Public relations specialists

Detailed Occupation

Add Comparison

2021 Workforce

134k

Average Age

40.4

Estimated Job Growth

7.17%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$89,482

Average Male Salary

$109,145

Average Female Salary

$78,537

About

Public relations specialists are most often employed by the Advertising, public relations & related services industry. The average yearly wage for Public relations specialists was $89,482 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Public relations specialists are District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC, and Upper East Side PUMA, NY. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Public relations specialists are District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC, District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, and Arlington County (South) PUMA, VA.

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Employment and salary information for the Public relations specialists workforce. Public relations specialists workforce in 2021 was 133,531 people, of which 64.2% were women and 35.8% were men. Public relations specialists are paid most in Redwood City, San Carlos & Belmont Cities PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

47,749

Male Workforce

± 5.36k

85,782

Female Workforce

± 7.19k

The Public relations specialists workforce in 2021 was 133,531 people (64.2% women and 35.8% men). This implies an average annual growth of 8.32% between 2014 (123,275) and 2021 (133,531).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Public relations specialists.

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Virginia ($130,698), District of Columbia ($130,602), and Maryland ($125,228).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$89,482

AVERAGE WAGE

#86 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Public relations specialists earned an average of $89,482, $29,886 more than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Public relations specialists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.426

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Public relations specialists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.426, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Public relations specialists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Public relations specialists compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Public relations specialists and on wages for those in the field. Advertising, public relations & related services is the industry that employs the most Public relations specialists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Public relations specialists, by average wage, is Support activities for mining ($259,035).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

134k

2021 Workforce

± 8,968

1.78%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 9.37%

This graphic shows the share of Public relations specialists employed by various industries. Advertising, public relations & related services employs the largest share of Public relations specialists at 57.7%, followed by Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges with 23.2% and Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services with 19.1%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Public relations specialists in the US. The workforce of Public relations specialists in 2021 was 133,531 people, with 64.2% woman, and 35.8% men. The average age of male Public relations specialists in the workforce is 42.3 and of female Public relations specialists is 39.3, and the most common race/ethnicity for Public relations specialists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Public relations specialists in 2021 was 133,531 people, with 64.2% woman, and 35.8% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (20,822 people), 25 to 29 years (20,354 people), and 35 to 39 years (16,927 people). Among them they concentrated 43.6% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 11.4% of Public relations specialists workers were Hispanic and 88.6% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (74.5%), Puerto Rican (15.1)%, and Cuban (10.4)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2021, 78.2% of the Public relations specialists workforce were White, of which 63.8% were women and 36.2% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (8.85%) and Two or More Races (5.51%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Public relations specialists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Public relations specialists is Communications but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2021 were Communications.

Among the necessary skills for Public relations specialists, Speaking stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Public relations specialists need more than the average amount of Operations Analysis.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Public relations specialists in 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Communications (36,542 people), Social Sciences (15,225 people), and Business (13,325 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Public relations specialists workers were Bachelors Degree (76,632 people), Graduate Degree (32,870 people), and Some college (12,863 people).

The graphic shows the Public relations specialists workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Public relations specialists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Public relations specialists need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Public Relations Specialists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Public Relations Specialists are expected to see a growth of 7.17% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

7.17%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Public relations specialists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.