DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 10,615 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 280,590 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Public Relations Specialists
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsSalary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo Park, CA | $117,785 | +135.9% | 16 | 4 |
| Redwood City, CA | $110,200 | +120.8% | 17 | 7 |
| Palo Alto, CA | $70,000 | +40.2% | 15 | 14 |
| San Francisco, CA | $66,789 | +33.8% | 223 | 160 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | $66,103 | +32.4% | 34 | 25 |
| Mountain View, CA | $65,333 | +30.9% | 16 | 13 |
| BROOKLYN, NE | $62,500 | +25.2% | 22 | 22 |
| New York, NE | $60,000 | +20.2% | 385 | 318 |
| El Segundo, CA | $60,000 | +20.2% | 12 | 8 |
| Washington, DC | $58,778 | +17.7% | 190 | 132 |
| SANTA MONICA, CA | $57,918 | +16% | 54 | 35 |
| Flushing, NE | $56,950 | +14.1% | 13 | 11 |
| Oakland, CA | $56,674 | +13.5% | 14 | 12 |
| New York City, NY | $56,253 | +12.7% | 20 | 18 |
| West Hollywood, CA | $56,000 | +12.2% | 42 | 29 |
| New York, NY | $55,000 | +10.2% | 2,094 | 1,323 |
| JERSEY CITY, NJ | $54,881 | +9.9% | 14 | 8 |
| McLean, VA | $53,435 | +7% | 10 | 8 |
| BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $52,978 | +6.1% | 37 | 29 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $52,458 | +5.1% | 43 | 27 |
| San Mateo, CA | $52,275 | +4.7% | 10 | 10 |
| Bethesda, MD | $52,000 | +4.2% | 13 | 7 |
| PASADENA, CA | $52,000 | +4.2% | 40 | 24 |
| Silver Spring, MD | $52,000 | +4.2% | 11 | 9 |
| Waltham, MA | $51,927 | +4% | 14 | 12 |
| MANHATTAN BEACH, CA | $51,500 | +3.2% | 10 | 6 |
| Boston, MA | $50,731 | +1.6% | 101 | 65 |
| Allston, MA | $50,619 | +1.4% | 10 | 8 |
| Redondo Beach, CA | $50,310 | +0.8% | 10 | 4 |
| Irvine, CA | $50,050 | +0.3% | 62 | 30 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $70,000 | -0.8% | 8 |
| Maine | $70,000 | +21.3% | 1 |
| Montana | $63,816 | +8.9% | 2 |
| District of Columbia | $59,550 | -39.1% | 218 |
| Nebraska | $58,500 | +3.7% | 541 |
| New York | $54,000 | -31.2% | 2,483 |
| California | $51,000 | -37.4% | 1,845 |
| Alaska | $50,544 | -26.7% | 3 |
| Washington | $49,275 | -42.4% | 57 |
| Minnesota | $48,003 | -25.1% | 14 |
| Massachusetts | $47,986 | -36.2% | 273 |
| West Virginia | $47,000 | -9.8% | 1 |
| New Mexico | $46,065 | -30% | 2 |
| Maryland | $46,000 | -36.7% | 73 |
| Virginia | $46,000 | -40.9% | 87 |
| Arkansas | $44,522 | -31% | 8 |
| Connecticut | $44,340 | -47% | 18 |
| South Carolina | $44,013 | -27.3% | 13 |
| Michigan | $43,725 | -28.4% | 66 |
| Nevada | $43,607 | -33.2% | 16 |
| Utah | $43,558 | -42.5% | 28 |
| Oregon | $43,359 | -32.9% | 12 |
| South Dakota | $43,326 | -33.3% | 1 |
| Kansas | $43,000 | -30.5% | 15 |
| North Carolina | $42,203 | -33.3% | 38 |
| Delaware | $42,100 | -44.3% | 6 |
| Colorado | $42,000 | -45.5% | 47 |
| New Jersey | $42,000 | -44.5% | 238 |
| Florida | $41,600 | -30.9% | 499 |
| Tennessee | $41,250 | -26.6% | 22 |
| Kentucky | $41,246 | -29.1% | 7 |
| Georgia | $40,800 | -44% | 68 |
| Hawaii | $40,726 | -35.9% | 23 |
| Arizona | $40,600 | -37.4% | 26 |
| Missouri | $40,279 | -35.3% | 30 |
| Texas | $40,000 | -34.5% | 229 |
| Illinois | $40,000 | -37.1% | 136 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,760 | -32.9% | 90 |
| Indiana | $39,750 | -35% | 12 |
| Ohio | $39,520 | -36.8% | 37 |
| Vermont | $38,917 | -31.5% | 7 |
| Iowa | $38,000 | -36.1% | 11 |
| Louisiana | $37,646 | -38.4% | 12 |
| Wisconsin | $37,586 | -41.6% | 19 |
| Alabama | $37,565 | -38.6% | 29 |
| Idaho | $36,878 | -36.1% | 1 |
| Rhode Island | $36,858 | -49.4% | 4 |
| Mississippi | $30,245 | -44.8% | 7 |
| Oklahoma | $30,000 | -50% | 11 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Public Relations Specialists positions, 71% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 21% required a Master's degree, and 6% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| MA LABORATORIES INC | Master's | $43,233 |
| TBWA Worldwide Inc. | Not specified | $77,500 |
| China Luxury Advisors, Inc. | Not specified | $41,621 |
| Facebook Inc. | Bachelor's | $134,963 |
| Blizzard Entertainment Inc. | Bachelor's | $53,602 |
| Riot Games, Inc. | Bachelor's | $69,222 |
| Daniel J. Edelman | Not specified | $58,635 |
| NEWLINK COMMUNICATIONS GROUP LLC | Bachelor's | $43,500 |
| Mediterranean Shipping Company (USA), Inc. | Not specified | $34,403 |
| PURPOSE CAMPAIGNS LLC | Not specified | $80,000 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Public Relations Specialists is Management of Companies at $70,439. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Transportation and Warehousing at $45,136.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 10,615 DOL filings, the median salary for a Public Relations Specialists is $49,920, ranging from $40,144 to $65,000.
The 90th percentile salary is $129,480 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Menlo Park, CA offers the highest median at $117,785.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Public Relations Specialists positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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