Communication Officer Salary in the United States

How much does a Communication Officer make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Communication Officer in the United States is $80,863 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $95,080
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $71,986 to $88,305
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $63,903
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View as table View as graph 25% $71,986 10% $63,903 90% $95,080 75% $88,305 $80,863 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Communication Officer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $88,305 $7,359 $1,698 $42
Average $80,863 $6,739 $1,555 $39
25th Percentile $71,986 $5,999 $1,384 $35
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Key Factors That Influence Communication Officer Salaries

A Communication Officer'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 Officer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Communication Officer'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): $61,835
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $81,480
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $95,038
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $119,088
  • Expert (over 8 years): $155,297
Levels Salary
Communica... Level Communication Officer$61,835
Communica... Level Communication Officer$81,480
Communica... Level Communication Officer$95,038
Communica... Level Communication Officer$119,088
Communica... Level Communication Officer$155,297
$61,835 0 yr
$81,480 < 2 yrs
$95,038 2-4 yrs
$119,088 5-8 yrs
$155,297 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Communication Officers

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: $101,993
  • San Francisco: $100,876
  • Oakland: $98,750

What Skills Can Increase a Communication Officer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Initiative (Mentioned in 6.32% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
  • Strategic Communication (Mentioned in 3.21% Job Postings): Strategic communication refers to policy-making and guidance for consistent information activity within an organization and between organizations.
  • Photography (Mentioned in 1.43% 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.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Initiative 6.32%
Strategic Communication 3.21%
Photography 1.43%
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 Officer's salary.
  • Corporate Communications: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Corporate Communications
$87,332
8%
Insight
$86,524
7%
Consulting
$85,715
6%
Storytelling
$84,906
5%
Innovation
$84,906
5%
Strategic Communication
$84,906
5%
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Communication Officer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Communication Officer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 19% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, Communication Officer positions in Insurance or Internet typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Communication Officer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Communication Officer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$88,949$43.010%
Biotechnology$87,332$42.08%
Business Services$85,715$41.06%
Chemicals$84,906$41.05%
Construction$84,098$40.04%

How Education impacts a Communication Officer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Communication Officers 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 Officer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $74,722 and $79,027).

Communication Officer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Communication Officer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.2%
High School 3.2%
Associates 1.1%
Bachelors 64.9%
Masters 29.8%
Doctorate 1.1%
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Communication Officer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Communication Officer'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

Salary Trends for Communication Officer

Salaries for a Communication Officer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $73,835 in 2023 to around $73,186 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Communication Officer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Communication Officer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$73,835
2024
$74,229
2025
$73,186
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $73,835
2024 $74,229
2025 $73,186
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Communication Officer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Communication Officer

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

Find Your Next Communication Officer Job

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

United States
  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Associate Vice President, Internal Communications. About the Company. National consulting & advisory services firm focused on the healthcare industry. Indu... more

    16 Days Ago

  • C.R. England

    Columbus, OH

    C.R. England | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. C.R. England is Now Urgently Hiring Local Dedicated CDL-A Truck Drivers. \n. Dedicated Local Fleet - Home Daily - Competitive Pay* - Full ... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Credit Risk Strategy & Data Science. About the Company. High-growth SMB lender building the next generation of credit decisioning. Industry... more

    21 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Payments Engineering. About the Company. Globally-recognized provider of corporate payment solutions. Industry. Financial Services. Type. P... more

    23 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Senior Vice President of Project Delivery. About the Company. A multi-billion-dollar construction organization with collaborative, servant-minded leadershi... more

    23 Days Ago

  • USPS

    Columbus, OH

    USPS | Columbus, OH

    The United States Postal Service (USPS) is seeking Mail Carriers and City Carrier Assistants (CCA) to deliver mail and packages to residential and business... more

    29 Days Ago

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FAQ about Communication Officer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Communication Officer?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Communication Officer roles, with salaries approximately 10% 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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