Public relations specialists

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

131k

Average Age

39.9

Estimated Job Growth

7.17%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$84,737

Average Male Salary

$104,163

Average Female Salary

$74,003

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 $84,737 in 2020.

The locations that employ the most Public relations specialists are District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, Upper East Side PUMA, NY, and District of Columbia (Northeast) PUMA, DC. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Public relations specialists are District of Columbia (Central) PUMA, DC, District of Columbia (Northeast) 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 2020 was 131,198 people, of which 64.4% were women and 35.6% 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 (Central) PUMA, DC.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

46,694

Male Workforce

± 5.3k

84,504

Female Workforce

± 7.13k

The Public relations specialists workforce in 2020 was 131,198 people (64.4% women and 35.6% men). This implies an average annual growth of 6.43% between 2014 (123,275) and 2020 (131,198).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2020, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were District of Columbia ($129,316), Virginia ($126,227), and Maryland ($115,979).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$84,737

AVERAGE WAGE

#86 in the ranking (2020)

$55,954

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2020, Public relations specialists earned an average of $84,737, $28,783 more than the average national salary of $55,954

The graph shows the ranking of Public relations specialists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2020.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.433

WAGE GINI

In 2020, Public relations specialists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.433, 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 ($260,999).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

131k

2020 Workforce

± 8,889

1.39%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 9.48%

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 59.2%, followed by Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges with 22.2% and Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services with 18.5%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Public relations specialists in the US. The workforce of Public relations specialists in 2020 was 131,198 people, with 64.4% woman, and 35.6% men. The average age of male Public relations specialists in the workforce is 41.8 and of female Public relations specialists is 38.9, and the most common race/ethnicity for Public relations specialists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Public relations specialists in 2020 was 131,198 people, with 64.4% woman, and 35.6% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (21,627 people), 25 to 29 years (21,059 people), and 35 to 39 years (15,924 people). Among them they concentrated 44.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2020, 10.6% of Public relations specialists workers were Hispanic and 89.4% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (75.5%), Puerto Rican (15)%, and Cuban (9.51)%

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

Races

In 2020, 80.1% 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 (8.61%) and Two or More Races (4.18%).

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 2020 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 2020 (counting all academic degrees) were Communications (36,279 people), Social Sciences (15,038 people), and Business (12,618 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 (76,140 people), Graduate Degree (31,224 people), and Some college (12,892 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.