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Communication Specialist III Salary in the United States

How much does a Communication Specialist III make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Communication Specialist III in the United States is $95,974 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $46.

However, a Communication Specialist III's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $117,497
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $84,961 to $107,240
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $74,935
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Communication Specialist III Salaries

A Communication Specialist III'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 Communication Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Communication Specialist III'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $61,904
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $81,580
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $95,145
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $119,223
  • Expert (over 8 years): $155,465
Levels Salary
Communica... Level Communication Specialist III$61,904
Communica... Level Communication Specialist III$81,580
Communica... Level Communication Specialist III$95,145
Communica... Level Communication Specialist III$119,223
Communica... Level Communication Specialist III$155,465
View as Graph

How Do Communication Specialist III Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Communication Specialist IIIs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $106,262.
  • California: $105,859.
  • Massachusetts: $104,448.

Top Paying Cities for Communication Specialist IIIs

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: $121,052
  • San Francisco: $119,726
  • Oakland: $117,203

What Skills Can Increase a Communication Specialist III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Initiative (Mentioned in 5.7% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.82% 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.
  • Photography (Mentioned in 1.65% Job Postings): Photography is the art, application and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed in many fields of science, manufacturing (e.g., photolithography), and business, as well as its more direct uses for art, film and video production, recreational purposes, hobby, and mass communication. Typically, a lens is used to focus the light reflected or emitted from objects into a real image on the light-sensitive surface inside a camera during a timed exposure. With an electronic image sensor, this produces an electrical charge at each pixel, which is electronically processed and stored in a digital image file for subsequent display or processing. The result with photographic emulsion is an invisible latent image, which is later chemically "developed" into a visible image, either negative or positive depending on the purpose of the photographic material and the method of processing. A negative image on film is traditionally used to photographically create a positive image on a paper base, known as a print, either by using an enlarger or by contact printing.
Skills Demand Percentage
Initiative 5.7%
Microsoft Office 2.82%
Photography 1.65%
See More Skills

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 Communication Specialist III's salary.

  • Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Strategic Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Insight $101,732
6%
Strategic Communication $101,732
6%
Analysis $100,772
5%
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Communication Specialist III Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Communication Specialist III roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Communication Specialist positions in Transportation or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Communication Specialist III as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Communication Specialist III

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$124,766$60.030%
Energy & Utilities$124,766$60.030%
Financial Services$124,766$60.030%
Pharmaceuticals$124,766$60.030%
Software & Networking$124,766$60.030%

How Education impacts a Communication Specialist III's Salary?

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

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Communication Specialist III with a Bachelor's Degree is between $92,005 and $97,074).

Communication Specialist III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Communication Specialist III
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 4.3%
High School 4.3%
Associates 3.3%
Bachelors 62.0%
Masters 30.4%
Doctorate 0.0%
View as Graph

Communication Specialist III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Communication Specialist III'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 September 01, 2026
$84,961
Average $95,974/year
$107,240
$7,080
Average $7,998/month
$8,937
$1,634
Average $1,846/week
$2,062
$41
Average $46/hour
$52
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $107,240 $8,937 $2,062 $52
Average $95,974 $7,998 $1,846 $46
25th Percentile $84,961 $7,080 $1,634 $41

Most common benefits for Communication Specialist III

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

Common company salaries for Communication Specialist III

Here are companies hiring for Communication Specialist III and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Communication Specialist III

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Communication Specialist III?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Communication Specialist III roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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