Public relations specialists

Median annual earnings for salaried public relations specialists were $41,710 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,300 and $56,180; the lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $24,240, and the top 10 percent earned more than $75,100. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of public relations specialists in 2002 were:

According to a joint survey conducted by the International Association of Business Communicators and the Public Relations Society of America, the median annual income for a public relations specialist was $66,800 in 2002.

Public relations specialists held about 158,000 jobs in 2002. Public relations specialists are concentrated in service-providing industries such as advertising and related services; health care and social assistance; educational services; and government. Others worked for communications firms, financial institutions, and government agencies. About 11,000 public relations specialists were self-employed.

Public relations specialists are concentrated in large cities, where press services and other communications facilities are readily available and many businesses and trade associations have their headquarters. Many public relations consulting firms, for example, are in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, DC. There is a trend, however, for public relations jobs to be dispersed throughout the Nation, closer to clients.

(from the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Public relations specialists)

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