Creative · 70 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Public Relations Specialist (2025)

The median Public Relations Specialist salary is $117,620 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Atlanta, GA offers the best purchasing power at $79,556 adjusted.

The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Public Relations Specialist, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Public Relations Specialist relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$72,327

National Median

$117,620

Highest City

$55,910

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$117,620	$61,130, $212,960	195.8	$60,072	2,200
2	San Francisco, CA	$102,520	$58,030, $179,710	179.6	$57,082	6,290
3	Washington, DC	$101,680	$61,520, $195,990	152.8	$66,545	22,810
4	Seattle, WA	$96,000	$62,330, $146,220	149.4	$64,257	3,980
5	Sacramento, CA	$89,640	$55,920, $135,460	124.7	$71,885	2,620
6	Hartford, CT	$87,830	$53,380, $158,810	112.6	$78,002	710
7	Bridgeport, CT	$84,990	$52,580, $167,690	137.5	$61,811	450
8	New York, NY	$84,130	$55,410, $162,170	187.2	$44,941	24,820
9	Denver, CO	$82,930	$56,720, $149,990	112.8	$73,520	4,560
10	Boston, MA	$81,440	$53,800, $145,720	152.1	$53,544	5,380
11	San Diego, CA	$81,240	$50,390, $147,560	160.2	$50,712	2,730
12	Los Angeles, CA	$79,860	$48,090, $136,870	166	$48,108	11,910
13	Atlanta, GA	$78,920	$46,540, $132,630	99.2	$79,556	4,750
14	Portland, OR	$78,380	$48,170, $129,400	130.1	$60,246	3,050
15	Baltimore, MD	$77,570	$47,750, $133,870	114.2	$67,925	1,880
16	Providence, RI	$77,210	$47,200, $128,630	119.4	$64,665	1,250
17	Chicago, IL	$77,050	$49,460, $150,890	107.3	$71,808	4,920
18	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$77,010	$44,970, $128,020	122.4	$62,917	1,470
19	Bakersfield, CA	$76,580	$45,860, $126,190	100.6	$76,123	270
20	Reno, NV	$75,840	$44,710, $144,820	106.5	$71,211	290
21	Richmond, VA	$75,730	$46,870, $128,120	102.1	$74,172	1,760
22	Colorado Springs, CO	$75,550	$48,870, $131,690	104.5	$72,297	750
23	Charlotte, NC	$75,190	$43,920, $149,990	96.7	$77,756	2,470
24	Spokane, WA	$74,610	$52,510, $121,750	97.4	$76,602	320
25	Las Vegas, NV	$73,840	$45,310, $114,360	109	$67,743	1,180
26	Minneapolis, MN	$73,780	$44,970, $120,000	106.2	$69,473	6,170
27	Albuquerque, NM	$73,640	$47,990, $127,150	94	$78,340	560
28	Madison, WI	$73,510	$49,440, $108,620	103.8	$70,819	1,410
29	Columbus, OH	$73,280	$45,190, $124,430	93.1	$78,711	1,840
30	Fresno, CA	$72,870	$39,920, $113,420	105.5	$69,071	490
31	Rochester, NY	$71,740	$43,640, $115,280	92.9	$77,223	880
32	Anchorage, AK	$71,510	$53,240, $120,240	127	$56,307	360
33	Des Moines, IA	$70,660	$43,850, $118,340	93.3	$75,734	1,050
34	Phoenix, AZ	$70,490	$46,430, $116,360	100.7	$70,000	3,860
35	Austin, TX	$69,470	$44,320, $113,270	103	$67,447	4,170
36	Buffalo, NY	$69,380	$41,640, $112,250	92.5	$75,005	820
37	Dallas, TX	$69,280	$44,480, $113,780	104.1	$66,551	7,300
38	Raleigh, NC	$68,790	$44,540, $149,130	99.8	$68,928	2,330
39	New Orleans, LA	$68,600	$45,390, $115,920	95.9	$71,533	490
40	Houston, TX	$68,320	$40,290, $109,640	96.5	$70,798	5,160
41	Albany, NY	$68,240	$44,050, $115,680	100.7	$67,766	1,580
42	Kansas City, MO	$68,050	$43,750, $112,810	95.4	$71,331	1,950
43	Orlando, FL	$67,370	$38,980, $115,680	103.1	$65,344	2,320
44	Indianapolis, IN	$66,450	$45,440, $107,110	90.1	$73,751	1,740
45	Oklahoma City, OK	$66,410	$43,920, $113,780	86.5	$76,775	920
46	Detroit, MI	$66,100	$39,470, $126,550	95.1	$69,506	2,930
47	Milwaukee, WI	$65,520	$46,160, $111,860	97.4	$67,269	1,330
48	Salt Lake City, UT	$65,440	$43,040, $119,270	101.4	$64,536	1,000
49	St. Louis, MO	$65,170	$43,640, $107,990	90	$72,411	1,990
50	Birmingham, AL	$64,880	$42,420, $125,000	90.4	$71,770	710
51	Tampa, FL	$64,690	$39,750, $115,680	99.6	$64,950	2,590
52	San Antonio, TX	$64,690	$40,100, $107,020	91.5	$70,699	1,870
53	Miami, FL	$64,600	$35,110, $115,660	123.1	$52,478	5,460
54	Philadelphia, PA	$64,550	$39,540, $114,090	118.4	$54,519	5,220
55	Cincinnati, OH	$64,040	$39,610, $113,760	91.2	$70,219	1,470
56	Tulsa, OK	$63,760	$36,470, $104,260	86.8	$73,456	680
57	Omaha, NE	$63,700	$41,490, $95,570	91.8	$69,390	780
58	Jacksonville, FL	$63,620	$37,450, $126,130	95.1	$66,898	1,070
59	Wichita, KS	$63,430	$39,690, $109,290	84	$75,512	370
60	Greenville, SC	$63,310	$39,520, $143,940	90.1	$70,266	470
61	Boise, ID	$63,130	$39,570, $115,210	102.1	$61,832	610
62	Nashville, TN	$62,870	$40,200, $99,250	100.3	$62,682	1,350
63	Greensboro, NC	$62,580	$40,070, $101,020	91.3	$68,543	490
64	Lexington, KY	$62,380	$41,060, $107,820	91.3	$68,324	520
65	Little Rock, AR	$61,710	$40,660, $102,540	88.2	$69,966	330
66	Louisville, KY	$61,640	$37,280, $108,870	90.2	$68,337	820
67	Tucson, AZ	$61,630	$40,210, $94,360	95.4	$64,602	800
68	Memphis, TN	$61,000	$37,980, $103,380	84	$72,619	670
69	Knoxville, TN	$57,360	$38,900, $103,110	90.3	$63,522	420
70	Pittsburgh, PA	$55,910	$31,200, $95,880	92.3	$60,574	1,970

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Public Relations Specialist paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Atlanta, GA	$79,556	$78,920	99.2
2	Columbus, OH	$78,711	$73,280	93.1
3	Albuquerque, NM	$78,340	$73,640	94
4	Hartford, CT	$78,002	$87,830	112.6
5	Charlotte, NC	$77,756	$75,190	96.7
6	Rochester, NY	$77,223	$71,740	92.9
7	Oklahoma City, OK	$76,775	$66,410	86.5
8	Spokane, WA	$76,602	$74,610	97.4
9	Bakersfield, CA	$76,123	$76,580	100.6
10	Des Moines, IA	$75,734	$70,660	93.3
11	Wichita, KS	$75,512	$63,430	84
12	Buffalo, NY	$75,005	$69,380	92.5
13	Richmond, VA	$74,172	$75,730	102.1
14	Indianapolis, IN	$73,751	$66,450	90.1
15	Denver, CO	$73,520	$82,930	112.8
16	Tulsa, OK	$73,456	$63,760	86.8
17	Memphis, TN	$72,619	$61,000	84
18	St. Louis, MO	$72,411	$65,170	90
19	Colorado Springs, CO	$72,297	$75,550	104.5
20	Sacramento, CA	$71,885	$89,640	124.7
21	Chicago, IL	$71,808	$77,050	107.3
22	Birmingham, AL	$71,770	$64,880	90.4
23	New Orleans, LA	$71,533	$68,600	95.9
24	Kansas City, MO	$71,331	$68,050	95.4
25	Reno, NV	$71,211	$75,840	106.5
26	Madison, WI	$70,819	$73,510	103.8
27	Houston, TX	$70,798	$68,320	96.5
28	San Antonio, TX	$70,699	$64,690	91.5
29	Greenville, SC	$70,266	$63,310	90.1
30	Cincinnati, OH	$70,219	$64,040	91.2
31	Phoenix, AZ	$70,000	$70,490	100.7
32	Little Rock, AR	$69,966	$61,710	88.2
33	Detroit, MI	$69,506	$66,100	95.1
34	Minneapolis, MN	$69,473	$73,780	106.2
35	Omaha, NE	$69,390	$63,700	91.8
36	Fresno, CA	$69,071	$72,870	105.5
37	Raleigh, NC	$68,928	$68,790	99.8
38	Greensboro, NC	$68,543	$62,580	91.3
39	Louisville, KY	$68,337	$61,640	90.2
40	Lexington, KY	$68,324	$62,380	91.3
41	Baltimore, MD	$67,925	$77,570	114.2
42	Albany, NY	$67,766	$68,240	100.7
43	Las Vegas, NV	$67,743	$73,840	109
44	Austin, TX	$67,447	$69,470	103
45	Milwaukee, WI	$67,269	$65,520	97.4
46	Jacksonville, FL	$66,898	$63,620	95.1
47	Dallas, TX	$66,551	$69,280	104.1
48	Washington, DC	$66,545	$101,680	152.8
49	Orlando, FL	$65,344	$67,370	103.1
50	Tampa, FL	$64,950	$64,690	99.6
51	Providence, RI	$64,665	$77,210	119.4
52	Tucson, AZ	$64,602	$61,630	95.4
53	Salt Lake City, UT	$64,536	$65,440	101.4
54	Seattle, WA	$64,257	$96,000	149.4
55	Knoxville, TN	$63,522	$57,360	90.3
56	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$62,917	$77,010	122.4
57	Nashville, TN	$62,682	$62,870	100.3
58	Boise, ID	$61,832	$63,130	102.1
59	Bridgeport, CT	$61,811	$84,990	137.5
60	Pittsburgh, PA	$60,574	$55,910	92.3
61	Portland, OR	$60,246	$78,380	130.1
62	San Jose, CA	$60,072	$117,620	195.8
63	San Francisco, CA	$57,082	$102,520	179.6
64	Anchorage, AK	$56,307	$71,510	127
65	Philadelphia, PA	$54,519	$64,550	118.4
66	Boston, MA	$53,544	$81,440	152.1
67	Miami, FL	$52,478	$64,600	123.1
68	San Diego, CA	$50,712	$81,240	160.2
69	Los Angeles, CA	$48,108	$79,860	166
70	New York, NY	$44,941	$84,130	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Public Relations Specialist salary at $117,620. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Atlanta, GA offers the most purchasing power at $79,556 adjusted.

The national median Public Relations Specialist salary is $72,327 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $55,910 to $117,620 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.