The salary of a Public Relations Specialist I in the United States varies depending on several factors, including experience, location, education level, marketing trend and company sizes.
As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Public Relations Specialist I in the United States is $59,371. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $51,834 to $65,862, with most professionals earning between $44,972 and $71,772.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $65,862 | $5,489 | $1,267 | $32 |
| Average | $59,371 | $4,948 | $1,142 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $51,834 | $4,320 | $997 | $25 |
An entry-level Public Relations Specialist I with less than 1 year of experience earns about $58,809. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $59,565. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $61,018. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $61,309, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $61,502.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Public Relations Specialist I | $58,809 |
| Intermediate Level Public Relations Specialist I | $59,565 |
| Senior Level Public Relations Specialist I | $61,018 |
| Specialist Level Public Relations Specialist I | $61,309 |
| Expert Level Public Relations Specialist I | $61,502 |
| Entry Level | 1% |
| Mid Level | 0% |
| Senior Level | 3% |
| Top Level | 3% |
| Experienced | 4% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of April 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Public Relations Specialist I compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $62,557 in 2023 to approximately $62,251 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Public Relations Specialist I salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Public Relations Specialist I information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Public Relations Specialist I job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Public Relations Specialist I and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $59,371 | 68.7% | ||
| Bonus | $0 | 0.0% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $4,542 | 5.3% | ||
| 401K/403B | $2,494 | 2.9% | ||
| Disability | $1,187 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 9.7% | ||
| Pension | $3,206 | 3.7% | ||
| Time Off | $7,307 | 8.5% | ||
| Total Compensation | $86,459 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 0.1% |
| High School | 2.1% |
| Associates | 2.2% |
| Bachelors | 81.1% |
| Masters | 14.0% |
| Doctorate | 0.5% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Public Relations Specialist I is $59,371. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Public Relations Specialist I is $29; the average weekly pay of Public Relations Specialist I is $1,142; the average monthly pay of Public Relations Specialist I is $4,948.
A Public Relations Specialist I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Public Relations Specialist I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Public Relations Specialist I is $74,885.
The highest pay for Public Relations Specialist I is $71,772.
The lowest pay for Public Relations Specialist I is $44,972.
Prepares and disseminates information regarding an organization through newspapers, periodicals, television, radio and social media. Ensures public relations goals and strategies are met. Helps maintain a favorable public image for the organization. May require a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Work is closely managed. Typically requires 0-2 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Marketing Research: Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the producers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications." It is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to marketing products and services. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behavior. The term is commonly interchanged with market research; however, expert practitioners may wish to draw a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically with markets, while marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.
Strategic Communication: Strategic communication refers to policy-making and guidance for consistent information activity within an organization and between organizations.
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)
With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.
