Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical experience: 3 to 6 years at the Specialist / Intermediate level, per widely used corporate career-level norms (Radford, Mercer, and SHRM career-level frameworks). Actual expectations vary by function, industry, and company size.
Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
Top skills:SpeakingActive ListeningWritingSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionTime Management
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Public Relations Specialist pay by experience level
Entry level$45,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$58,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$77,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$104,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$140,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+4.8%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
27,600
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Public Relations Specialist salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
62,010 workers
$99,000
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations
39,200 workers
$84,000
Educational Services
37,920 workers
$75,500
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
37,610 workers
$100,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
31,410 workers
$90,500
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
21,280 workers
$75,500
Educational Services, Privately Owned
17,830 workers
$73,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
16,820 workers
$83,000
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations
16,560 workers
$91,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
13,420 workers
$103,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 135,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
65.9%
White
80.5%
Black or African American
10.3%
Asian
4.9%
Hispanic or Latino
14.5%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $62,810 to $74,750.
+19.0% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$45,500
Early career25th percentile
$58,000
Median50th percentile
$77,500
Experienced75th percentile
$104,000
Top earners90th percentile
$140,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source.
Plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
Post and update content on the company's Web site and social media outlets.
Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional or Administrative exemption
Individual contributor roles at this level typically qualify for the Professional exemption (requiring advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning) or the Administrative exemption (office work related to management or general business operations with discretion on significant matters). Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$87,000
2027$90,000
2028$93,000
2029$96,500
2030$100,000
2031$103,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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The median market pay for a Public Relations Specialist in the United States is about $87,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Public Relations Specialist?
Most Public Relations Specialist pay falls between about $58,000 (25th percentile) and $104,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $140,000.
What does a Public Relations Specialist do?
Core responsibilities include: respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source; and plan or direct development or communication of programs to maintain favorable public or stockholder perceptions of an organization's accomplishments, agenda, or environmental responsibility.
Is pay for Public Relations Specialist roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $62,810 in 2020 to $74,750 in 2025, a change of +19% in nominal dollars.
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Public Relations Specialist make?
The average base salary for a Public Relations Specialist in the United States is $87,000 per year, or about $41.83 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $58,500 and $104,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media roles?
The Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media job family averages $88,500 across 45 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Public Relations Specialist pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
