The average salary for a public relations specialist in the United States is around $60,999 per year.
Avg Salary
Public relations specialists earn an average yearly salary of $60,999.
Wages typically start from $34,505 and go up to $107,838.
1% above national average Updated in 2019
Public relations specialist earnings by seniority
Top-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$51.85 per hour
$107,838 per year
Senior-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$39.58 per hour
$82,330 per year
Mid-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$29.33 per hour
$60,999 per year
Junior-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$21.73 per hour
$45,195 per year
Starting level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$16.59 per hour
$34,505 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Public relations specialist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $88,670 |
| New York | $74,000 |
| Virginia | $71,280 |
| New Jersey | $69,520 |
| Connecticut | $67,520 |
| Alaska | $67,430 |
| Washington | $67,170 |
| California | $65,830 |
| Hawaii | $64,830 |
| Idaho | $64,380 |
| Nevada | $63,950 |
| Maryland | $62,530 |
| Rhode Island | $62,390 |
| Massachusetts | $62,290 |
| Oregon | $61,550 |
| Colorado | $59,990 |
| North Carolina | $59,210 |
| Ohio | $58,890 |
| Minnesota | $58,650 |
| Tennessee | $58,440 |
| Illinois | $58,307 |
| North Dakota | $57,170 |
| Iowa | $56,880 |
| Georgia | $56,700 |
| New Hampshire | $56,700 |
| Michigan | $56,690 |
| Wisconsin | $56,180 |
| Delaware | $55,570 |
| Maine | $54,790 |
| Florida | $54,700 |
| Texas | $54,690 |
| Missouri | $54,580 |
| West Virginia | $53,900 |
| Wyoming | $53,850 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,611 |
| Montana | $52,580 |
| New Mexico | $52,260 |
| Indiana | $51,925 |
| Kansas | $51,807 |
| Vermont | $51,570 |
| Arkansas | $50,660 |
| Kentucky | $50,404 |
| Utah | $50,020 |
| Alabama | $49,460 |
| South Carolina | $48,760 |
| Arizona | $48,429 |
| Nebraska | $48,380 |
| South Dakota | $48,120 |
| Oklahoma | $47,340 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $47,190 |
| Guam | $46,700 |
| Louisiana | $46,270 |
| Mississippi | $38,560 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,750 |
How do public relations specialist salaries compare to similar careers?
Public relations specialists earn 9% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than pharmaceutical sales representatives but more than advertising sales agents.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical sales representative salary | $82K |
| Marketing manager salary | $80K |
| Consultant salary | $78K |
| Sales manager salary | $63K |
| Market research analyst salary | $63K |
| Public relations specialist salary | $61K |
| Cost estimator salary | $59K |
| Publicist salary | $58K |
| Social fundraiser salary | $57K |
| Advertising sales agent salary | $52K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)




