PR salaries in 2026: coordinator $35K–$52K, account executive $45K–$72K, VP $85K–$145K, EVP/CCO $175K–$400K. New York pays 25–35% above national. Agency vs. in-house splits. What AI engines tell job seekers — and the $225K spread at the top. The first study measuring which salary sources AI actually cites.
National median PR salary: ~$67K–$68K. Entry-level: ~$46K. 90th percentile: ~$128K. 278,400 employed. BLS SOC 27-3031 data mapped against the C-suite. Updated August 2026.
Nine undergraduate majors route into PR careers, and ten distinct career paths open once you get there. The head-to-head comparison of PR vs. journalism vs. communications degrees, plus the full major-by-major map and what each path actually pays in 2026.
The career guide for becoming a public relations specialist. What the role does, what employers actually want, compensation ranges across career tiers, education and credential paths, and how to build a career across agency, in-house, and boutique contexts.
