State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Public Relations Specialist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Public Relations Specialists is $74,750 a year ($35.94/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 4.8% through 2034, with about 27,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 27-3031Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and MediaLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $74,750
- Projected growth
- +4.8%
- Openings a year
- 27,600
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Communications Specialist, Community Relations Coordinator, Corporate Communications Specialist, Information and Communications Specialist, Media Relations Specialist, Public Affairs Specialist.
How much do Public Relations Specialists make?
10th percentile$44,110
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$56,260
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$74,750
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$100,370
Upper quartile
90th percentile$135,150
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $74,750 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $35.94/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $84,120 |
| People employed | 283,380 |
Versus all US occupations
At $74,750, Public Relations Specialists earn 47% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $23,770 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $72,775, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $135,150 or more while the bottom 10% earn $44,110, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 59% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $102,740, and still leads at $93,484 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Public Relations Specialists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $102,740 | $93,484 | 16,720 |
| Washington | $87,470 | $81,738 | 6,430 |
| California | $85,030 | $76,797 | 32,710 |
| Connecticut | $84,990 | $82,029 | 1,910 |
| New York | $81,250 | $75,287 | 28,250 |
| Colorado | $80,680 | $78,291 | 7,410 |
| Virginia | $80,380 | $79,502 | 9,990 |
| New Jersey | $80,130 | $73,646 | 4,980 |
| Massachusetts | $79,660 | $75,324 | 6,760 |
| Maryland | $79,560 | $75,801 | 4,190 |
Is Public Relations Specialist a growing career?
Public Relations Specialists4.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+4.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Public Relations Specialists to change 4.8% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 15,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 27,600 openings are projected each year, 8.7% of the 315,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Organizations will continue to emphasize community outreach and customer relations as a way to maintain and enhance their reputation and visibility. Public opinion can change quickly, particularly because both good and bad news spread rapidly through the Internet. Consequently, public relations specialists will be needed to respond to news developments and maintain their organization’s reputation.
The use of social media also is expected to create opportunities for public relations specialists as they try to appeal to consumers and the general public in new ways. Public relations specialists will be needed to help their clients use social media effectively.
How to become a Public Relations Specialist
Public relations specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have studied a particular field, such as communications or business.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as public relations specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree90.9%
- Master's Degree9.1%
What does a Public Relations Specialist do?
Promote or create an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media. May specialize in using social media.
Public relations specialists create and maintain a positive public image for the individuals, groups, or organizations they represent. They craft media releases and develop social media programs to shape public perception of their clients and to increase awareness of each client’s work and goals.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Establish or maintain cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer, employee, or public interest groups.
- Confer with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns or to provide advice on business decisions.
- Arrange public appearances, lectures, contests, or exhibits for clients to increase product or service awareness or to promote goodwill.
- Prepare or deliver speeches to further public relations objectives.
- Write press releases or other media communications to promote clients.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where public relations specialists work
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 14% |
|---|---|
| Advertising, public relations, and related services | 13% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 10% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 7% |
| Grantmaking and giving services and social advocacy organizations | 7% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.1/5
- Speaking4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.4/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Learning Strategies2.9/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Coordination3.9/5
- Time Management3.9/5
- Persuasion3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Negotiation3.3/5
- Systems Evaluation3.3/5
Tools and software
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Sales and marketing software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Public Relations Specialist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.0
Investigative2.7
Artisticprimary4.7
Socialprimary3.9
Enterprisingprimary5.8
Conventional3.5
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Public Relations Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Public Relations Specialists make?
Public Relations Specialists earn a median of $74,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 47% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $35.94/hr. The middle half earn between $56,260 and $100,370. The top 10% earn $135,150 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Public Relations Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Public Relations Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 90.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Public Relations Specialist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.8% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 27,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Public Relations Specialist do?
Public relations specialists create and maintain a positive public image for the individuals, groups, or organizations they represent. A core O*NET task: respond to requests for information from the media or designate an appropriate spokesperson or information source. Employers most often ask for Customer relationship management CRM software, Data mining software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay Public Relations Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Public Relations Specialists are District of Columbia ($102,740), Washington ($87,470), California ($85,030) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Public Relations Specialist?
O*NET scores Public Relations Specialists highest on the Enterprising, Artistic and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFJ, ENFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.