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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
242,710 0.9 % $ 35.22 $ 73,250 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for Public Relations Specialists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.80 $ 23.40 $ 30.19 $ 39.40 $ 59.91
Annual Wage (2) $ 37,020 $ 48,670 $ 62,800 $ 81,960 $ 124,620

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 34,190 7.86 $ 41.27 $ 85,840
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 19,220 0.64 $ 31.75 $ 66,050
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 17,290 4.22 $ 37.27 $ 77,520
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 13,570 0.25 $ 32.46 $ 67,510
Management of Companies and Enterprises 12,260 0.48 $ 40.75 $ 84,760

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 34,190 7.86 $ 41.27 $ 85,840
Social Advocacy Organizations 10,300 4.60 $ 31.98 $ 66,520
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 17,290 4.22 $ 37.27 $ 77,520
Grantmaking and Giving Services 5,880 4.21 $ 38.46 $ 79,990
Radio and Television Broadcasting 2,760 1.45 $ 27.40 $ 56,990

Top paying industries for Public Relations Specialists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 610 0.16 $ 60.23 $ 125,280
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 360 0.23 $ 58.55 $ 121,790
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (8) (8) $ 58.21 $ 121,090
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 70 0.06 $ 52.30 $ 108,790
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 90 0.44 $ 51.64 $ 107,400

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 2021


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 25,540 2.95 1.71 $ 40.13 $ 83,460
California 25,050 1.52 0.88 $ 39.35 $ 81,840
Texas 21,720 1.78 1.03 $ 30.55 $ 63,540
District of Columbia 17,750 26.82 15.57 $ 50.98 $ 106,040
Florida 17,380 2.02 1.17 $ 30.57 $ 63,590


Map of location quotient of public relations specialists by state, May 2021


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 17,750 26.82 15.57 $ 50.98 $ 106,040
New York 25,540 2.95 1.71 $ 40.13 $ 83,460
Maine 1,720 2.91 1.69 $ 25.20 $ 52,420
Missouri 7,510 2.75 1.60 $ 29.34 $ 61,020
Vermont 770 2.72 1.58 $ 27.05 $ 56,250


Map of annual mean wages of public relations specialists by state, May 2021


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 17,750 26.82 15.57 $ 50.98 $ 106,040
Washington 5,240 1.63 0.95 $ 41.01 $ 85,300
New York 25,540 2.95 1.71 $ 40.13 $ 83,460
Virginia 7,690 2.05 1.19 $ 39.46 $ 82,080
California 25,050 1.52 0.88 $ 39.35 $ 81,840



Map of employment of public relations specialists by area, May 2021


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 23,920 2.76 1.60 $ 41.24 $ 85,770
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 23,010 7.84 4.55 $ 49.39 $ 102,720
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 9,270 1.62 0.94 $ 37.39 $ 77,770
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 6,610 1.84 1.07 $ 32.47 $ 67,530
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 6,610 2.69 1.56 $ 32.22 $ 67,010
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 5,920 2.29 1.33 $ 39.30 $ 81,740
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 4,990 2.22 1.29 $ 42.35 $ 88,090
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 4,600 1.09 0.63 $ 35.31 $ 73,440
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 4,480 1.55 0.90 $ 30.52 $ 63,470
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3,940 2.16 1.25 $ 36.35 $ 75,610


Map of location quotient of public relations specialists by area, May 2021


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 23,010 7.84 4.55 $ 49.39 $ 102,720
Ithaca, NY 280 6.11 3.55 (8) (8)
Jefferson City, MO 360 4.98 2.89 $ 27.42 $ 57,030
Columbia, MO 440 4.78 2.78 $ 25.43 $ 52,890
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 890 4.51 2.62 $ 35.12 $ 73,050
Ames, IA 180 4.04 2.34 $ 30.49 $ 63,420
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 440 3.91 2.27 $ 36.20 $ 75,290
Portland-South Portland, ME 750 3.79 2.20 $ 24.78 $ 51,540
Madison, WI 1,430 3.78 2.19 $ 31.79 $ 66,120
Manhattan, KS 130 3.57 2.07 $ 24.79 $ 51,570