Head Of Public Relations Salary in the United States

How much does a Head Of Public Relations make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Head Of Public Relations in the United States is $132,117 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $64.

However, a Head Of Public Relations's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $156,789
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $121,093 to $145,031
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $111,056
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View as table View as graph 25% $121,093 10% $111,056 90% $156,789 75% $145,031 $132,117 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Head Of Public Relations Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $145,031 $12,086 $2,789 $70
Average $132,117 $11,010 $2,541 $64
25th Percentile $121,093 $10,091 $2,329 $58
Check out Head Of Public Relations Job Openings in the United States
Public Relations Associate

Zolidco - Columbus, OH

Communications&amp Public Relations

American Municipal Power, Inc - Columbus, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Head Of Public Relations Salaries

A Head Of Public Relations'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 Head Of Public Relations Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Head Of Public Relations'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): $94,422
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $117,690
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $132,883
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $160,474
  • Expert (over 8 years): $252,099
Levels Salary
Public Re... Level Head Of Public Relations$94,422
Public Re... Level Head Of Public Relations$117,690
Head Of P... Level Head Of Public Relations$132,883
Public Re... Level Head Of Public Relations$160,474
VP of Pub... Level Head Of Public Relations$252,099
$94,422 0 yr
$117,690 < 2 yrs
$132,883 2-4 yrs
$160,474 5-8 yrs
$252,099 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Head Of Public Relations

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: $166,639
  • San Francisco: $164,815
  • Oakland: $161,341

What Skills Can Increase a Head Of Public Relations's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 7.91% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Brand Awareness (Mentioned in 1.7% Job Postings): Brand awareness is the extent to which customers are able to recall or recognize a brand under different conditions. Brand awareness is one of two dimensions from brand knowledge, an associative network memory model.
  • Crisis Communications (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): Crisis communication is a sub-specialty of the public relations profession that is designed to protect and defend an individual, company, or organization facing a public challenge to its reputation. The communication scholar Timothy Coombs defines crisis as "the perception of an unpredictable event that threatens important expectancies of stakeholders and can seriously impact an organization's performance and generate negative outcomes" and crisis communication as "the collection, processing, and dissemination of information required to address a crisis situation." Meaning can be socially constructed; because of this, the way that the stakeholders of an organization view an event (positively, neutrally, or negatively) is a major contributing factor to whether the event will become a crisis. Additionally, it is important to separate a true crisis situation from an incident. The term crisis “should be reserved for serious events that require careful attention from management.”
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 7.91%
Brand Awareness 1.7%
Crisis Communications 1.3%
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 Head Of Public Relations's salary.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
  • Services Marketing: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • B2B: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Artificial Intelligence
$150,613
14%
Services Marketing
$144,008
9%
B2B
$138,723
5%
Insight
$137,402
4%
Corporate Communications
$137,402
4%
Storytelling
$137,402
4%
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Head Of Public Relations Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Head Of Public Relations roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 73% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Internet sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 35% above the average. In contrast, Head Of Public Relations positions in Transportation or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Head Of Public Relations as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Head Of Public Relations

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$178,358$86.035%
Internet$171,752$83.030%
Energy & Utilities$165,146$79.025%
Aerospace & Defense$151,935$73.015%
Financial Services$145,329$70.010%

How Education impacts a Head Of Public Relations's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Head Of Public Relations 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 Head Of Public Relations with a Bachelor's Degree is between $122,808 and $129,718).

Head Of Public Relations Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Head Of Public Relations
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 1.6%
Associates 2.0%
Bachelors 68.7%
Masters 26.0%
Doctorate 1.4%
view as graph

Head Of Public Relations Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Head Of Public Relations'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 Head Of Public Relations

Salaries for a Head Of Public Relations can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $111,594 in 2023 to around $109,825 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Head Of Public Relations salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Head Of Public Relations Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$111,594
2024
$110,976
2025
$109,825
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $111,594
2024 $110,976
2025 $109,825
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Head Of Public Relations

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Head Of Public Relations

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

Find Your Next Head Of Public Relations Job

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

United States
  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Head of Investor RelationsAbout the CompanyReputable real estate investment firm specializing in recession-resistant propertiesIndustryReal EstateTypePriva... more

    5 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Head of Investor Relations, Credit Fund. About the Company. Globally-recognized provider of billing, distribution, & marketing solutions for video game dev... more

    10 Days Ago

  • 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

    14 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

    19 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

    21 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

    21 Days Ago

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FAQ about Head Of Public Relations

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Head Of Public Relations?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Head Of Public Relations roles, with salaries approximately 35% 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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