Public Relations Managers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for public relations managers in the U.S. is $146,910 ($70.63 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $146,910
- Mean annual wage
- $164,760
- Median hourly wage
- $70.63
- Employment
- 74,850
74,850 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $82,410 | $39.62 |
| 25th percentile | $106,580 | $51.24 |
| Median (50th) | $146,910 | $70.63 |
| 75th percentile | $204,520 | $98.33 |
| 90th percentile | $284,990 | $137.01 |
Highest-paying states for public relations managers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $197,600 | 7,410 |
| New York | $180,880 | 7,710 |
| Virginia | $176,340 | 2,610 |
| New Jersey | $174,980 | 2,420 |
| Massachusetts | $171,740 | 2,170 |
| California | $167,980 | 9,400 |
| Maine | $166,940 | — |
| Colorado | $162,870 | — |
| Washington | $159,440 | 1,610 |
| Rhode Island | $156,080 | 210 |
Lowest-paying states
- West Virginia: $82,380 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $94,380 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $96,030 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $97,160 median annual wage
- Idaho: $98,160 median annual wage
About this occupation
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awareness for their organization or client.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 2.6% |
| Some college, no degree | 5.8% |
| Associate's degree | 3.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 56.4% |
| Master's degree | 28.4% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 3.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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- Marketing Managers$166,790
- Construction Managers$114,990
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.