hr
National median salary $74,750
Total employment 283,380 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.8%
Faster than average
Annual openings 27,600 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 315,900 → 331,000 (+15,000)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$120,200
- California$97,140
- Colorado$95,790
- New York$95,760
- Washington$95,030
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$64,450
- Mississippi$64,830
- Tennessee$65,360
- Pennsylvania$65,660
- Nebraska$66,120
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $120,200 | $102,740 | $58 | +42.9% | 16,720 |
| 2 | California | $97,140 | $85,030 | $47 | +15.5% | 32,710 |
| 3 | Colorado | $95,790 | $80,680 | $46 | +13.9% | 7,410 |
| 4 | New York | $95,760 | $81,250 | $46 | +13.8% | 28,250 |
| 5 | Washington | $95,030 | $87,470 | $46 | +13% | 6,430 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $95,000 | $84,990 | $46 | +12.9% | 1,910 |
| 7 | Virginia | $92,860 | $80,380 | $45 | +10.4% | 9,990 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $90,400 | $79,660 | $43 | +7.5% | 6,760 |
| 9 | Maryland | $88,560 | $79,560 | $43 | +5.3% | 4,190 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $88,460 | $80,130 | $43 | +5.2% | 4,980 |
| 11 | Illinois | $86,060 | $76,380 | $41 | +2.3% | 6,200 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $84,730 | $77,540 | $41 | +0.7% | 1,140 |
| 13 | Georgia | $84,550 | $73,200 | $41 | +0.5% | 6,860 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $81,020 | $73,280 | $39 | -3.7% | 1,140 |
| 15 | Oregon | $80,470 | $74,900 | $39 | -4.3% | 4,510 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $80,010 | $62,730 | $38 | -4.9% | 2,950 |
| 17 | Delaware | $79,960 | $76,120 | $38 | -4.9% | 930 |
| 18 | Nevada | $79,430 | $73,840 | $38 | -5.6% | 1,600 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $78,940 | $67,230 | $38 | -6.2% | 9,910 |
| 20 | Alaska | $77,650 | $70,050 | $37 | -7.7% | 640 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $77,080 | $65,000 | $37 | -8.4% | 980 |
| 22 | Arizona | $76,700 | $66,710 | $37 | -8.8% | 5,350 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $75,790 | $67,490 | $36 | -9.9% | 480 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $75,750 | $68,700 | $36 | -10% | 1,130 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $74,790 | $68,620 | $36 | -11.1% | 8,260 |
| 26 | Ohio | $74,520 | $64,840 | $36 | -11.4% | 6,670 |
| 27 | Utah | $74,170 | $62,670 | $36 | -11.8% | 1,800 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $73,940 | $70,280 | $36 | -12.1% | 640 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $73,830 | $67,240 | $36 | -12.2% | 4,410 |
| 30 | Michigan | $73,660 | $65,300 | $35 | -12.4% | 7,510 |
| 31 | Texas | $72,860 | $65,160 | $35 | -13.4% | 25,220 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $72,520 | $64,920 | $35 | -13.8% | 2,280 |
| 33 | Indiana | $72,510 | $64,900 | $35 | -13.8% | 3,750 |
| 34 | Florida | $71,950 | $63,660 | $35 | -14.5% | 17,820 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $71,890 | $64,520 | $35 | -14.5% | 210 |
| 36 | Alabama | $70,760 | $61,710 | $34 | -15.9% | 2,410 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $70,190 | $63,880 | $34 | -16.6% | 1,800 |
| 38 | Vermont | $69,920 | $66,060 | $34 | -16.9% | 1,260 |
| 39 | Kansas | $69,850 | $64,860 | $34 | -17% | 2,340 |
| 40 | Iowa | $68,340 | $62,970 | $33 | -18.8% | 2,890 |
| 41 | Montana | $67,960 | $63,780 | $33 | -19.2% | 1,760 |
| 42 | Missouri | $67,840 | $61,130 | $33 | -19.4% | 4,820 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $67,550 | $60,150 | $32 | -19.7% | 2,580 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $67,520 | $60,470 | $32 | -19.7% | 1,710 |
| 45 | Maine | $67,260 | $62,450 | $32 | -20% | 1,400 |
| 46 | Idaho | $66,910 | $61,110 | $32 | -20.5% | 1,220 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $66,120 | $61,780 | $32 | -21.4% | 1,590 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $65,660 | $57,460 | $32 | -21.9% | 11,180 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $65,360 | $60,900 | $31 | -22.3% | 3,380 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $64,830 | $59,810 | $31 | -22.9% | 950 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $64,450 | $56,730 | $31 | -23.4% | 350 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 494 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $117,620 | $126,870 | 2,200 |
| 2 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $103,030 | $102,230 | 200 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,520 | $114,310 | 6,290 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $101,680 | $116,930 | 22,810 |
| 5 | Lexington Park, MD | $99,960 | $107,990 | 60 |
| 6 | Napa, CA | $98,190 | $98,950 | 80 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $96,000 | $100,940 | 3,980 |
| 8 | El Centro, CA | $93,100 | $96,000 | 40 |
| 9 | Bloomington, IL | $91,630 | $92,230 | 110 |
| 10 | New Haven, CT | $91,530 | $94,130 | 420 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing public relations specialistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Facilities Support Services | $138,360 | $127,190 | 90 |
| 2 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | $136,700 | $138,490 | 210 |
| 3 | Monetary Authorities-Central Bank | $128,890 | $141,100 | 270 |
| 4 | Monetary Authorities-Central Bank | $128,890 | $141,100 | 270 |
| 5 | Taxi and Limousine Service | $128,610 | $138,600 | — |
| 6 | Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation | $123,520 | $109,580 | 120 |
| 7 | Pipeline Transportation | $120,650 | $119,090 | 80 |
| 8 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | $120,040 | $127,620 | 50 |
| 9 | Software Publishers | $116,210 | $121,950 | 1,870 |
| 10 | Water Transportation | $115,590 | $105,770 | 120 |
| 11 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $115,210 | $117,700 | 6,570 |
| 12 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $115,210 | $117,630 | 6,640 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do public relations specialists make in the U.S.?
The median public relations specialists salary in the United States is $74,750 per year (mean $84,120), and about 80% earn between $44,110 and $135,150.
How much do public relations specialists make per hour?
Roughly $40 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $84,120 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays public relations specialists the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for public relations specialists at $120,200 per year (median $102,740).
What is the job outlook for public relations specialists?
Employment is projected to change +4.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 27,600 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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