Public Relations Managers Salary: $138,520 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 76,060 public relations managers work nationally, and $138,520 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.5% annual growth.
Public Relations Managers: what the data shows
Common questions about public relations managers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a public relations managers?
Public Relations Managers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 11-2032.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 76,060 workers.
What does a public relations managers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Developing Objectives and Strategies, Thinking Creatively, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a public relations managers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $138,520 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $182,777 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $98,921 |
| 25th percentile | $120,748 |
| Median (50th) | $159,239 |
| 75th percentile | $216,165 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Communications and Media, English Language, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is public relations managers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 36.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 87.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 76,060.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do public relations managerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 76,060 | 18.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 65,360 | 15.8% |
| Educational Services | 18,460 | 4.5% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 17,700 | 4.3% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 17,700 | 4.3% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 11,900 | 2.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Public Relations Managers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other | 174,060 | $48,790 |
| Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 195,890 | $46,040 |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | 12,630 | $67,310 |
| Public Relations Specialists | 280,590 | $69,780 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | 98,360 | $70,500 |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | 103,650 | $46,050 |
| Communications Equipment Operators, All Other | 1,390 | $49,910 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Public Relations Managers workforce.
Employment Over Time
76,060 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Public Relations Managers grew from 29,440 in 2022 to 35,540 in 2025 (20.7%).
Historical employment for Public Relations Managers from the California OEWS series, 2022–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$138,520 Median pay (BLS national)
Public Relations Managers earn $138,520 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Public Relations Managers.
Salary distribution for Public Relations Managers.
Employment Growth Projections
6.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
48,642 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 36.9%
66,575 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 87.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 6.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Public Relations Managers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Public Relations Managers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Public Relations Managers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Public Relations Managers.
Wage Trends by Industry
22.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Public Relations Managers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Public Relations Managers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,140 employees, $179,450 avg wage
- DC: 8,640 employees, $227,370 avg wage
- TX: 8,360 employees, $134,110 avg wage
- NY: 7,330 employees, $214,930 avg wage
- FL: 3,120 employees, $127,790 avg wage
- IL: 2,890 employees, $132,740 avg wage
- MA: 2,560 employees, $171,110 avg wage
- NJ: 2,380 employees, $178,810 avg wage
- OR: 2,090 employees, $126,400 avg wage
- PA: 2,010 employees, $137,040 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Public Relations Managers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 11,140 employees, $221,420 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 7,760 employees, $218,170 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,460 employees, $162,380 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,720 employees, $139,130 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,250 employees, $135,800 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 2,040 employees, $199,350 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,930 employees, $174,920 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,850 employees, $140,770 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 1,520 employees, $131,970 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 1,280 employees, $182,470 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Public Relations Managers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Public Relations Managers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Public Relations Managers is about 76,060 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Public Relations Managers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Public Relations Managers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Public Relations Managers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Public Relations Managers in 2023 were Business Administration, Management, Business.
Common majors for Public Relations Managers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Public Relations Managers workers.
Education level distribution for Public Relations Managers.
Skills
Public Relations Managers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Public Relations Managers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Public Relations Managers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Public Relations Managers include Communications and Media, English Language, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing.
Knowledge areas required for Public Relations Managers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Public Relations Managers include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for Public Relations Managers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Public Relations Managers.
Daily Activities
Public Relations Managers spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Developing Objectives and Strategies.
Most important work activities for Public Relations Managers.
About
Public Relations Managers
Public Relations Managers earn $138,520 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
11-2032 - Public Relations Managers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Public Relations Managers reports an average salary of $182,777, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 76,060 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 6.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.