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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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 Public Relations Specialists
Industry profile for Public Relations Specialists
Geographic profile for Public Relations Specialists

National estimates for Public Relations Specialists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Public Relations Specialists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
264,750 1.5 % $ 37.76 $ 78,540 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Public Relations Specialists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 18.57 $ 24.03 $ 32.42 $ 44.65 $ 61.75
Annual Wage (2) $ 38,630 $ 49,980 $ 67,440 $ 92,880 $ 128,450


Industry profile for Public Relations Specialists:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Public Relations Specialists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 37,190 7.74 $ 45.72 $ 95,100
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 18,060 0.60 $ 32.99 $ 68,620
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 17,070 4.08 $ 39.71 $ 82,610
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 13,500 0.25 $ 35.61 $ 74,070
Management of Companies and Enterprises 12,960 0.48 $ 42.72 $ 88,860

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Public Relations Specialists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 37,190 7.74 $ 45.72 $ 95,100
Social Advocacy Organizations 11,110 4.67 $ 35.09 $ 72,990
Grantmaking and Giving Services 6,690 4.48 $ 41.26 $ 85,820
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 17,070 4.08 $ 39.71 $ 82,610
Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations 1,630 1.35 $ 31.52 $ 65,550

Top paying industries for Public Relations Specialists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 380 0.24 $ 59.77 $ 124,320
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 920 0.24 $ 59.75 $ 124,280
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media 30 0.31 $ 55.25 $ 114,920
Oil and Gas Extraction 110 0.11 $ 55.02 $ 114,440
Software Publishers 1,860 0.30 $ 54.69 $ 113,760


Geographic profile for Public Relations Specialists:

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



Map of employment of public relations specialists by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Public Relations Specialists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 28,570 1.62 0.90 $ 43.34 $ 90,150
New York 28,160 3.09 1.73 $ 41.87 $ 87,090
Texas 23,310 1.79 1.00 $ 31.13 $ 64,750
Florida 19,740 2.14 1.20 $ 31.61 $ 65,760
District of Columbia 17,400 25.21 14.08 $ 57.34 $ 119,270


Map of location quotient of public relations specialists by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Public Relations Specialists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 17,400 25.21 14.08 $ 57.34 $ 119,270
Vermont 1,230 4.21 2.35 $ 36.29 $ 75,490
Missouri 9,350 3.31 1.85 $ 32.81 $ 68,240
New York 28,160 3.09 1.73 $ 41.87 $ 87,090
Rhode Island 1,220 2.55 1.43 $ 37.98 $ 79,000


Map of annual mean wages of public relations specialists by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Public Relations Specialists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 17,400 25.21 14.08 $ 57.34 $ 119,270
California 28,570 1.62 0.90 $ 43.34 $ 90,150
New Jersey 5,330 1.30 0.72 $ 42.71 $ 88,830
Virginia 7,700 1.99 1.11 $ 42.14 $ 87,650
Massachusetts 8,550 2.40 1.34 $ 42.03 $ 87,410



Map of employment of public relations specialists by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Public Relations Specialists:

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 26,490 2.88 1.61 $ 43.21 $ 89,870
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 22,520 7.44 4.16 $ 54.87 $ 114,120
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 10,940 1.79 1.00 $ 39.15 $ 81,430
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 7,270 2.77 1.55 $ 31.89 $ 66,340
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,250 1.91 1.06 $ 32.41 $ 67,410
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 6,730 2.49 1.39 $ 44.41 $ 92,370
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,320 1.43 0.80 $ 38.36 $ 79,780
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,730 2.40 1.34 $ 49.37 $ 102,680
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,990 2.65 1.48 $ 35.73 $ 74,330
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,930 1.61 0.90 $ 31.04 $ 64,560


Map of location quotient of public relations specialists by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Public Relations Specialists:

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 22,520 7.44 4.16 $ 54.87 $ 114,120
Ithaca, NY 270 5.72 3.19 (8) (8)
Jefferson City, MO 390 5.39 3.01 $ 31.28 $ 65,060
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 560 4.79 2.67 $ 37.03 $ 77,030
Boulder, CO 900 4.67 2.61 $ 36.30 $ 75,500
Columbia, MO 430 4.54 2.54 $ 30.36 $ 63,160
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 890 4.41 2.46 $ 36.46 $ 75,830
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 500 4.10 2.29 $ 35.99 $ 74,850
Ames, IA 190 4.06 2.27 $ 30.54 $ 63,510
Madison, WI 1,490 3.86 2.15 $ 33.78 $ 70,250


Map of annual mean wages of public relations specialists by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Public Relations Specialists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,030 1.81 1.01 $ 55.93 $ 116,320
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 22,520 7.44 4.16 $ 54.87 $ 114,120
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,730 2.40 1.34 $ 49.37 $ 102,680
Kennewick-Richland, WA 160 1.29 0.72 $ 44.97 $ 93,550
Napa, CA 80 1.10 0.62 $ 44.75 $ 93,070
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 6,730 2.49 1.39 $ 44.41 $ 92,370
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 150 1.11 0.62 $ 44.18 $ 91,900
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 330 1.28 0.71 $ 43.64 $ 90,770
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 26,490 2.88 1.61 $ 43.21 $ 89,870
Trenton, NJ 670 2.83 1.58 $ 43.15 $ 89,740

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Public Relations Specialists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 490 3.39 1.90 $ 28.72 $ 59,730
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 480 2.58 1.44 $ 27.46 $ 57,110
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 350 1.33 0.75 $ 27.82 $ 57,870
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 350 3.48 1.95 $ 32.51 $ 67,610
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 300 1.93 1.08 $ 27.29 $ 56,770

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Public Relations Specialists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 260 3.89 2.17 $ 36.67 $ 76,280
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 350 3.48 1.95 $ 32.51 $ 67,610
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 490 3.39 1.90 $ 28.72 $ 59,730
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 480 2.58 1.44 $ 27.46 $ 57,110
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 170 2.39 1.34 $ 24.49 $ 50,930

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Public Relations Specialists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 90 1.08 0.60 $ 38.33 $ 79,720
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 140 2.34 1.31 $ 37.76 $ 78,530
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 260 3.89 2.17 $ 36.67 $ 76,280
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 100 0.65 0.36 $ 36.49 $ 75,890
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 290 2.39 1.33 $ 35.98 $ 74,830


About May 2022 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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023