The average salary for a public relations specialist in Illinois is around $76,380 per year.
Avg Salary
Public relations specialists earn an average yearly salary of $76,380.
Wages typically start from $47,690 and go up to $139,570.
19% above national average Updated in 2025
Public relations specialist earnings by seniority
Top-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$67.10 per hour
$139,570 per year
Senior-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$49.50 per hour
$102,950 per year
Mid-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$36.72 per hour
$76,380 per year
Junior-level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$28.56 per hour
$59,400 per year
Starting level public relations specialist earnings begin at:
$22.93 per hour
$47,690 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Public relations specialist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $87,470 |
| California | $85,030 |
| Connecticut | $84,990 |
| New York | $81,250 |
| Colorado | $80,680 |
| Virginia | $80,380 |
| New Jersey | $80,130 |
| Massachusetts | $79,660 |
| Maryland | $79,560 |
| Rhode Island | $77,540 |
| Illinois | $76,380 |
| Delaware | $76,120 |
| Oregon | $74,900 |
| Nevada | $73,840 |
| New Hampshire | $73,280 |
| Georgia | $73,200 |
| North Dakota | $70,280 |
| Alaska | $70,050 |
| New Mexico | $68,700 |
| Minnesota | $68,620 |
| Wyoming | $67,490 |
| Wisconsin | $67,240 |
| North Carolina | $67,230 |
| Arizona | $66,710 |
| Vermont | $66,060 |
| Michigan | $65,300 |
| Texas | $65,160 |
| Arkansas | $65,000 |
| Oklahoma | $64,920 |
| Indiana | $64,900 |
| Kansas | $64,860 |
| Ohio | $64,840 |
| South Dakota | $64,520 |
| Hawaii | $63,880 |
| Montana | $63,780 |
| Florida | $63,660 |
| Iowa | $62,970 |
| South Carolina | $62,730 |
| Utah | $62,670 |
| Maine | $62,450 |
| Nebraska | $61,780 |
| Alabama | $61,710 |
| Missouri | $61,130 |
| Idaho | $61,110 |
| Tennessee | $60,900 |
| Louisiana | $60,470 |
| Kentucky | $60,150 |
| Mississippi | $59,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,460 |
| West Virginia | $56,730 |
| Guam | $49,590 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $48,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,950 |
| District of Columbia | $102,740 |
How do public relations specialist salaries compare to similar careers?
Public relations specialists earn about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than pharmaceutical sales representatives but more than copywriters.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical sales representative salary | $108K |
| Sales engineer salary | $100K |
| Online merchant salary | $82K |
| Cost estimator salary | $83K |
| Market research analyst salary | $79K |
| Publicist salary | $76K |
| Public relations specialist salary | $76K |
| Sales representative salary | $74K |
| Advertising sales agent salary | $66K |
| Copywriter salary | $68K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)