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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

27-3031 Public Relations Specialists

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
244,730 1.0 % $33.75 $70,190 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.63 $21.87 $29.40 $39.98 $55.50
Annual Wage (2) $34,590 $45,480 $61,150 $83,170 $115,430


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 34,760 7.09 $39.56 $82,290
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 20,510 4.68 $37.15 $77,270
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 18,450 0.60 $30.32 $63,070
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 12,480 0.23 $30.64 $63,730
Management of Companies and Enterprises 10,970 0.45 $36.79 $76,530

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 34,760 7.09 $39.56 $82,290
Social Advocacy Organizations 10,930 4.91 $30.93 $64,340
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 20,510 4.68 $37.15 $77,270
Grantmaking and Giving Services 6,350 4.42 $34.16 $71,050
Radio and Television Broadcasting 3,560 1.66 $25.52 $53,090

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) (8) (8) $46.05 $95,780
Metal Ore Mining 50 0.11 $44.70 $92,980
Software Publishers 1,520 0.35 $44.20 $91,950
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 1,590 0.17 $43.49 $90,460
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 330 0.63 $43.43 $90,330


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 26,700 1.54 0.92 $36.05 $74,990
Texas 26,110 2.10 1.26 $29.14 $60,600
New York 25,760 2.70 1.62 $37.61 $78,230
District of Columbia 18,600 25.71 15.43 $52.59 $109,390
Florida 11,830 1.34 0.81 $29.20 $60,740




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 18,600 25.71 15.43 $52.59 $109,390
Rhode Island 1,330 2.75 1.65 $33.92 $70,560
New York 25,760 2.70 1.62 $37.61 $78,230
Vermont 780 2.54 1.53 $26.88 $55,900
Maine 1,450 2.37 1.42 $27.18 $56,530




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 18,600 25.71 15.43 $52.59 $109,390
New Jersey 4,330 1.06 0.64 $39.37 $81,890
New York 25,760 2.70 1.62 $37.61 $78,230
Virginia 7,640 1.97 1.18 $37.12 $77,210
Washington 6,100 1.84 1.10 $36.99 $76,950





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 24,250 2.51 1.51 $39.33 $81,820
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 24,160 7.60 4.56 $49.91 $103,820
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 9,480 1.52 0.91 $32.47 $67,550
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 9,080 2.48 1.49 $29.49 $61,340
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,810 1.46 0.87 $30.90 $64,270
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 6,460 2.61 1.57 $40.63 $84,520
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 5,700 2.04 1.22 $34.78 $72,340
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5,680 1.86 1.12 $32.31 $67,200
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,730 2.40 1.44 $30.93 $64,320
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 4,600 1.68 1.01 $28.93 $60,180




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 24,160 7.60 4.56 $49.91 $103,820
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 610 5.39 3.24 $36.10 $75,090
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1,080 5.01 3.00 $38.29 $79,640
Jefferson City, MO 340 4.54 2.72 $31.08 $64,640
Ames, IA 180 3.95 2.37 $28.04 $58,320
Corvallis, OR 140 3.87 2.32 $31.71 $65,950
Tallahassee, FL 660 3.80 2.28 $34.15 $71,040
Austin-Round Rock, TX 4,060 3.79 2.27 $30.03 $62,460
Columbia, MO 330 3.49 2.09 $24.42 $50,800
Jackson, MS 880 3.34 2.00 $20.55 $42,750




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 24,160 7.60 4.56 $49.91 $103,820
Kennewick-Richland, WA 120 1.05 0.63 $42.16 $87,690
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 6,460 2.61 1.57 $40.63 $84,520
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,430 2.13 1.28 $40.34 $83,920
California-Lexington Park, MD 40 0.78 0.47 $40.21 $83,640
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 24,250 2.51 1.51 $39.33 $81,820
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,240 2.10 1.26 $38.54 $80,160
Bismarck, ND 190 2.71 1.62 $38.51 $80,100
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1,080 5.01 3.00 $38.29 $79,640
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 780 1.34 0.81 $38.27 $79,600

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 430 2.22 1.33 $27.25 $56,690
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 390 2.18 1.31 $30.61 $63,670
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 330 0.83 0.50 $20.78 $43,220
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 270 0.97 0.58 $23.24 $48,340
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 240 1.22 0.73 $19.67 $40,900

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 240 3.29 1.98 $28.98 $60,270
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 220 2.26 1.35 $26.87 $55,890
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 430 2.22 1.33 $27.25 $56,690
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 390 2.18 1.31 $30.61 $63,670
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 220 2.12 1.27 $30.05 $62,500

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.04 0.63 $36.86 $76,670
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 70 1.49 0.90 $35.77 $74,400
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $34.14 $71,020
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 120 1.23 0.74 $31.86 $66,280
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 390 2.18 1.31 $30.61 $63,670


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020