upper level job

Hourly Wage for Public Relations Specialist II Salary in the United States

What is the hourly salary range of Public Relations Specialist II?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Public Relations Specialist II in the United States is $36, which translates to an annual salary of about $75,443.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $44 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $33 to $40 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $31 per hour

Key Factors That Influence Public Relations Specialist II Salaries

A Public Relations Specialist II's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Public Relations Specialist II Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Public Relations Specialist II's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Public Relations Specialist I (0-2 years): $61,024
  • Public Relations Specialist II (2-4 years): $75,443
  • Public Relations Specialist III (4-7 years): $94,735
  • Public Relations Specialist IV (7+ years): $118,080
  • Public Relations Manager (7+ years): $133,323
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Public Relations Specialist I0-2 years$61,024
Public Relations Specialist II2-4 years$75,443
Public Relations Specialist III4-7 years$94,735
Public Relations Specialist IV7+ years$118,080
Public Relations Manager7+ years$133,323

Top Paying Cities for Public Relations Specialist II

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $95,156
  • San Francisco: $94,114
  • Oakland: $92,131

What Skills Can Increase a Public Relations Specialist II's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 6.94% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 1.91% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Marketing Research (Mentioned in 1.35% Job Postings): Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the producers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications." It is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to marketing products and services. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behavior. The term is commonly interchanged with market research; however, expert practitioners may wish to draw a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically with markets, while marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 6.94%
Microsoft Office 1.91%
Marketing Research 1.35%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Public Relations Specialist II's salary.

  • Marketing Research: Can increase your salary by up to 27%.
  • Corporate Communications: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • CRM: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Marketing Research $95,813
27%
Corporate Communications $87,514
16%
CRM $85,251
13%

Public Relations Specialist II Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Public Relations Specialist II salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $84,454. While startup companies pay approximate $71,446.

Public Relations Specialist II Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $71,446
Growth Stage 51~500 $75,563
Established 501~5000 $81,555
Enterprise 5000+ $84,454

Public Relations Specialist II Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Public Relations Specialist II roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the MFG Nondurable and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Public Relations Specialist positions in Pharmaceuticals or Financial Services typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Public Relations Specialist II as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Public Relations Specialist II

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
MFG Nondurable$105,620$51.040%
Energy & Utilities$98,076$47.030%
Media$94,304$45.025%
Aerospace & Defense$90,532$44.020%
Telecom$90,532$44.020%

How Education impacts an Public Relations Specialist II's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Public Relations Specialist II enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Public Relations Specialist II with a Bachelor's Degree is between $73,381 and $78,099.

Public Relations Specialist II Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Public Relations Specialist II
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.0%
High School 1.0%
Associates 1.0%
Bachelors 73.6%
Masters 23.3%
Doctorate 1.2%

Public Relations Specialist II Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Public Relations Specialist II's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$69,541
Average $75,443/year
$83,852
$5,795
Average $6,287/month
$6,988
$1,337
Average $1,451/week
$1,613
$33
Average $36/hour
$40
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $83,852 $6,988 $1,613 $40
Average $75,443 $6,287 $1,451 $36
25th Percentile $69,541 $5,795 $1,337 $33

Most common benefits for Public Relations Specialist II

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Public Relations Specialist II

Here are companies hiring for Public Relations Specialist II and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Public Relations Specialist II Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Public Relations Specialist II job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Public Relations Specialist II

1. What are the responsibilities of Public Relations Specialist II?

Prepares and disseminates information regarding an organization through newspapers, periodicals, television, radio and social media. Ensures public relations goals and strategies are met. Helps maintain a favorable public image for the organization. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Gains exposure to some of the complex tasks within the job function. Occasionally directed in several aspects of the work. Typically requires 2 to 4 years of related experience.

2. What are the skills of Public Relations Specialist II

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Customer Service: Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.

2.)

Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.

3.)

Marketing Research: Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the producers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications." It is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to marketing products and services. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behavior. The term is commonly interchanged with market research; however, expert practitioners may wish to draw a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically with markets, while marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst
lower level job