181 metro areas
Public Relations Manager Salary by City (2026)
Public relations managers earn the most in San Jose, CA, an average of $229,420 a year, against $164,760 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in San Jose, CA ($207,760 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $164,760BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $229,420San Jose, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $207,760San Jose, CA
- Metro areas
- 181With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for public relations managers
Top 10 metro areas
- San Jose, CA$229,420
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$214,680
- New York, NY-NJ$208,810
- San Francisco, CA$207,600
- Boston, MA-NH$187,740
- Trenton, NJ$183,660
- Bridgeport, CT$181,560
- Kiryas Joel, NY$180,110
- Greeley, CO$179,690
- Denver, CO$179,380
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $229,420 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $214,680 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $208,810 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $207,600 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $187,740 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $183,660 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $181,560 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $180,110 |
| Greeley, CO | $179,690 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $179,380 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- San Jose, CA$229,420 nominal$207,760
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$214,680 nominal$197,160
- New York, NY-NJ$208,810 nominal$185,510
- Fayetteville, AR$166,280 nominal$182,020
- Midland, TX$174,140 nominal$181,810
- San Francisco, CA$207,600 nominal$179,560
- Greeley, CO$179,690 nominal$179,370
- Trenton, NJ$183,660 nominal$178,000
- Richmond, VA$172,000 nominal$175,760
- Provo, UT$171,410 nominal$174,500
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $207,760 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $197,160 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $185,510 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $182,020 |
| Midland, TX | $181,810 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $179,560 |
| Greeley, CO | $179,370 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $178,000 |
| Richmond, VA | $175,760 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $174,500 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Public Relations Manager salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $229,420 | $145,700 | $270,650 | $207,760 |
| 2 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $214,680 | $126,940 | $257,880 | $197,160 |
| 3 | New York, NY-NJ | $208,810 | $127,750 | $248,730 | $185,510 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $207,600 | $123,590 | $248,980 | $179,560 |
| 5 | Boston, MA-NH | $187,740 | $109,050 | $226,490 | $173,410 |
| 6 | Trenton, NJ | $183,660 | $112,070 | $218,940 | $178,000 |
| 7 | Bridgeport, CT | $181,560 | $85,110 | $229,070 | $169,900 |
| 8 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $180,110 | $118,120 | $210,620 | $164,600 |
| 9 | Greeley, CO | $179,690 | $109,410 | $214,320 | $179,370 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $179,380 | $117,420 | $209,890 | $169,580 |
| 11 | Los Angeles, CA | $178,530 | $103,460 | $215,490 | $157,200 |
| 12 | Seattle, WA | $177,510 | $117,270 | $207,170 | $159,730 |
| 13 | Midland, TX | $174,140 | $89,810 | $215,680 | $181,810 |
| 14 | Sacramento, CA | $173,160 | $102,320 | $208,060 | $162,330 |
| 15 | Richmond, VA | $172,000 | $104,270 | $205,340 | $175,760 |
| 16 | Provo, UT | $171,410 | $97,070 | $208,020 | $174,500 |
| 17 | Santa Maria, CA | $167,650 | $103,210 | $199,390 | $154,090 |
| 18 | San Diego, CA | $167,590 | $97,530 | $202,090 | $149,790 |
| 19 | Fayetteville, AR | $166,280 | $72,740 | $212,330 | $182,020 |
| 20 | Norwich, CT | $165,630 | $79,850 | $207,880 | $164,900 |
| 21 | Rochester, NY | $165,070 | $105,680 | $194,330 | $170,110 |
| 22 | New Haven, CT | $162,820 | $89,650 | $198,850 | $155,720 |
| 23 | Worcester, MA | $162,120 | $87,530 | $198,850 | $158,130 |
| 24 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $161,820 | $100,690 | $191,940 | $165,220 |
| 25 | Boulder, CO | $159,620 | $94,830 | $191,530 | $151,730 |
| 26 | Oxnard, CA | $159,580 | $100,800 | $188,510 | $144,370 |
| 27 | Roanoke, VA | $158,640 | $93,750 | $190,590 | $169,450 |
| 28 | Greensboro, NC | $158,560 | $90,150 | $192,230 | $170,740 |
| 29 | Hartford, CT | $157,960 | $93,330 | $189,780 | $153,740 |
| 30 | Ithaca, NY | $157,370 | $109,620 | $180,880 | $152,320 |
| 31 | Syracuse, NY | $157,190 | $111,550 | $179,650 | $164,180 |
| 32 | Providence, RI-MA | $156,540 | $88,860 | $189,860 | $153,810 |
| 33 | Burlington, VT | $156,460 | $90,440 | $188,990 | $154,990 |
| 34 | Riverside, CA | $156,350 | $98,920 | $184,620 | $146,890 |
| 35 | Durham, NC | $156,000 | $90,560 | $188,240 | $159,880 |
| 36 | Santa Rosa, CA | $155,730 | $97,610 | $184,370 | $144,480 |
| 37 | Winston, NC | $155,270 | $96,220 | $184,350 | $168,690 |
| 38 | Atlantic City, NJ | $154,860 | $94,060 | $184,790 | $156,650 |
| 39 | Atlanta, GA | $154,250 | $98,720 | $181,600 | $154,160 |
| 40 | Waterbury, CT | $153,940 | $86,010 | $187,390 | $154,280 |
| 41 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $152,320 | $100,760 | $177,720 | $145,310 |
| 42 | Austin, TX | $151,550 | $91,310 | $181,210 | $154,540 |
| 43 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $150,860 | $93,040 | $179,340 | $154,970 |
| 44 | Baltimore, MD | $150,720 | $81,470 | $184,830 | $144,250 |
| 45 | Buffalo, NY | $150,700 | $90,850 | $180,190 | $157,230 |
| 46 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $150,570 | $87,840 | $181,480 | $163,350 |
| 47 | Charlottesville, VA | $149,430 | $101,820 | $172,890 | $150,720 |
| 48 | Salt Lake City, UT | $149,340 | $86,820 | $180,150 | $148,050 |
| 49 | Portland, ME | $149,010 | $87,570 | $179,250 | $146,290 |
| 50 | Huntsville, AL | $148,550 | $85,840 | $179,440 | $159,610 |
| 51 | Dallas, TX | $147,910 | $90,330 | $176,280 | $143,480 |
| 52 | Spokane, WA | $147,800 | $98,550 | $172,080 | $147,290 |
| 53 | Naples, FL | $147,580 | $79,040 | $181,330 | $143,000 |
| 54 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $147,510 | $86,860 | $177,400 | $143,840 |
| 55 | Portland, OR-WA | $147,450 | $90,710 | $175,390 | $139,870 |
| 56 | Raleigh, NC | $147,350 | $93,790 | $173,720 | $150,120 |
| 57 | Houston, TX | $146,790 | $90,130 | $174,700 | $148,830 |
| 58 | Fort Collins, CO | $146,060 | $93,870 | $171,750 | $144,430 |
| 59 | Olympia, WA | $145,640 | $109,780 | $163,320 | $140,480 |
| 60 | Eugene, OR | $145,620 | $87,210 | $174,370 | $143,370 |
| 61 | Chicago, IL-IN | $145,580 | $84,860 | $175,470 | $140,530 |
| 62 | Springfield, MA | $145,390 | $91,290 | $172,040 | $151,350 |
| 63 | Columbus, OH | $143,870 | $73,940 | $178,320 | $150,700 |
| 64 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $143,480 | $82,910 | $173,310 | $132,120 |
| 65 | Palm Bay, FL | $143,230 | $73,570 | $177,550 | $143,220 |
| 66 | Bakersfield, CA | $143,020 | $85,990 | $171,120 | $141,760 |
| 67 | Bloomington, IL | $142,880 | $78,040 | $174,820 | $152,750 |
| 68 | Davenport, IA-IL | $142,460 | $82,220 | $172,140 | $159,930 |
| 69 | Santa Cruz, CA | $141,920 | $85,160 | $169,870 | $129,140 |
| 70 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $141,900 | $82,010 | $171,390 | $148,790 |
| 71 | Greenville, SC | $141,750 | $75,360 | $174,450 | $151,990 |
| 72 | Knoxville, TN | $141,210 | $93,120 | $164,880 | $152,550 |
| 73 | Miami, FL | $141,110 | $85,200 | $168,650 | $123,610 |
| 74 | Tampa, FL | $140,550 | $78,790 | $170,980 | $139,310 |
| 75 | Amherst Town, MA | $140,460 | $93,560 | $163,550 | $140,120 |
| 76 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $140,460 | $87,300 | $166,650 | $147,720 |
| 77 | Colorado Springs, CO | $140,320 | $85,490 | $167,340 | $139,330 |
| 78 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $140,030 | $75,960 | $171,560 | $140,070 |
| 79 | Jacksonville, FL | $139,710 | $79,140 | $169,560 | $140,430 |
| 80 | Ann Arbor, MI | $139,260 | $90,960 | $163,050 | $138,050 |
| 81 | Detroit, MI | $138,840 | $83,890 | $165,920 | $138,430 |
| 82 | Orlando, FL | $138,690 | $79,250 | $167,980 | $136,750 |
| 83 | Stockton, CA | $137,610 | $91,710 | $160,220 | $130,950 |
| 84 | Fresno, CA | $137,200 | $91,460 | $159,720 | $134,300 |
| 85 | Salinas, CA | $137,200 | $91,480 | $159,720 | $125,820 |
| 86 | Des Moines, IA | $136,700 | $89,610 | $159,890 | $149,070 |
| 87 | Las Vegas, NV | $136,390 | $81,600 | $163,360 | $136,100 |
| 88 | Milwaukee, WI | $136,260 | $85,950 | $161,030 | $140,570 |
| 89 | Bellingham, WA | $136,240 | $102,190 | $153,000 | $131,840 |
| 90 | Cape Coral, FL | $136,180 | $82,450 | $162,640 | $133,050 |
| 91 | Beaumont, TX | $135,640 | $85,450 | $160,370 | $150,630 |
| 92 | Green Bay, WI | $135,320 | $88,030 | $158,600 | $145,370 |
| 93 | Lafayette, IN | $134,800 | $83,280 | $160,180 | $144,280 |
| 94 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $134,430 | $81,830 | $160,330 | $151,110 |
| 95 | Wilmington, NC | $134,330 | $84,470 | $158,890 | $139,310 |
| 96 | Phoenix, AZ | $134,160 | $85,840 | $157,980 | $129,850 |
| 97 | Manchester, NH | $133,830 | $89,250 | $155,790 | $126,660 |
| 98 | Dayton, OH | $133,350 | $70,430 | $164,340 | $143,860 |
| 99 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $133,120 | $88,610 | $155,040 | $143,850 |
| 100 | Ogden, UT | $133,120 | $93,270 | $152,760 | $132,660 |
| 101 | San Antonio, TX | $132,660 | $81,310 | $157,960 | $140,060 |
| 102 | Fargo, ND-MN | $132,250 | $93,680 | $151,260 | $145,540 |
| 103 | Madison, WI | $132,250 | $88,280 | $153,920 | $135,940 |
| 104 | Augusta, GA-SC | $130,210 | $74,280 | $157,770 | $141,680 |
| 105 | Salem, OR | $130,210 | $84,030 | $152,960 | $125,630 |
| 106 | Bismarck, ND | $129,830 | $88,110 | $150,380 | $142,630 |
| 107 | Corpus Christi, TX | $129,670 | $77,060 | $155,580 | $139,930 |
| 108 | Lakeland, FL | $129,270 | $75,000 | $156,020 | $133,070 |
| 109 | Iowa City, IA | $129,040 | $89,040 | $148,740 | $141,010 |
| 110 | Blacksburg, VA | $128,710 | $92,730 | $146,430 | $138,830 |
| 111 | Indianapolis, IN | $128,110 | $81,890 | $150,860 | $133,870 |
| 112 | Wichita, KS | $128,110 | $83,180 | $150,220 | $144,030 |
| 113 | Lansing, MI | $127,960 | $79,310 | $151,940 | $134,710 |
| 114 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $127,670 | $84,410 | $148,990 | $137,170 |
| 115 | Harrisburg, PA | $127,070 | $79,120 | $150,700 | $128,810 |
| 116 | Topeka, KS | $126,530 | $85,970 | $146,520 | $142,460 |
| 117 | Albuquerque, NM | $126,280 | $79,520 | $149,320 | $132,170 |
| 118 | Reno, NV | $125,940 | $68,140 | $154,420 | $124,680 |
| 119 | Bend, OR | $125,490 | $84,570 | $145,640 | $121,120 |
| 120 | Savannah, GA | $125,340 | $82,430 | $146,470 | $131,650 |
| 121 | Albany, NY | $125,280 | $66,790 | $154,090 | $125,830 |
| 122 | New Orleans, LA | $124,950 | $73,880 | $150,090 | $134,940 |
| 123 | Peoria, IL | $124,610 | $64,150 | $154,380 | $136,590 |
| 124 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $124,260 | $69,910 | $151,030 | $135,860 |
| 125 | Omaha, NE-IA | $124,070 | $77,630 | $146,950 | $134,990 |
| 126 | Nashville, TN | $123,970 | $68,180 | $151,440 | $128,680 |
| 127 | Cleveland, OH | $123,120 | $73,940 | $147,330 | $131,090 |
| 128 | Pensacola, FL | $123,090 | $67,700 | $150,380 | $125,970 |
| 129 | Springfield, IL | $122,990 | $81,140 | $143,600 | $132,610 |
| 130 | Anchorage, AK | $122,840 | $81,310 | $143,310 | $116,520 |
| 131 | Gainesville, FL | $122,840 | $80,810 | $143,540 | $126,990 |
| 132 | Tulsa, OK | $122,510 | $69,010 | $148,870 | $137,320 |
| 133 | Kalamazoo, MI | $122,430 | $71,260 | $147,640 | $129,090 |
| 134 | Lexington, KY | $122,320 | $83,760 | $141,320 | $131,680 |
| 135 | Tallahassee, FL | $121,850 | $73,670 | $145,580 | $129,740 |
| 136 | Grand Rapids, MI | $121,800 | $75,400 | $144,660 | $127,480 |
| 137 | North Port, FL | $121,430 | $74,880 | $144,350 | $118,560 |
| 138 | Charleston, SC | $119,450 | $71,340 | $143,120 | $118,310 |
| 139 | Birmingham, AL | $119,330 | $76,070 | $140,650 | $130,210 |
| 140 | Tucson, AZ | $119,230 | $78,190 | $139,440 | $123,050 |
| 141 | Florence, SC | $119,160 | $69,800 | $143,480 | $137,320 |
| 142 | Reading, PA | $117,790 | $71,700 | $140,500 | $121,360 |
| 143 | Killeen, TX | $117,620 | $75,050 | $138,590 | $129,070 |
| 144 | Corvallis, OR | $117,250 | $74,670 | $138,220 | $112,720 |
| 145 | Fort Wayne, IN | $117,100 | $78,940 | $135,890 | $126,500 |
| 146 | Pittsburgh, PA | $116,750 | $70,120 | $139,710 | $123,320 |
| 147 | Columbia, SC | $116,360 | $66,660 | $140,840 | $124,230 |
| 148 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $116,290 | $74,510 | $136,880 | $104,800 |
| 149 | Lincoln, NE | $115,040 | $70,350 | $137,070 | $125,620 |
| 150 | Amarillo, TX | $114,130 | $70,550 | $135,600 | $124,300 |
| 151 | Medford, OR | $113,730 | $75,090 | $132,770 | $112,120 |
| 152 | Duluth, MN-WI | $113,300 | $81,700 | $128,860 | $127,640 |
| 153 | Santa Fe, NM | $112,990 | $86,110 | $126,210 | $114,400 |
| 154 | Deltona, FL | $112,610 | $68,680 | $134,260 | $113,330 |
| 155 | Tyler, TX | $112,420 | $70,820 | $132,910 | $121,990 |
| 156 | College Station, TX | $112,380 | $75,340 | $130,620 | $123,560 |
| 157 | Toledo, OH | $112,130 | $70,010 | $132,870 | $122,610 |
| 158 | Kahului, HI | $111,880 | $80,060 | $127,570 | $102,270 |
| 159 | El Paso, TX | $111,400 | $71,820 | $130,890 | $123,900 |
| 160 | Scranton, PA | $111,300 | $68,720 | $132,250 | $118,970 |
| 161 | Lancaster, PA | $110,930 | $73,720 | $129,270 | $112,900 |
| 162 | Jackson, MS | $109,390 | $76,750 | $125,470 | $122,840 |
| 163 | Waco, TX | $109,050 | $75,230 | $125,740 | $117,830 |
| 164 | Spartanburg, SC | $108,830 | $62,710 | $131,560 | $119,530 |
| 165 | Akron, OH | $107,760 | $65,000 | $128,840 | $115,410 |
| 166 | Asheville, NC | $107,580 | $78,370 | $121,970 | $111,470 |
| 167 | Bozeman, MT | $107,540 | $84,860 | $118,710 | $104,910 |
| 168 | Lubbock, TX | $107,410 | $65,960 | $127,820 | $117,620 |
| 169 | McAllen, TX | $106,890 | $71,550 | $124,300 | $124,440 |
| 170 | Champaign, IL | $106,480 | $78,350 | $120,330 | $114,860 |
| 171 | Jefferson City, MO | $105,620 | $70,970 | $122,680 | $120,060 |
| 172 | Billings, MT | $105,230 | $76,540 | $119,350 | $112,510 |
| 173 | Oklahoma City, OK | $103,770 | $60,090 | $125,300 | $114,780 |
| 174 | Abilene, TX | $103,380 | $63,940 | $122,800 | $114,400 |
| 175 | Boise City, ID | $102,750 | $60,420 | $123,610 | $104,430 |
| 176 | Montgomery, AL | $100,920 | $71,470 | $115,420 | $112,530 |
| 177 | Little Rock, AR | $99,780 | $57,840 | $120,430 | $111,660 |
| 178 | Brownsville, TX | $98,900 | $71,280 | $112,490 | $115,030 |
| 179 | Baton Rouge, LA | $94,950 | $68,430 | $108,040 | $104,590 |
| 180 | San Juan, PR | $80,680 | $50,710 | $95,430 | N/A |
| 181 | Mobile, AL | $75,030 | $58,120 | $83,370 | $85,170 |
More
More on public relations managers
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Public Relations Manager salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays public relations managers the most?
San Jose, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $229,420 a year, followed by Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV ($214,680), New York, NY-NJ ($208,810), San Francisco, CA ($207,600). The national mean is $164,760 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do public relations managers earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in San Jose, CA ($207,760 at national prices, $229,420 nominal), Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV ($197,160 at national prices, $214,680 nominal), New York, NY-NJ ($185,510 at national prices, $208,810 nominal).
How much do public relations managers make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $208,810; Los Angeles, CA: $178,530; Chicago, IL-IN: $145,580; Dallas, TX: $147,910; Houston, TX: $146,790 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do public relations managers earn the least?
Of the 181 metro areas with their own estimate, Mobile, AL has the lowest mean wage, $75,030. At local prices that is worth $85,170.