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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
244,550 1.1 % $ 34.58 $ 71,940 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Public Relations Specialists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.00 $ 22.42 $ 30.20 $ 41.05 $ 56.83
Annual Wage (2) $ 35,350 $ 46,630 $ 62,810 $ 85,380 $ 118,210


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 33,880 7.46 $ 40.00 $ 83,200
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 20,490 4.92 $ 38.36 $ 79,780
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 20,160 0.66 $ 31.37 $ 65,250
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 12,400 0.23 $ 31.98 $ 66,510
Management of Companies and Enterprises 11,610 0.48 $ 38.30 $ 79,660

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 33,880 7.46 $ 40.00 $ 83,200
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 20,490 4.92 $ 38.36 $ 79,780
Social Advocacy Organizations 10,660 4.85 $ 31.51 $ 65,530
Grantmaking and Giving Services 6,360 4.41 $ 35.48 $ 73,810
Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures 860 2.98 $ 36.27 $ 75,450

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 420 0.26 $ 54.99 $ 114,370
Legal Services 1,490 0.13 $ 48.25 $ 100,360
Natural Gas Distribution 210 0.19 $ 47.98 $ 99,790
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 5,680 0.27 $ 47.76 $ 99,340
Metal Ore Mining 40 0.11 $ 46.12 $ 95,930


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.





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)
New York 27,120 3.12 1.77 $ 38.32 $ 79,700
California 24,810 1.51 0.86 $ 38.51 $ 80,090
Texas 24,780 2.05 1.16 $ 29.23 $ 60,800
District of Columbia 19,010 27.66 15.74 $ 52.47 $ 109,140
Florida 12,880 1.53 0.87 $ 28.03 $ 58,300




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 19,010 27.66 15.74 $ 52.47 $ 109,140
New York 27,120 3.12 1.77 $ 38.32 $ 79,700
Vermont 810 2.88 1.64 $ 26.23 $ 54,560
Maine 1,550 2.69 1.53 $ 26.21 $ 54,510
Rhode Island 1,080 2.44 1.39 $ 35.19 $ 73,190




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 19,010 27.66 15.74 $ 52.47 $ 109,140
New Jersey 4,150 1.10 0.62 $ 39.85 $ 82,890
Washington 6,000 1.88 1.07 $ 39.12 $ 81,380
California 24,810 1.51 0.86 $ 38.51 $ 80,090
Maryland 3,270 1.29 0.74 $ 38.45 $ 79,970





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 25,390 2.87 1.63 $ 39.67 $ 82,510
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 24,640 8.15 4.64 $ 50.18 $ 104,370
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 9,560 1.64 0.93 $ 34.57 $ 71,910
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 8,710 2.43 1.38 $ 29.74 $ 61,870
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,590 1.51 0.86 $ 31.77 $ 66,080
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 6,030 2.32 1.32 $ 37.42 $ 77,840
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,770 2.47 1.41 $ 42.61 $ 88,630
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 5,530 1.86 1.06 $ 30.23 $ 62,880
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 4,890 1.86 1.06 $ 28.74 $ 59,770
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,620 2.50 1.42 $ 33.73 $ 70,150




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 24,640 8.15 4.64 $ 50.18 $ 104,370
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 630 5.81 3.31 $ 34.77 $ 72,310
Ithaca, NY 260 5.76 3.28 $ 41.06 $ 85,400
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 970 4.91 2.79 $ 37.05 $ 77,060
Jefferson City, MO 340 4.70 2.67 $ 33.32 $ 69,300
Columbia, MO 380 4.35 2.47 $ 24.80 $ 51,580
Manhattan, KS 160 4.28 2.44 $ 22.84 $ 47,500
Portland-South Portland, ME 810 4.12 2.34 $ 25.71 $ 53,470
Madison, WI 1,540 4.03 2.29 $ 31.69 $ 65,920
Corvallis, OR 140 4.00 2.27 $ 32.10 $ 66,780




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)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 24,640 8.15 4.64 $ 50.18 $ 104,370
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,130 1.93 1.10 $ 46.46 $ 96,630
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 390 1.57 0.89 $ 44.31 $ 92,160
Kennewick-Richland, WA 120 1.06 0.60 $ 44.24 $ 92,020
California-Lexington Park, MD 40 0.84 0.48 $ 43.43 $ 90,330
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 5,770 2.47 1.41 $ 42.61 $ 88,630
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 4,290 2.19 1.25 $ 41.41 $ 86,140
Ithaca, NY 260 5.76 3.28 $ 41.06 $ 85,400
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 140 1.05 0.60 $ 39.90 $ 82,990
Trenton, NJ 570 2.46 1.40 $ 39.76 $ 82,710

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)
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 410 2.40 1.37 $ 33.59 $ 69,870
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 400 2.18 1.24 $ 27.27 $ 56,730
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 340 0.91 0.52 $ 21.52 $ 44,770
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 260 1.36 0.77 $ 22.77 $ 47,350
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 260 0.95 0.54 $ 22.00 $ 45,750

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 200 3.05 1.73 $ 26.08 $ 54,240
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 250 2.53 1.44 $ 25.33 $ 52,690
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 410 2.40 1.37 $ 33.59 $ 69,870
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 230 2.28 1.30 $ 29.77 $ 61,930
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 200 2.25 1.28 $ 31.01 $ 64,500

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)
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 70 1.37 0.78 $ 38.68 $ 80,450
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 130 1.27 0.72 $ 37.49 $ 77,970
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.95 0.54 $ 34.06 $ 70,850
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 50 0.33 0.19 $ 33.80 $ 70,300
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 410 2.40 1.37 $ 33.59 $ 69,870


About May 2020 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.

(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 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021