Public Relations Managers
Public Relations Managers (SOC 11-2032) earn a median $146,910 a year ($70.63 an hour) in the United States, with 74,850 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What public relations managers do
Public relations managers plan and direct work meant to build or protect an organization's public image or to raise awareness of an issue. They may work for their own organization or on behalf of a client. The role involves setting communications strategy and supervising the staff who carry it out. The work covers both maintaining an existing reputation and raising awareness of an issue. These managers are distinct from advertising and promotions managers, who buy and place paid messages to sell products, and from fundraising managers, whose goal is to solicit money. Job titles include communications director, communications manager, and campaign manager. They also decide how an organization will present itself to the public and how it will respond to attention from the news media.
Also called: Business Development Director, Campaign Manager, Communications Director, Communications Manager, Community Director.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $39.62 | $51.24 | $70.63 | $98.33 | $137.01 | $79.21 | 74,850 |
| Annual | $82,410 | $106,580 | $146,910 | $204,520 | $284,990 | $164,760 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where public relations managers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $56.42 | $68.28 | $95.00 | $142.71 | $166.41 | $104.36 | 7,410 | 10.55 | 21.92 |
| Annual | $117,350 | $142,020 | $197,600 | $296,830 | $346,130 | $217,060 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $52.01 | $67.02 | $86.96 | $112.27 | $155.38 | $98.03 | 7,710 | 0.80 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $108,180 | $139,410 | $180,880 | $233,530 | $323,190 | $203,900 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $51.39 | $63.56 | $84.78 | $112.54 | $150.02 | $92.36 | 2,610 | 0.64 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $106,880 | $132,210 | $176,340 | $234,080 | $312,040 | $192,100 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $47.78 | $64.00 | $84.13 | $108.34 | $138.79 | $89.05 | 2,420 | 0.57 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $99,370 | $133,120 | $174,980 | $225,340 | $288,690 | $185,230 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $44.82 | $58.45 | $82.57 | $103.60 | $151.88 | $87.47 | 2,170 | 0.60 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $93,220 | $121,570 | $171,740 | $215,490 | $315,920 | $181,950 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $47.02 | $60.36 | $80.76 | $106.88 | $144.62 | $89.03 | 9,400 | 0.52 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $97,800 | $125,550 | $167,980 | $222,310 | $300,800 | $185,180 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $37.69 | $47.76 | $60.90 | $82.53 | $105.77 | $68.30 | 8,190 | 0.58 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $78,400 | $99,340 | $126,670 | $171,650 | $220,000 | $142,060 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $52.01 | $67.02 | $86.96 | $112.27 | $155.38 | $98.03 | 7,710 | 0.80 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $108,180 | $139,410 | $180,880 | $233,530 | $323,190 | $203,900 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $56.42 | $68.28 | $95.00 | $142.71 | $166.41 | $104.36 | 7,410 | 10.55 | 21.92 |
| Annual | $117,350 | $142,020 | $197,600 | $296,830 | $346,130 | $217,060 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $35.12 | $43.54 | $61.32 | $80.29 | $103.39 | $66.13 | 2,990 | 0.30 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $73,050 | $90,560 | $127,550 | $167,000 | $215,050 | $137,560 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $65.95 | $80.67 | $102.65 | $143.12 | $162.90 | $110.30 | 980 | 0.86 | 1.79 |
| Annual | $137,170 | $167,800 | $213,510 | $297,680 | $338,830 | $229,420 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $56.42 | $68.04 | $93.84 | $140.74 | $163.67 | $103.21 | 9,470 | 3.02 | 6.27 |
| Annual | $117,350 | $141,530 | $195,190 | $292,740 | $340,440 | $214,670 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $53.06 | $69.94 | $92.66 | $120.98 | $150.21 | $99.81 | 1,880 | 0.79 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $110,370 | $145,460 | $192,720 | $251,640 | $312,430 | $207,600 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $53.73 | $70.67 | $92.48 | $117.03 | $155.38 | $100.39 | 7,940 | 0.84 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $111,770 | $147,000 | $192,360 | $243,410 | $323,190 | $208,800 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $45.88 | $65.21 | $86.22 | $110.25 | $143.50 | $88.30 | 430 | 1.79 | 3.71 |
| Annual | $95,420 | $135,630 | $179,330 | $229,310 | $298,490 | $183,670 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $56.42 | $68.04 | $93.84 | $140.74 | $163.67 | $103.21 | 9,470 | 3.02 | 6.27 |
| Annual | $117,350 | $141,530 | $195,190 | $292,740 | $340,440 | $214,670 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $53.73 | $70.67 | $92.48 | $117.03 | $155.38 | $100.39 | 7,940 | 0.84 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $111,770 | $147,000 | $192,360 | $243,410 | $323,190 | $208,800 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $46.20 | $57.21 | $78.76 | $104.43 | $135.53 | $85.83 | 3,610 | 0.58 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $96,100 | $118,990 | $163,830 | $217,220 | $281,890 | $178,520 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $40.18 | $49.18 | $62.96 | $84.44 | $108.02 | $71.11 | 2,850 | 0.70 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $83,580 | $102,290 | $130,950 | $175,640 | $224,680 | $147,920 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $37.34 | $48.18 | $64.04 | $81.96 | $106.46 | $69.99 | 2,190 | 0.48 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $77,680 | $100,210 | $133,210 | $170,470 | $221,440 | $145,570 | ||||
Top industries employing public relations managers
Management of Companies and Enterprises employ 10.3% of public relations managers nationally (7,710 jobs) at a median $171,250 a year ($82.33 an hour), followed by Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (9.8%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (7.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 7,710 | 10.3% | $171,250 | $82.33 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services NAICS 541800 | 7,310 | 9.8% | $165,430 | $79.53 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 5,770 | 7.7% | $111,750 | $53.73 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations NAICS 813900 | 5,130 | 6.9% | $149,180 | $71.72 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 4,160 | 5.6% | $129,430 | $62.23 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (74,850). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $125,780 for public relations managers in May 2021 and $146,910 in May 2025, with employment of 59,850 and 74,850.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $125,780 | $60.47 | 59,850 |
| May 2022 | $129,430 | $62.23 | 64,280 |
| May 2023 | $134,760 | $64.79 | 72,760 |
| May 2024 | $138,520 | $66.60 | 76,060 |
| May 2025 | $146,910 | $70.63 | 74,850 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $95.00 | $197,600 | $117,350 | $346,130 | 7,410 | 10.55 | 21.92 |
| 2 | New York profile | $86.96 | $180,880 | $108,180 | $323,190 | 7,710 | 0.80 | 1.65 |
| 3 | Virginia profile | $84.78 | $176,340 | $106,880 | $312,040 | 2,610 | 0.64 | 1.32 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $84.13 | $174,980 | $99,370 | $288,690 | 2,420 | 0.57 | 1.17 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $82.57 | $171,740 | $93,220 | $315,920 | 2,170 | 0.60 | 1.24 |
| 6 | California profile | $80.76 | $167,980 | $97,800 | $300,800 | 9,400 | 0.52 | 1.07 |
| 7 | Maine profile | $80.26 | $166,940 | $77,970 | $195,860 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $78.30 | $162,870 | $98,180 | $238,240 | ** | ** | ** |
| 9 | Washington profile | $76.65 | $159,440 | $104,500 | $255,280 | 1,610 | 0.45 | 0.94 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $75.04 | $156,080 | $83,400 | $252,810 | 210 | 0.41 | 0.85 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $74.14 | $154,210 | $78,130 | $288,180 | 890 | 0.52 | 1.08 |
| 12 | Delaware profile | $73.56 | $153,010 | $107,670 | $265,000 | 170 | 0.35 | 0.73 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | $71.82 | $149,380 | $82,180 | $282,160 | 1,530 | 0.56 | 1.15 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | $66.85 | $139,040 | $86,110 | $208,970 | 1,230 | 0.42 | 0.87 |
| 15 | Georgia profile | $64.67 | $134,500 | $87,120 | $227,310 | 1,540 | 0.31 | 0.65 |
| 16 | Utah profile | $63.79 | $132,670 | $80,370 | $262,990 | 580 | 0.34 | 0.70 |
| 17 | New Hampshire profile | $63.78 | $132,660 | $86,770 | $212,900 | 330 | 0.48 | 0.99 |
| 18 | North Carolina profile | $63.60 | $132,280 | $79,320 | $229,270 | 1,510 | 0.31 | 0.63 |
| 19 | Illinois profile | $63.46 | $131,990 | $75,730 | $221,440 | 2,770 | 0.46 | 0.94 |
| 20 | Oregon profile | $63.07 | $131,190 | $77,070 | $209,670 | 1,410 | 0.72 | 1.49 |
| 21 | Kansas profile | $62.39 | $129,760 | $83,430 | $196,150 | 300 | 0.21 | 0.43 |
| 22 | Florida profile | $61.32 | $127,550 | $73,050 | $215,050 | 2,990 | 0.30 | 0.63 |
| 23 | Tennessee profile | $61.24 | $127,390 | $58,420 | $192,800 | 700 | 0.21 | 0.44 |
| 24 | Texas profile | $60.90 | $126,670 | $78,400 | $220,000 | 8,190 | 0.58 | 1.21 |
| 25 | Alaska profile | $58.13 | $120,920 | $73,550 | $193,980 | 380 | 1.15 | 2.39 |
| 26 | Iowa profile | $58.04 | $120,730 | $74,040 | $194,860 | 630 | 0.40 | 0.84 |
| 27 | Ohio profile | $57.06 | $118,670 | $59,540 | $211,290 | 1,400 | 0.25 | 0.53 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $56.75 | $118,050 | $68,890 | $206,910 | 2,210 | 0.36 | 0.76 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $56.69 | $117,900 | $70,680 | $213,360 | 1,720 | 0.39 | 0.81 |
| 30 | New Mexico profile | $55.41 | $115,260 | $77,160 | $200,860 | 250 | 0.28 | 0.58 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $55.27 | $114,960 | $75,520 | $198,300 | 600 | 0.19 | 0.39 |
| 32 | Missouri profile | $55.15 | $114,710 | $74,350 | $203,610 | 760 | 0.26 | 0.54 |
| 33 | Arizona profile | $55.00 | $114,400 | $80,000 | $213,370 | 1,170 | 0.36 | 0.75 |
| 34 | Nevada profile | $54.87 | $114,130 | $66,630 | $211,510 | 450 | 0.29 | 0.60 |
| 35 | North Dakota profile | $54.86 | $114,110 | $77,350 | $167,840 | 130 | 0.29 | 0.61 |
| 36 | Wisconsin profile | $54.80 | $113,980 | $73,700 | $216,460 | 1,010 | 0.34 | 0.71 |
| 37 | Kentucky profile | $54.00 | $112,320 | $73,470 | $171,620 | 510 | 0.25 | 0.53 |
| 38 | Hawaii profile | $50.49 | $105,010 | $73,090 | $174,520 | 390 | 0.62 | 1.29 |
| 39 | South Carolina profile | $50.44 | $104,920 | $65,160 | $212,260 | 650 | 0.28 | 0.58 |
| 40 | Nebraska profile | $50.21 | $104,440 | $64,580 | $182,760 | 330 | 0.33 | 0.68 |
| 41 | Arkansas profile | $50.08 | $104,170 | $57,810 | $305,140 | 340 | 0.26 | 0.54 |
| 42 | Montana profile | $48.07 | $99,990 | $72,980 | $147,470 | 180 | 0.35 | 0.72 |
| 43 | Alabama profile | $47.22 | $98,210 | $63,380 | $176,630 | 540 | 0.25 | 0.53 |
| 44 | Idaho profile | $47.19 | $98,160 | $60,070 | $152,480 | ** | ** | ** |
| 45 | Mississippi profile | $46.71 | $97,160 | $67,750 | $190,420 | 170 | 0.15 | 0.31 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $46.17 | $96,030 | $59,990 | $184,810 | 490 | 0.28 | 0.59 |
| 47 | Louisiana profile | $45.38 | $94,380 | $66,150 | $183,030 | 320 | 0.16 | 0.34 |
| 48 | West Virginia profile | $39.61 | $82,380 | $59,300 | $161,120 | 70 | 0.10 | 0.20 |
| – | Vermont profile | * | * | * | * | 280 | 0.92 | 1.90 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (11-2030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Management Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 11-2032 Public Relations Managers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 11-2032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 11-2032.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.