Public Relations Specialists
Public Relations Specialists (SOC 27-3031) earn a median $74,750 a year ($35.94 an hour) in the United States, with 283,380 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What public relations specialists do
Public relations specialists promote or build a chosen public image for individuals, groups, or organizations, and may write or choose material to release to various media. Some specialize in using social media. They answer media requests for information or name an appropriate spokesperson, write press releases and other media communications to promote clients, keep the company's website and social media outlets updated with content, and plan or direct communication programs that maintain a favorable public image. They establish and maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, and other groups, confer with managers to identify trends and key group concerns, and coach client representatives in communicating effectively with the public or with employees. Alternate titles include communications specialist, community relations coordinator, and brand advocate. News reporting is counted as a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Audience Coordinator, Brand Advocate, Communication Specialist, Communications Associate, Communications Coordinator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $21.21 | $27.05 | $35.94 | $48.25 | $64.98 | $40.44 | 283,380 |
| Annual | $44,110 | $56,260 | $74,750 | $100,370 | $135,150 | $84,120 | ||
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 specialists 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 | $30.89 | $37.59 | $49.40 | $71.69 | $97.20 | $57.79 | 16,720 | 23.83 | 13.07 |
| Annual | $64,260 | $78,200 | $102,740 | $149,120 | $202,170 | $120,200 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $29.21 | $34.20 | $42.05 | $53.79 | $65.39 | $45.69 | 6,430 | 1.81 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $60,760 | $71,140 | $87,470 | $111,890 | $136,020 | $95,030 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $23.82 | $30.99 | $40.88 | $58.26 | $77.18 | $46.70 | 32,710 | 1.80 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $49,550 | $64,460 | $85,030 | $121,180 | $160,520 | $97,140 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $24.72 | $29.89 | $40.86 | $58.85 | $78.02 | $45.67 | 1,910 | 1.13 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $51,410 | $62,160 | $84,990 | $122,400 | $162,280 | $95,000 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $24.87 | $30.49 | $39.06 | $51.89 | $75.78 | $46.04 | 28,250 | 2.92 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $51,730 | $63,420 | $81,250 | $107,920 | $157,610 | $95,760 | ||||
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 | $23.82 | $30.99 | $40.88 | $58.26 | $77.18 | $46.70 | 32,710 | 1.80 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $49,550 | $64,460 | $85,030 | $121,180 | $160,520 | $97,140 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $24.87 | $30.49 | $39.06 | $51.89 | $75.78 | $46.04 | 28,250 | 2.92 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $51,730 | $63,420 | $81,250 | $107,920 | $157,610 | $95,760 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $19.15 | $24.27 | $31.33 | $41.04 | $52.71 | $35.03 | 25,220 | 1.79 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $39,840 | $50,480 | $65,160 | $85,370 | $109,640 | $72,860 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.79 | $23.24 | $30.61 | $40.00 | $55.61 | $34.59 | 17,820 | 1.79 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $37,000 | $48,340 | $63,660 | $83,190 | $115,680 | $71,950 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $30.89 | $37.59 | $49.40 | $71.69 | $97.20 | $57.79 | 16,720 | 23.83 | 13.07 |
| Annual | $64,260 | $78,200 | $102,740 | $149,120 | $202,170 | $120,200 | ||||
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 | $29.39 | $38.47 | $56.55 | $81.32 | $102.38 | $60.99 | 2,200 | 1.94 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $61,130 | $80,010 | $117,620 | $169,140 | $212,960 | $126,870 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $29.02 | $36.49 | $49.54 | $61.64 | $76.87 | $49.15 | 200 | 1.56 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $60,360 | $75,890 | $103,030 | $128,220 | $159,900 | $102,230 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $27.90 | $36.42 | $49.29 | $70.79 | $86.40 | $54.96 | 6,290 | 2.65 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $58,030 | $75,750 | $102,520 | $147,230 | $179,710 | $114,310 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $29.58 | $37.08 | $48.88 | $69.31 | $94.23 | $56.21 | 22,810 | 7.27 | 3.99 |
| Annual | $61,520 | $77,120 | $101,680 | $144,170 | $195,990 | $116,930 | ||||
| Lexington Park, MD | Hourly | $29.27 | $35.37 | $48.06 | $69.56 | $89.05 | $51.92 | 60 | 0.81 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $60,890 | $73,570 | $99,960 | $144,680 | $185,220 | $107,990 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $26.64 | $30.96 | $40.45 | $56.06 | $77.97 | $47.71 | 24,820 | 2.62 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $55,410 | $64,390 | $84,130 | $116,590 | $162,170 | $99,240 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $29.58 | $37.08 | $48.88 | $69.31 | $94.23 | $56.21 | 22,810 | 7.27 | 3.99 |
| Annual | $61,520 | $77,120 | $101,680 | $144,170 | $195,990 | $116,930 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $23.12 | $30.55 | $38.39 | $50.95 | $65.81 | $43.17 | 11,910 | 1.90 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $48,090 | $63,550 | $79,860 | $105,980 | $136,870 | $89,790 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $21.38 | $26.22 | $33.31 | $42.23 | $54.70 | $36.52 | 7,300 | 1.80 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $44,480 | $54,530 | $69,280 | $87,840 | $113,780 | $75,960 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $27.90 | $36.42 | $49.29 | $70.79 | $86.40 | $54.96 | 6,290 | 2.65 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $58,030 | $75,750 | $102,520 | $147,230 | $179,710 | $114,310 | ||||
Top industries employing public relations specialists
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services employ 13.3% of public relations specialists nationally (37,610 jobs) at a median $77,480 a year ($37.25 an hour), followed by Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (7.5%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (5.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services NAICS 541800 | 37,610 | 13.3% | $77,480 | $37.25 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 21,280 | 7.5% | $66,420 | $31.93 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 16,820 | 5.9% | $77,870 | $37.44 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations NAICS 813900 | 16,560 | 5.8% | $77,650 | $37.33 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 13,420 | 4.7% | $92,740 | $44.59 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (283,380). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $62,800 for public relations specialists in May 2021 and $74,750 in May 2025, with employment of 242,710 and 283,380.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $62,800 | $30.19 | 242,710 |
| May 2022 | $67,440 | $32.42 | 264,750 |
| May 2023 | $66,750 | $32.09 | 275,550 |
| May 2024 | $69,780 | $33.55 | 280,590 |
| May 2025 | $74,750 | $35.94 | 283,380 |
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
51 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 | $49.40 | $102,740 | $64,260 | $202,170 | 16,720 | 23.83 | 13.07 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $42.05 | $87,470 | $60,760 | $136,020 | 6,430 | 1.81 | 0.99 |
| 3 | California profile | $40.88 | $85,030 | $49,550 | $160,520 | 32,710 | 1.80 | 0.99 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $40.86 | $84,990 | $51,410 | $162,280 | 1,910 | 1.13 | 0.62 |
| 5 | New York profile | $39.06 | $81,250 | $51,730 | $157,610 | 28,250 | 2.92 | 1.60 |
| 6 | Colorado profile | $38.79 | $80,680 | $51,710 | $139,040 | 7,410 | 2.58 | 1.41 |
| 7 | Virginia profile | $38.65 | $80,380 | $46,840 | $162,050 | 9,990 | 2.43 | 1.33 |
| 8 | New Jersey profile | $38.52 | $80,130 | $49,820 | $138,190 | 4,980 | 1.16 | 0.64 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $38.30 | $79,660 | $51,710 | $139,240 | 6,760 | 1.86 | 1.02 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $38.25 | $79,560 | $42,060 | $147,220 | 4,190 | 1.52 | 0.83 |
| 11 | Rhode Island profile | $37.28 | $77,540 | $47,750 | $129,360 | 1,140 | 2.27 | 1.24 |
| 12 | Illinois profile | $36.72 | $76,380 | $47,690 | $139,570 | 6,200 | 1.02 | 0.56 |
| 13 | Delaware profile | $36.59 | $76,120 | $43,720 | $126,290 | 930 | 1.91 | 1.05 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $36.01 | $74,900 | $45,190 | $123,880 | 4,510 | 2.30 | 1.26 |
| 15 | Nevada profile | $35.50 | $73,840 | $44,710 | $120,160 | 1,600 | 1.03 | 0.57 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $35.23 | $73,280 | $50,430 | $122,390 | 1,140 | 1.67 | 0.92 |
| 17 | Georgia profile | $35.19 | $73,200 | $43,590 | $128,190 | 6,860 | 1.40 | 0.77 |
| 18 | North Dakota profile | $33.79 | $70,280 | $47,980 | $100,710 | 640 | 1.49 | 0.82 |
| 19 | Alaska profile | $33.68 | $70,050 | $45,140 | $117,210 | 640 | 1.97 | 1.08 |
| 20 | New Mexico profile | $33.03 | $68,700 | $43,080 | $123,110 | 1,130 | 1.30 | 0.71 |
| 21 | Minnesota profile | $32.99 | $68,620 | $42,220 | $111,180 | 8,260 | 2.80 | 1.54 |
| 22 | Wyoming profile | $32.45 | $67,490 | $50,430 | $115,210 | 480 | 1.70 | 0.93 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $32.33 | $67,240 | $44,790 | $105,970 | 4,410 | 1.50 | 0.82 |
| 24 | North Carolina profile | $32.32 | $67,230 | $39,840 | $136,450 | 9,910 | 2.01 | 1.10 |
| 25 | Arizona profile | $32.07 | $66,710 | $45,080 | $111,220 | 5,350 | 1.65 | 0.91 |
| 26 | Vermont profile | $31.76 | $66,060 | $45,330 | $101,520 | 1,260 | 4.14 | 2.27 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $31.39 | $65,300 | $38,560 | $117,290 | 7,510 | 1.71 | 0.94 |
| 28 | Texas profile | $31.33 | $65,160 | $39,840 | $109,640 | 25,220 | 1.79 | 0.98 |
| 29 | Arkansas profile | $31.25 | $65,000 | $39,170 | $137,190 | 980 | 0.75 | 0.41 |
| 30 | Oklahoma profile | $31.21 | $64,920 | $39,380 | $113,780 | 2,280 | 1.33 | 0.73 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $31.20 | $64,900 | $42,060 | $105,580 | 3,750 | 1.17 | 0.64 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $31.18 | $64,860 | $39,820 | $105,500 | 2,340 | 1.63 | 0.89 |
| 33 | Ohio profile | $31.18 | $64,840 | $41,540 | $121,460 | 6,670 | 1.20 | 0.66 |
| 34 | South Dakota profile | $31.02 | $64,520 | $48,460 | $102,480 | 210 | 0.45 | 0.25 |
| 35 | Hawaii profile | $30.71 | $63,880 | $42,070 | $104,240 | 1,800 | 2.87 | 1.57 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $30.66 | $63,780 | $43,770 | $96,050 | 1,760 | 3.44 | 1.89 |
| 37 | Florida profile | $30.61 | $63,660 | $37,000 | $115,680 | 17,820 | 1.79 | 0.98 |
| 38 | Iowa profile | $30.27 | $62,970 | $38,890 | $104,700 | 2,890 | 1.85 | 1.02 |
| 39 | South Carolina profile | $30.16 | $62,730 | $38,920 | $143,940 | 2,950 | 1.28 | 0.70 |
| 40 | Utah profile | $30.13 | $62,670 | $41,410 | $119,270 | 1,800 | 1.04 | 0.57 |
| 41 | Maine profile | $30.02 | $62,450 | $38,890 | $100,770 | 1,400 | 2.18 | 1.20 |
| 42 | Nebraska profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $41,490 | $93,990 | 1,590 | 1.56 | 0.85 |
| 43 | Alabama profile | $29.67 | $61,710 | $39,320 | $111,970 | 2,410 | 1.14 | 0.63 |
| 44 | Missouri profile | $29.39 | $61,130 | $38,490 | $102,850 | 4,820 | 1.64 | 0.90 |
| 45 | Idaho profile | $29.38 | $61,110 | $36,580 | $101,890 | 1,220 | 1.42 | 0.78 |
| 46 | Tennessee profile | $29.28 | $60,900 | $37,450 | $98,370 | 3,380 | 1.03 | 0.57 |
| 47 | Louisiana profile | $29.07 | $60,470 | $38,640 | $98,610 | 1,710 | 0.88 | 0.48 |
| 48 | Kentucky profile | $28.92 | $60,150 | $37,190 | $103,530 | 2,580 | 1.29 | 0.71 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $28.75 | $59,810 | $38,630 | $96,690 | 950 | 0.82 | 0.45 |
| 50 | Pennsylvania profile | $27.62 | $57,460 | $32,810 | $102,330 | 11,180 | 1.84 | 1.01 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $27.27 | $56,730 | $39,720 | $103,380 | 350 | 0.50 | 0.27 |
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 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 27-3031 Public Relations Specialists.
- 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 27-3031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-3031.00, 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.