2027 Salary Guide · Public Relations
Washington, DC employs about 22,810 public relations specialists, nearly as many as New York's 24,820, and pays a median of $101,680 against New York's $84,130. Nationally, BLS put the median at $74,750 in May 2025, about $79,500 in 2027 terms. O*NET's sample titles for the occupation include public affairs specialist and public information officer, roles that cluster around government.
Local pay
The Bay Area ($102,520) and Washington, DC ($101,680) are the only metros here with medians above $100,000. New York has the most PR specialists but a median of $84,130. Philadelphia ($64,550) and Pittsburgh ($55,910) sit at the low end.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | $102,520 +37% | $58,030 – $179,710 | 6,290 |
| Washington, DC | $101,680 +36% | $61,520 – $195,990 | 22,810 |
| Seattle | $96,000 +28% | $62,330 – $146,220 | 3,980 |
| Hartford | $87,830 +17% | $53,380 – $158,810 | 710 |
| New York City | $84,130 +13% | $55,410 – $162,170 | 24,820 |
| Denver | $82,930 +11% | $56,720 – $149,990 | 4,560 |
| Boston | $81,440 +9% | $53,800 – $145,720 | 5,380 |
| San Diego | $81,240 +9% | $50,390 – $147,560 | 2,730 |
| Los Angeles | $79,860 +7% | $48,090 – $136,870 | 11,910 |
| Atlanta | $78,920 +6% | $46,540 – $132,630 | 4,750 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $78,380 +5% | $48,170 – $129,400 | 3,050 |
| Baltimore | $77,570 +4% | $47,750 – $133,870 | 1,880 |
| Providence | $77,210 +3% | $47,200 – $128,630 | 1,250 |
| Chicago | $77,050 +3% | $49,460 – $150,890 | 4,920 |
| Charlotte | $75,190 +1% | $43,920 – $149,990 | 2,470 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $73,780 -1% | $44,970 – $120,000 | 6,170 |
| Phoenix | $70,490 -6% | $46,430 – $116,360 | 3,860 |
| Austin | $69,470 -7% | $44,320 – $113,270 | 4,170 |
| Buffalo | $69,380 -7% | $41,640 – $112,250 | 820 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $69,280 -7% | $44,480 – $113,780 | 7,300 |
| Raleigh | $68,790 -8% | $44,540 – $149,130 | 2,330 |
| Houston | $68,320 -9% | $40,290 – $109,640 | 5,160 |
| Albany | $68,240 -9% | $44,050 – $115,680 | 1,580 |
| Detroit | $66,100 -12% | $39,470 – $126,550 | 2,930 |
| Tampa | $64,690 -13% | $39,750 – $115,680 | 2,590 |
| Miami | $64,600 -14% | $35,110 – $115,660 | 5,460 |
| Philadelphia | $64,550 -14% | $39,540 – $114,090 | 5,220 |
| Nashville | $62,870 -16% | $40,200 – $99,250 | 1,350 |
| Pittsburgh | $55,910 -25% | $31,200 – $95,880 | 1,970 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
Sector
This guide does not have BLS PR wages by sector, so these notes are directional. The work and the pay structure differ more by employer type than by title.
Several clients at once and billable-hour targets. Account coordinator and account executive titles are the usual entry path, and pay moves up with client responsibility.
One organization, with media relations, executive communications and internal communications. Public companies add investor and crisis communications to the job.
Public information officers and public affairs specialists answer media questions for agencies and elected officials. Washington, DC's large, well-paid PR market fits that concentration.
Communications roles at universities, hospitals and foundations often combine PR, publications and social media in one job.
Pay distribution
BLS reports one occupation for PR specialists, communications specialists, media relations specialists and public information officers. The shaded band is the middle half, $56,260 to $100,370, where most PR specialist roles sit.
Typical for the Public Relations Specialist title: $56,260 to $100,370 (25th to 75th percentile of Public Relations Specialists)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,110 | $47,000 |
| 25th percentile | $56,260 | $60,000 |
| Median | $74,750 | $79,500 |
| 75th percentile | $100,370 | $106,500 |
| 90th percentile | $135,150 | $143,500 |
Career path
BLS does not publish pay by experience. These stages map typical PR titles onto the occupation's national percentiles.
About $44,000 to $56,000 (10th to 25th percentile)
Builds media lists, drafts releases, tracks coverage and supports events.
About $56,000 to $100,000 (25th to 75th percentile)
Pitches media, writes releases and speeches, and handles day-to-day client or executive communication.
About $100,000 to $135,000+ (75th to 90th percentile)
Leads campaigns and crisis response and coaches spokespeople. The next step is usually communications manager, a separate BLS occupation with a $146,910 median.
Outlook
BLS projects slower than average growth (1% to 2%) from 2025 to 2035. Even so, it expects about 23,000 openings a year across 314,500 jobs, because openings include replacing people who change occupations or retire.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Public Relations Specialists as a whole.
For hiring managers
O*NET's task list for PR specialists runs from responding to media requests to posting on company social media. A posting that says which matters most draws the right candidates.
The two metros have about 47,630 PR specialists between them, but their medians differ by about $17,550. A national median of $74,750 undershoots both.
Crisis and media response can mean evening and weekend work. Saying so up front avoids late-stage withdrawals.
Press releases, pitches and published coverage show the core skill faster than an interview does.
Compare
Moving up to communications manager is the largest pay step in this comparison: that occupation's median is $146,910, about $72,160 above PR specialists. Copywriters ($76,910) and content marketers ($78,760) earn close to the PR median.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 | $79,500 | Slower than average |
| Communications Manager | $146,910 | $156,000 | Faster than average |
| Copywriter | $76,910 | $82,000 | Little or no change |
| Social Media Manager | $74,750 | $79,500 | Slower than average |
| Content Marketing Manager | $78,760 | $83,500 | Much faster than average |
FAQ
Public relations specialists had a national BLS median of $74,750 in May 2025. The middle half earned $56,260 to $100,370, and the top tenth more than $135,150. At 3.1% annual wage growth, the 2027 planning median is about $79,500.
No official starting salary for PR specialists exists in BLS data. The 10th percentile, $44,110, and the 25th percentile, $56,260, are reasonable proxies for entry offers. O*NET reports that 91% of respondents for the occupation said new hires need a bachelor's degree, and 9% said a master's degree.
Most are salaried, but BLS also publishes hourly figures. The occupation's national median hourly wage was $35.94 in May 2025, according to BLS data on O*NET, with the 10th percentile at $21.21 an hour and the 90th percentile at $64.98.
The San Francisco Bay Area ($102,520) and Washington, DC ($101,680) posted the top PR medians of the 29 metros in May 2025, followed by Seattle at $96,000. Washington is also one of the two largest PR markets, with about 22,810 jobs.
Growth is slow: BLS projects 1% to 2% from 2025 to 2035. Turnover still creates about 23,000 openings a year, and the move to communications manager, an occupation with a BLS median of $146,910, is a well-defined next step.
Careerscape recruiters who specialize in marketing and communications send pre-screened PR candidates for direct hire, contract or temporary roles.
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