Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

27-3031 Public Relations Specialists

Engage in promoting or creating an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
233,730 1.0 % $32.69 $67,990 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.79 $20.94 $28.51 $38.92 $53.97
Annual Wage (2) $32,840 $43,550 $59,300 $80,940 $112,260


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 38,900 7.85 $37.60 $78,200
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 20,840 4.78 $34.32 $71,380
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 16,280 0.54 $28.37 $59,010
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 10,650 0.20 $29.33 $61,020
Management of Companies and Enterprises 10,330 0.44 $35.39 $73,600

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 38,900 7.85 $37.60 $78,200
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 20,840 4.78 $34.32 $71,380
Social Advocacy Organizations 9,860 4.64 $29.00 $60,320
Grantmaking and Giving Services 6,610 4.64 $33.08 $68,800
Radio and Television Broadcasting 3,360 1.55 $26.64 $55,400

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 5,190 0.26 $45.20 $94,010
Software Publishers 1,240 0.34 $44.35 $92,250
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 1,800 0.20 $44.13 $91,800
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 340 0.07 $43.66 $90,820
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 400 0.11 $43.63 $90,750


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 27,780 2.34 1.42 $30.75 $63,970
California 26,890 1.61 0.98 $36.32 $75,540
New York 24,470 2.66 1.62 $34.68 $72,130
District of Columbia 17,350 24.50 14.94 $49.42 $102,790
Florida 11,030 1.31 0.80 $29.29 $60,930




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 17,350 24.50 14.94 $49.42 $102,790
Vermont 1,050 3.45 2.10 $28.27 $58,800
New York 24,470 2.66 1.62 $34.68 $72,130
Texas 27,780 2.34 1.42 $30.75 $63,970
Rhode Island 1,090 2.30 1.40 $35.46 $73,760




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 17,350 24.50 14.94 $49.42 $102,790
Virginia 6,680 1.76 1.08 $37.97 $78,980
California 26,890 1.61 0.98 $36.32 $75,540
Rhode Island 1,090 2.30 1.40 $35.46 $73,760
New York 24,470 2.66 1.62 $34.68 $72,130



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

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 Metropolitan Division 21,530 8.55 5.21 $48.13 $100,120
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 20,260 3.03 1.85 $36.16 $75,220
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 8,210 1.85 1.13 $33.29 $69,230
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 7,410 2.97 1.81 $32.58 $67,760
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 6,440 2.20 1.34 $32.13 $66,830
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 4,670 2.54 1.55 $34.64 $72,050
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 4,600 4.12 2.51 $45.26 $94,140
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 4,500 1.23 0.75 $30.97 $64,410
Austin-Round Rock, TX 4,390 4.41 2.69 $32.40 $67,390
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 4,090 2.12 1.29 $29.78 $61,940


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

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 Metropolitan Division 21,530 8.55 5.21 $48.13 $100,120
Jefferson City, MO 440 5.96 3.63 $30.69 $63,840
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 580 5.31 3.24 (8) (8)
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1,130 5.26 3.21 $36.54 $76,010
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 190 4.53 2.77 $31.19 $64,870
Austin-Round Rock, TX 4,390 4.41 2.69 $32.40 $67,390
Corvallis, OR 160 4.28 2.61 $31.55 $65,620
Ames, IA 190 4.28 2.61 $25.77 $53,600
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 4,600 4.12 2.51 $45.26 $94,140
Columbia, MO 380 4.12 2.51 $24.50 $50,960


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

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 Metropolitan Division 21,530 8.55 5.21 $48.13 $100,120
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 4,600 4.12 2.51 $45.26 $94,140
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2,330 2.14 1.31 $41.41 $86,140
Kennewick-Richland, WA 130 1.13 0.69 $38.48 $80,030
St. Joseph, MO-KS 70 1.27 0.78 $38.30 $79,660
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 1,860 1.94 1.18 $37.46 $77,920
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1,130 5.26 3.21 $36.54 $76,010
Bakersfield, CA 160 0.54 0.33 $36.24 $75,390
Salem, OR 270 1.63 0.99 $36.18 $75,260
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 20,260 3.03 1.85 $36.16 $75,220

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 340 1.80 1.10 $25.05 $52,100
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 320 4.63 2.82 $30.58 $63,600
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 270 1.01 0.61 $25.21 $52,440
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 260 1.94 1.19 $26.19 $54,470
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 260 2.69 1.64 $27.91 $58,060

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 320 4.63 2.82 $30.58 $63,600
Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 70 4.16 2.54 (8) (8)
West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 200 3.10 1.89 $31.59 $65,710
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 260 2.69 1.64 $27.91 $58,060
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 140 2.21 1.35 $24.02 $49,960

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 30 1.77 1.08 $33.81 $70,320
Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 30 0.22 0.14 $32.87 $68,370
East Washington nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $32.16 $66,880
West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 200 3.10 1.89 $31.59 $65,710
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.65 0.39 $31.10 $64,690


About May 2017 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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018