The salary statistics of public relations specialists are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of public relations specialists within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The public relations specialists annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $38,630 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $49,980 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $67,440 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $92,880 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $128,450 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for public relations specialists. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) public relations specialists is $128,450. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $67,440. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $38,630. Take note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 232% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of public relations specialists from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $67,440 | 6.88% | 19.68% |
| 2021 | $62,800 | -0.02% | - |
| 2020 | $62,810 | 2.64% | - |
| 2019 | $61,150 | 1.88% | - |
| 2018 | $60,000 | 1.17% | - |
| 2017 | $59,300 | 2.16% | - |
| 2016 | $58,020 | 2.15% | - |
| 2015 | $56,770 | 1.92% | - |
| 2014 | $55,680 | 1.33% | - |
| 2013 | $54,940 | 1.40% | - |
| 2012 | $54,170 | - | - |
The average salaries of public relations specialists in 20 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for public relations specialists occupations is the mining sector with an annual salary $95,510. The lowest paying sector is the accommodation and food services sector (annual salary $35,540).
From the above tables we note that not only public relations specialists salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of public relations specialists in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $38,400 to $101,930. The highest paying state for public relations specialists is District of Columbia with a median annual salary of $101,930. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $38,400. For more salary information of public relations specialists profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.