Strategic Communications Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does a Strategic Communications Specialist make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Strategic Communications Specialist in the United States is $69,939 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $34.
However, a Strategic Communications Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $82,722
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $65,038 to $76,630
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $60,577
10%$60,577
50% (Median)$69,939
90%$82,722
Strategic Communications Specialist Salaries by Percentile
Key Factors That Influence Strategic Communications Specialist Salaries
A Strategic Communications 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 Strategic Communications Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Strategic Communications 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 Strategic Communications 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 Strategic Communications Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $77,436.
California: $77,142.
Massachusetts: $76,114.
District of Columbia$77,436
California$77,142
Massachusetts$76,114
Washington$75,834
New Jersey$75,806
Alaska$75,708
Connecticut$74,743
New York$74,352
Hawaii$73,100
Rhode Island$72,512
Maryland$72,114
Minnesota$71,568
Colorado$71,358
Illinois$71,288
Oregon$71,023
Delaware$70,827
New Hampshire$70,704
Virginia$70,428
Pennsylvania$69,624
Nevada$69,218
North Dakota$69,085
Michigan$68,875
Wisconsin$68,799
Vermont$68,645
Texas$68,218
Maine$68,190
Arizona$68,148
Ohio$68,099
Georgia$67,456
Indiana$67,134
Wyoming$67,071
Utah$66,973
Iowa$66,931
Kansas$66,595
Louisiana$66,498
North Carolina$66,463
Missouri$66,449
Florida$66,176
Montana$66,029
Nebraska$65,889
Kentucky$65,812
South Carolina$65,532
Tennessee$65,358
Idaho$65,288
New Mexico$64,777
Oklahoma$64,665
Alabama$64,252
South Dakota$63,560
Arkansas$63,182
West Virginia$62,980
Mississippi$62,371
Top Paying Cities for Strategic Communications Specialists
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: $88,213
San Francisco: $87,248
Oakland: $85,409
San Jose, CA$88,213
San Francisco, CA$87,248
Oakland, CA$85,409
New York, NY$80,526
Paramus, NJ$79,547
Queens Village, NY$79,544
Passaic, NJ$79,477
Bergenfield, NJ$79,471
Stamford, CT$79,317
Huntington, NY$79,289
Newark, NJ$78,772
Bridgeport, CT$78,624
Vallejo, CA$78,485
New Brunswick, NJ$78,457
Petaluma, CA$78,415
Middlesex, NJ$78,282
Somerset, NJ$78,233
Santa Cruz, CA$78,142
Boston, MA$77,716
Monterey, CA$77,470
Seattle, WA$77,310
Santa Rosa, CA$77,296
Los Angeles, CA$77,275
Juneau, AK$77,093
Washington, DC$77,016
Orange, CA$76,767
Santa Ana, CA$76,583
Long Beach, CA$76,513
Anaheim, CA$76,499
Anchorage, AK$76,464
Santa Maria, CA$76,254
Everett, WA$76,240
Danbury, CT$75,994
Bremerton, WA$75,897
Tacoma, WA$75,645
New Suffolk, NY$75,644
Sacramento, CA$75,625
Santa Barbara, CA$75,548
Trenton, NJ$75,471
San Diego, CA$75,471
Brockton, MA$75,394
Fairbanks, AK$75,222
Lompoc, CA$75,044
Lowell, MA$74,987
Ventura, CA$74,974
Nashua, NH$74,960
Stockton, CA$74,953
Modesto, CA$74,443
Poughkeepsie, NY$74,289
Olympia, WA$74,156
Kennewick, WA$74,156
New Haven, CT$74,128
Lawrence, MA$73,876
Hartford, CT$73,806
Riverside, CA$73,792
New Bedford, MA$73,722
Richland, WA$73,722
Bakersfield, CA$73,624
San Bernardino, CA$73,596
New Britain, CT$73,589
Atlantic City, NJ$73,589
New London, CT$73,561
Norwich, CT$73,540
Portsmouth, NH$73,526
Boulder, CO$73,378
Portland, OR$73,282
Worcester, MA$73,275
Minneapolis, MN$73,058
Philadelphia, PA$72,960
Honolulu, HI$72,729
Saint Paul, MN$72,695
Vineland, NJ$72,680
Providence, RI$72,477
Chicago, IL$72,274
Bellingham, WA$72,191
Springfield, MA$72,135
Baltimore, MD$72,114
Chico, CA$71,939
Pittsfield, MA$71,750
Manchester, NH$71,617
Spokane, WA$71,309
Denver, CO$71,302
Albany, NY$70,974
Troy, NY$70,946
Nassau, NY$70,871
Schenectady, NY$70,799
Wilmington, DE$70,743
Burlington, VT$70,645
Salem, OR$70,617
Portland, ME$70,400
Yakima, WA$70,330
Rochester, MN$70,113
Reno, NV$70,078
Fresno, CA$70,078
Milwaukee, WI$70,015
Detroit, MI$69,945
Ann Arbor, MI$69,934
Allentown, PA$69,925
Colorado Springs, CO$69,806
Syracuse, NY$69,771
Carson City, NV$69,771
Houston, TX$69,673
Eugene, OR$69,638
Gary, IN$69,554
Springfield, OR$69,498
Bismarck, ND$69,484
Galveston, TX$69,435
Medford, OR$69,330
Fort Collins, CO$69,302
Concord, NH$69,267
Austin, TX$69,246
Mesa, AZ$69,099
Reading, PA$69,092
Phoenix, AZ$69,085
Dallas, TX$69,064
Saint Cloud, MN$68,997
Madison, WI$68,903
Utica, NY$68,715
Rochester, NY$68,603
Des Moines, IA$68,596
Raleigh, NC$68,589
Atlanta, GA$68,484
Battle Creek, MI$68,463
Salt Lake City, UT$68,442
Lancaster, PA$68,337
Harrisburg, PA$68,239
Kansas City, MO$68,169
Champaign, IL$68,155
Kansas City, KS$68,155
Fort Worth, TX$68,148
Columbus, OH$68,136
Boca Raton, FL$68,120
Pittsburgh, PA$68,092
Richmond, VA$68,064
Indianapolis, IN$68,050
Cleveland, OH$68,043
Las Vegas, NV$67,959
Cincinnati, OH$67,959
Petersburg, VA$67,854
Huntsville, AL$67,749
Lansing, MI$67,703
Lebanon, PA$67,693
Pueblo, CO$67,686
Appleton, WI$67,665
Buffalo, NY$67,638
Dayton, OH$67,617
Racine, WI$67,603
Charlotte, NC$67,596
Saint Louis, MO$67,575
York, PA$67,533
Elkhart, IN$67,533
Gastonia, NC$67,519
Billings, MT$67,503
Beaumont, TX$67,484
Lorain, OH$67,470
Benton Harbor, MI$67,456
Toledo, OH$67,442
Binghamton, NY$67,407
Rock Hill, SC$67,400
Rockford, IL$67,365
Springfield, IL$67,337
Elyria, OH$67,330
Fargo, ND$67,330
Flagstaff, AZ$67,281
Fort Lauderdale, FL$67,239
Duluth, MN$67,197
Miami, FL$67,197
Cheyenne, WY$67,148
Grand Forks, ND$67,148
Bangor, ME$66,994
Cedar Rapids, IA$66,917
Durham, NC$66,888
Louisville, KY$66,882
Grand Rapids, MI$66,868
Hialeah, FL$66,861
Casper, WY$66,763
Scranton, PA$66,679
New Orleans, LA$66,658
Virginia Beach, VA$66,651
Akron, OH$66,616
Peoria, IL$66,526
Sarasota, FL$66,512
Nashville, TN$66,463
Omaha, NE$66,463
Green Bay, WI$66,463
Baton Rouge, LA$66,428
Charleston, SC$66,414
Jamestown, NY$66,379
Davenport, IA$66,379
Tucson, AZ$66,344
Saint Petersburg, FL$66,302
Tampa, FL$66,288
Evansville, IN$66,246
Port Arthur, TX$66,246
Bradenton, FL$66,218
Santa Fe, NM$66,092
Orlando, FL$65,966
Clearwater, FL$65,945
Canton, OH$65,798
La Crosse, WI$65,798
Albuquerque, NM$65,756
Newport News, VA$65,749
High Point, NC$65,728
Ogden, UT$65,700
Corpus Christi, TX$65,644
Norfolk, VA$65,602
Laramie, WY$65,602
Rock Island, IL$65,560
Saginaw, MI$65,546
Jacksonville, FL$65,539
Salisbury, NC$65,525
Boise, ID$65,511
Moline, IL$65,476
Fort Myers, FL$65,455
Memphis, TN$65,441
Tulsa, OK$65,406
Waterloo, IA$65,365
Spartanburg, SC$65,295
Lincoln, NE$65,260
Fort Wayne, IN$65,246
Provo, UT$65,239
Cedar Falls, IA$65,155
San Antonio, TX$65,127
Greensboro, NC$65,099
South Bend, IN$65,092
Savannah, GA$65,015
Muskegon, MI$64,987
Birmingham, AL$64,980
Winston Salem, NC$64,946
Lake Charles, LA$64,777
Anderson, IN$64,763
Lexington, KY$64,742
Augusta, GA$64,721
Greenville, SC$64,721
Lima, OH$64,665
Wichita, KS$64,658
Tuscaloosa, AL$64,658
Columbia, SC$64,595
Springfield, OH$64,581
Asheville, NC$64,469
Bloomington, IN$64,420
Knoxville, TN$64,169
Shreveport, LA$64,162
Wilmington, NC$64,071
Roanoke, VA$64,071
Topeka, KS$63,945
Frankfort, KY$63,937
Oklahoma City, OK$63,889
Chillicothe, OH$63,861
Longview, TX$63,854
Melbourne, FL$63,847
Sioux Falls, SD$63,735
Mobile, AL$63,728
Terre Haute, IN$63,700
Altoona, PA$63,658
Amarillo, TX$63,609
Killeen, TX$63,588
Fayetteville, AR$63,532
Chattanooga, TN$63,511
Sioux City, IA$63,448
Idaho Falls, ID$63,434
Lynchburg, VA$63,378
Gainesville, FL$63,287
Portsmouth, OH$63,252
Little Rock, AR$63,238
Lafayette, LA$63,210
Youngstown, OH$63,210
Daytona Beach, FL$63,168
Clarksville, TN$63,161
Pensacola, FL$63,154
Temple, TX$63,150
Hopkinsville, KY$62,945
Erie, PA$62,931
Florence, SC$62,903
Charleston, WV$62,791
Great Falls, MT$62,756
Macon, GA$62,658
Tallahassee, FL$62,651
Fayetteville, NC$62,637
Waco, TX$62,623
Helena, MT$62,574
Pine Bluff, AR$62,547
Vincennes, IN$62,462
Lubbock, TX$62,434
Alamogordo, NM$62,392
Twin Falls, ID$62,329
Rapid City, SD$62,308
Jackson, MS$62,182
Huntington, WV$62,177
Greenville, MS$62,175
Parkersburg, WV$62,104
Montgomery, AL$62,091
Wichita Falls, TX$62,021
Springfield, MO$62,021
Biloxi, MS$61,986
Monroe, LA$61,917
Johnstown, PA$61,868
Sumter, SC$61,840
Columbus, GA$61,833
Pascagoula, MS$61,700
Abilene, TX$61,700
Kingsport, TN$61,518
Albany, GA$61,518
Gulfport, MS$61,497
Alexandria, LA$61,266
Fort Smith, AR$61,091
El Paso, TX$60,902
Las Cruces, NM$60,588
Harlingen, TX$60,410
Pocatello, ID$60,399
Florence, AL$60,308
Brownsville, TX$60,294
Mcallen, TX$60,147
Dothan, AL$60,049
Columbus, MS$59,634
Altus, OK$59,308
Lawton, OK$59,175
Pierre, SD$58,923
What Skills Can Increase a Strategic Communications Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Planning (Mentioned in 23.22% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 1.6% 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.
PowerPoint (Mentioned in 1.26% Job Postings): A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.
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 Strategic Communications Specialist's salary.
Budgeting: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Program Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Decision Making: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Strategic Communications Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Strategic Communications Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Strategic Communications Specialist positions in Hospitality & Leisure or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Strategic Communications Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Strategic Communications Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$83,926
$40.0
20%
Financial Services
$80,429
$39.0
15%
Healthcare
$80,429
$39.0
15%
Internet
$80,429
$39.0
15%
Energy & Utilities
$76,932
$37.0
10%
How Education impacts a Strategic Communications Specialist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Strategic Communications Specialists enter the field with a No Diploma 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 Strategic Communications Specialist with a No Diploma is between
$64,623
and $69,142).
Strategic Communications Specialist Salaries by Degree Level
$75,200
$73,700
$72,200
$70,700
$69,200
$67,700
$66,200
$64,700
No Diploma
High School
Associates
Bachelors
Masters
Doctorate
Typical Education for Strategic Communications Specialist
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
7.1%
High School
7.1%
Associates
71.4%
Bachelors
21.4%
Masters
71.4%
Doctorate
0.0%
Typical Education for Strategic Communications Specialist
Understanding how a Strategic Communications 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 October 01, 2026
$65,038
Average$69,939/year
$76,630
$5,420
Average$5,828/month
$6,386
$1,251
Average$1,345/week
$1,474
$31
Average$34/hour
$37
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$76,630
$6,386
$1,474
$37
Average
$69,939
$5,828
$1,345
$34
25th Percentile
$65,038
$5,420
$1,251
$31
Salaries of Jobs related to Strategic Communications Specialist
Salary Trends for Strategic Communications Specialist
Salaries for a Strategic Communications Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $80,282 in 2023
to around $79,506 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Strategic Communications Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Strategic Communications Specialist Over Time
$???
$80,282
$80,143
$79,506
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$80,282
2024
$80,143
2025
$79,506
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Strategic Communications Specialist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Strategic Communications Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Strategic Communications 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 Strategic Communications Specialist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Strategic Communications Specialist?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Strategic Communications Specialist roles,
with salaries approximately 20% 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.
