Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
212,510 1.0 % $29.04 $60,400 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.84 $19.02 $25.57 $35.02 $46.58
Annual Wage (2) $30,860 $39,560 $53,190 $72,840 $96,880


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 30,830 7.34 $35.19 $73,190
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 19,440 4.64 $28.67 $59,640
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 16,780 0.59 $26.02 $54,110
Local Government (OES Designation) 9,780 0.18 $27.47 $57,130
Management of Companies and Enterprises 9,080 0.48 $30.49 $63,420

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 30,830 7.34 $35.19 $73,190
Grantmaking and Giving Services 6,790 5.34 $27.10 $56,370
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 19,440 4.64 $28.67 $59,640
Social Advocacy Organizations 6,380 3.28 $24.75 $51,480
Sound Recording Industries 390 2.39 $32.07 $66,710

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 40 0.09 $45.38 $94,390
Postal Service 70 0.01 $43.00 $89,450
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 5,070 0.25 $41.89 $87,130
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 3,240 0.22 $40.60 $84,450
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (8) (8) $40.47 $84,180


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)
California 22,920 1.63 0.99 $34.13 $70,990
New York 20,420 2.42 1.46 $33.27 $69,190
Texas 18,050 1.75 1.06 $28.15 $58,550
Florida 11,430 1.60 0.97 $28.08 $58,410
Pennsylvania 10,220 1.84 1.11 $29.03 $60,380




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 7,940 12.31 7.43 $39.93 $83,050
Colorado 7,200 3.30 1.99 $29.50 $61,360
Vermont 820 2.82 1.70 $24.29 $50,530
Massachusetts 8,650 2.74 1.65 $29.84 $62,060
South Dakota 1,060 2.70 1.63 $21.15 $44,000




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 7,940 12.31 7.43 $39.93 $83,050
California 22,920 1.63 0.99 $34.13 $70,990
Maryland 2,900 1.17 0.71 $33.98 $70,680
Virginia 7,300 2.06 1.24 $33.29 $69,250
New York 20,420 2.42 1.46 $33.27 $69,190





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)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 15,780 3.12 1.88 $35.48 $73,800
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 12,690 5.49 3.31 $39.28 $81,700
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 7,480 1.96 1.18 $34.18 $71,090
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 6,280 3.75 2.26 $29.99 $62,380
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,200 1.45 0.88 $29.23 $60,800
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 4,670 2.28 1.38 $33.47 $69,620
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 4,650 3.87 2.34 $30.64 $63,720
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 4,350 2.40 1.45 $33.53 $69,750
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 3,690 1.44 0.87 $27.19 $56,560
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 3,440 3.59 2.17 $40.20 $83,610




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 12,690 5.49 3.31 $39.28 $81,700
Tallahassee, FL 760 4.81 2.90 $27.30 $56,780
Bloomington, IN 340 4.61 2.78 $28.34 $58,940
Lincoln, NE 740 4.60 2.78 $25.10 $52,220
Boulder, CO 710 4.58 2.76 $26.63 $55,390
Jefferson City, MO 290 4.09 2.47 $28.86 $60,030
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 3,220 4.09 2.47 $28.49 $59,250
Olympia, WA 370 3.95 2.39 $28.00 $58,240
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 4,650 3.87 2.34 $30.64 $63,720
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 6,280 3.75 2.26 $29.99 $62,380




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)
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 3,440 3.59 2.17 $40.20 $83,610
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 12,690 5.49 3.31 $39.28 $81,700
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,610 1.84 1.11 $38.44 $79,960
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 730 1.32 0.80 $38.16 $79,370
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 320 2.04 1.23 $37.43 $77,860
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 1,590 1.98 1.20 $37.32 $77,630
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,570 1.65 0.99 $36.80 $76,540
Springfield, IL 150 1.38 0.84 $36.39 $75,700
Battle Creek, MI 70 1.34 0.81 $35.85 $74,560
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 15,780 3.12 1.88 $35.48 $73,800

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)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 510 1.34 0.81 $20.61 $42,870
West Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 360 2.35 1.42 $23.93 $49,780
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 340 2.91 1.76 $21.65 $45,030
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 320 1.11 0.67 $24.05 $50,030
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 320 4.48 2.70 $25.08 $52,160

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 4.48 2.70 $25.08 $52,160
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 90 3.98 2.40 $30.81 $64,080
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 50 3.60 2.18 $31.44 $65,400
Northwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 90 3.30 1.99 $28.38 $59,040
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 210 2.98 1.80 $27.06 $56,280

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)
Southcentral Idaho nonmetropolitan area 60 0.82 0.49 $39.21 $81,560
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 50 1.16 0.70 $37.22 $77,410
Other New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 210 2.19 1.32 $35.08 $72,970
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 50 3.60 2.18 $31.44 $65,400
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.83 0.50 $31.24 $64,980


About May 2011 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 mean 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012