Public relations specialists had median annual earnings of $69,780 in May 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Salaries ranged from less than $40,750 to more than $129,480. The department reports the following mean salaries for public relations specialists by type of employer: government, $78,220; advertising, public relations, and related services, $74,550; and grantmaking and giving services and social advocacy organizations, $66,310.
Many PR workers receive a range of fringe benefits from corporations and agencies employing them, including bonus/incentive compensation, stock options, profit sharing/pension plans/401(k) programs, medical benefits, life insurance, financial planning, maternity/paternity leave, paid vacations, and family college tuition. Bonuses can range from 5 to 100 percent of base compensation and often are based on individual and/or company performance.
- Accountants
- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Advertising Managers
- Art Directors
- Bloggers
- Book Editors
- Brand Strategists
- Broadcast Engineers
- Business Continuity Planners
- Business Development Managers and Directors
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Business Managers
- Chief Executive Officers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Revenue Officers
- Chief Strategy Officers
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Columnists
- Copywriters
- Corporate Community Relations Directors
- Data Scientists
- Database Specialists
- Decision Scientists
- Demographers
- Digital Advertising Workers
- Digital Marketing Workers
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Directors of Volunteers
- Disc Jockeys
- Document Management Specialists
- Editors
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Ergonomists
- Fashion Writers and Editors
- Film and Television Producers
- Financial Analysts
- Financial Consultants
- Financial Quantitative Analysts
- Food Writers and Editors
- Foreign Correspondents
- Forensic Accountants and Auditors
- Fund-Raisers
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Graphic Designers
- Green Marketers
- Hedge Fund Investor Relations Specialists
- Historic Preservationists
- Human Resources Consultants
- Information Technology Consultants
- Information Technology Security Consultants
- Internet Content Curators
- Internet Marketing and Advertising Consultants
- Journalism Teachers
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Librarians
- Lobbyists
- Magazine Editors
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Market Research Analysts
- Marketing Consultants
- Marketing Managers
- Media Planners and Buyers
- Media Relations Specialists
- Motivational Speakers
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- National Park Service Employees
- News Anchors
- Newspaper Editors
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Online Journalists
- Online Producers
- Online Reputation Managers
- Park Rangers
- Personnel and Labor Relations Specialists
- Photo Editors
- Photojournalists
- Podcasters
- Political Consultants
- Press Secretaries
- Proposal Managers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Managers
- Publicists
- Publicity Photographers
- Rabbis
- Radio and Television Announcers
- Radio and Television Program Directors
- Radio Producers
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists
- Reporters
- Roman Catholic Priests
- Science and Medical Writers
- Social Media Influencers
- Social Media Workers
- Social Workers
- Sports Broadcasters and Announcers
- Sports Publicists
- Sportswriters
- Webmasters
- Workplace Diversity Experts
- Writers
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
