Public Affairs Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does a Public Affairs Specialist make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Public Affairs Specialist in the United States is $60,886 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.
However, a Public Affairs Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,920
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,514 to $68,232
Key Factors That Influence Public Affairs Specialist Salaries
A Public Affairs Specialist'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 Affairs Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Public Affairs Specialist'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:
How Do Public Affairs Specialist 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 Public Affairs Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $76,795
San Francisco: $75,954
Oakland: $74,353
San Jose, CA$76,795
San Francisco, CA$75,954
Oakland, CA$74,353
New York, NY$70,103
Paramus, NJ$69,251
Queens Village, NY$69,248
Passaic, NJ$69,190
Bergenfield, NJ$69,184
Stamford, CT$69,050
Huntington, NY$69,025
Newark, NJ$68,575
Bridgeport, CT$68,447
Vallejo, CA$68,326
New Brunswick, NJ$68,301
Petaluma, CA$68,265
Middlesex, NJ$68,149
Somerset, NJ$68,107
Santa Cruz, CA$68,027
Boston, MA$67,656
Monterey, CA$67,442
Seattle, WA$67,303
Santa Rosa, CA$67,291
Los Angeles, CA$67,272
Juneau, AK$67,114
Washington, DC$67,047
Orange, CA$66,830
Santa Ana, CA$66,670
Long Beach, CA$66,609
Anaheim, CA$66,597
Anchorage, AK$66,566
Santa Maria, CA$66,384
Everett, WA$66,371
Danbury, CT$66,157
Bremerton, WA$66,073
Tacoma, WA$65,854
New Suffolk, NY$65,853
Sacramento, CA$65,836
Santa Barbara, CA$65,769
Trenton, NJ$65,702
San Diego, CA$65,702
Brockton, MA$65,635
Fairbanks, AK$65,486
Lompoc, CA$65,330
Lowell, MA$65,281
Ventura, CA$65,269
Nashua, NH$65,257
Stockton, CA$65,251
Modesto, CA$64,807
Poughkeepsie, NY$64,673
Olympia, WA$64,557
Kennewick, WA$64,557
New Haven, CT$64,533
Lawrence, MA$64,313
Hartford, CT$64,253
Riverside, CA$64,240
New Bedford, MA$64,180
Richland, WA$64,180
Bakersfield, CA$64,094
San Bernardino, CA$64,070
New Britain, CT$64,064
Atlantic City, NJ$64,064
New London, CT$64,039
Norwich, CT$64,021
Portsmouth, NH$64,009
Boulder, CO$63,880
Portland, OR$63,796
Worcester, MA$63,790
Minneapolis, MN$63,601
Philadelphia, PA$63,516
Honolulu, HI$63,315
Saint Paul, MN$63,286
Vineland, NJ$63,272
Providence, RI$63,096
Chicago, IL$62,919
Bellingham, WA$62,846
Springfield, MA$62,797
Baltimore, MD$62,779
Chico, CA$62,627
Pittsfield, MA$62,463
Manchester, NH$62,347
Spokane, WA$62,079
Denver, CO$62,073
Albany, NY$61,787
Troy, NY$61,762
Nassau, NY$61,697
Schenectady, NY$61,634
Wilmington, DE$61,586
Burlington, VT$61,501
Salem, OR$61,476
Portland, ME$61,287
Yakima, WA$61,227
Rochester, MN$61,038
Reno, NV$61,007
Fresno, CA$61,007
Milwaukee, WI$60,953
Detroit, MI$60,892
Ann Arbor, MI$60,881
Allentown, PA$60,873
Colorado Springs, CO$60,770
Syracuse, NY$60,739
Carson City, NV$60,739
Houston, TX$60,654
Eugene, OR$60,624
Gary, IN$60,551
Springfield, OR$60,502
Bismarck, ND$60,490
Galveston, TX$60,447
Medford, OR$60,356
Fort Collins, CO$60,332
Concord, NH$60,301
Austin, TX$60,283
Mesa, AZ$60,155
Reading, PA$60,149
Phoenix, AZ$60,143
Dallas, TX$60,125
Saint Cloud, MN$60,066
Madison, WI$59,984
Utica, NY$59,820
Rochester, NY$59,723
Des Moines, IA$59,717
Raleigh, NC$59,711
Atlanta, GA$59,619
Battle Creek, MI$59,601
Salt Lake City, UT$59,583
Lancaster, PA$59,491
Harrisburg, PA$59,406
Kansas City, MO$59,345
Champaign, IL$59,333
Kansas City, KS$59,333
Fort Worth, TX$59,327
Columbus, OH$59,317
Boca Raton, FL$59,303
Pittsburgh, PA$59,278
Richmond, VA$59,254
Indianapolis, IN$59,242
Cleveland, OH$59,236
Las Vegas, NV$59,163
Cincinnati, OH$59,163
Petersburg, VA$59,071
Huntsville, AL$58,980
Lansing, MI$58,939
Lebanon, PA$58,931
Pueblo, CO$58,925
Appleton, WI$58,907
Buffalo, NY$58,882
Dayton, OH$58,864
Racine, WI$58,852
Charlotte, NC$58,846
Saint Louis, MO$58,828
York, PA$58,791
Elkhart, IN$58,791
Gastonia, NC$58,780
Billings, MT$58,765
Beaumont, TX$58,749
Lorain, OH$58,736
Benton Harbor, MI$58,724
Toledo, OH$58,712
Binghamton, NY$58,682
Rock Hill, SC$58,675
Rockford, IL$58,645
Springfield, IL$58,621
Elyria, OH$58,615
Fargo, ND$58,615
Flagstaff, AZ$58,572
Fort Lauderdale, FL$58,535
Duluth, MN$58,499
Miami, FL$58,499
Cheyenne, WY$58,456
Grand Forks, ND$58,456
Bangor, ME$58,322
Cedar Rapids, IA$58,255
Durham, NC$58,230
Louisville, KY$58,225
Grand Rapids, MI$58,213
Hialeah, FL$58,207
Casper, WY$58,121
Scranton, PA$58,048
New Orleans, LA$58,030
Virginia Beach, VA$58,024
Akron, OH$57,994
Peoria, IL$57,914
Sarasota, FL$57,902
Nashville, TN$57,860
Omaha, NE$57,860
Green Bay, WI$57,860
Baton Rouge, LA$57,829
Charleston, SC$57,817
Jamestown, NY$57,787
Davenport, IA$57,787
Tucson, AZ$57,756
Saint Petersburg, FL$57,720
Tampa, FL$57,707
Evansville, IN$57,671
Port Arthur, TX$57,671
Bradenton, FL$57,646
Santa Fe, NM$57,537
Orlando, FL$57,427
Clearwater, FL$57,409
Canton, OH$57,281
La Crosse, WI$57,281
Albuquerque, NM$57,245
Newport News, VA$57,239
High Point, NC$57,220
Ogden, UT$57,196
Corpus Christi, TX$57,147
Norfolk, VA$57,111
Laramie, WY$57,111
Rock Island, IL$57,074
Saginaw, MI$57,062
Jacksonville, FL$57,056
Salisbury, NC$57,044
Boise, ID$57,032
Moline, IL$57,001
Fort Myers, FL$56,983
Memphis, TN$56,971
Tulsa, OK$56,940
Waterloo, IA$56,904
Spartanburg, SC$56,843
Lincoln, NE$56,812
Fort Wayne, IN$56,800
Provo, UT$56,794
Cedar Falls, IA$56,721
San Antonio, TX$56,697
Greensboro, NC$56,672
South Bend, IN$56,666
Savannah, GA$56,599
Muskegon, MI$56,575
Birmingham, AL$56,569
Winston Salem, NC$56,539
Lake Charles, LA$56,392
Anderson, IN$56,380
Lexington, KY$56,362
Augusta, GA$56,344
Greenville, SC$56,344
Lima, OH$56,295
Wichita, KS$56,289
Tuscaloosa, AL$56,289
Columbia, SC$56,234
Springfield, OH$56,222
Asheville, NC$56,124
Bloomington, IN$56,082
Knoxville, TN$55,863
Shreveport, LA$55,856
Wilmington, NC$55,777
Roanoke, VA$55,777
Topeka, KS$55,668
Frankfort, KY$55,661
Oklahoma City, OK$55,619
Chillicothe, OH$55,595
Longview, TX$55,589
Melbourne, FL$55,582
Sioux Falls, SD$55,485
Mobile, AL$55,479
Terre Haute, IN$55,455
Altoona, PA$55,418
Amarillo, TX$55,375
Killeen, TX$55,357
Fayetteville, AR$55,308
Chattanooga, TN$55,290
Sioux City, IA$55,235
Idaho Falls, ID$55,223
Lynchburg, VA$55,175
Gainesville, FL$55,095
Portsmouth, OH$55,065
Little Rock, AR$55,053
Lafayette, LA$55,028
Youngstown, OH$55,028
Daytona Beach, FL$54,992
Clarksville, TN$54,986
Pensacola, FL$54,980
Temple, TX$54,975
Hopkinsville, KY$54,797
Erie, PA$54,785
Florence, SC$54,761
Charleston, WV$54,663
Great Falls, MT$54,633
Macon, GA$54,547
Tallahassee, FL$54,541
Fayetteville, NC$54,529
Waco, TX$54,517
Helena, MT$54,474
Pine Bluff, AR$54,451
Vincennes, IN$54,377
Lubbock, TX$54,353
Alamogordo, NM$54,316
Twin Falls, ID$54,261
Rapid City, SD$54,243
Jackson, MS$54,133
Huntington, WV$54,129
Greenville, MS$54,127
Parkersburg, WV$54,065
Montgomery, AL$54,054
Wichita Falls, TX$53,993
Springfield, MO$53,993
Biloxi, MS$53,963
Monroe, LA$53,902
Johnstown, PA$53,859
Sumter, SC$53,835
Columbus, GA$53,829
Pascagoula, MS$53,713
Abilene, TX$53,713
Kingsport, TN$53,555
Albany, GA$53,555
Gulfport, MS$53,537
Alexandria, LA$53,336
Fort Smith, AR$53,184
El Paso, TX$53,019
Las Cruces, NM$52,745
Harlingen, TX$52,591
Pocatello, ID$52,581
Florence, AL$52,502
Brownsville, TX$52,489
Mcallen, TX$52,362
Dothan, AL$52,276
Columbus, MS$51,915
Altus, OK$51,631
Lawton, OK$51,515
Pierre, SD$51,296
What Skills Can Increase a Public Affairs Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 5.52% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Campaign Management (Mentioned in 2.03% Job Postings): Planning, tracking and analyzing of all the marketing initiatives to increase the quality of our business's strategies.
Strategic Communication (Mentioned in 1.71% Job Postings): Strategic communication refers to policy-making and guidance for consistent information activity within an organization and between organizations.
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 Affairs Specialist's salary.
Marketing Research: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Campaign Management: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Corporate Communications: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Public Affairs Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Public Affairs Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Internet
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Public Affairs Specialist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Public Affairs Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Public Affairs Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$76,107
$37.0
25%
Internet
$73,063
$35.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$70,018
$34.0
15%
Energy & Utilities
$66,974
$32.0
10%
Financial Services
$66,974
$32.0
10%
How Education impacts a Public Affairs Specialist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Public Affairs Specialists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate 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 Public Affairs Specialist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$61,171
and $63,866).
Public Affairs Specialist Salaries by Degree Level
Public Affairs Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Public Affairs Specialist'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$53,514
Average$60,886/year
$68,232
$4,460
Average$5,074/month
$5,686
$1,029
Average$1,171/week
$1,312
$26
Average$29/hour
$33
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$68,232
$5,686
$1,312
$33
Average
$60,886
$5,074
$1,171
$29
25th Percentile
$53,514
$4,460
$1,029
$26
Salaries of Jobs related to Public Affairs Specialist
Salaries for a Public Affairs Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $61,857 in 2023
to around $60,971 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Public Affairs Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Public Affairs Specialist Over Time
$???
$61,857
$61,553
$60,971
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$61,857
2024
$61,553
2025
$60,971
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Public Affairs Specialist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Public Affairs Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Public Affairs Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Public Affairs Specialist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Public Affairs Specialist?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Public Affairs Specialist roles,
with salaries approximately 25% 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.
