Public Relations Specialists pay in California

In California, the median pay for public relations specialists is $40.88 an hour ($85,030 a year). About 32,710 people work in this job there.

$40.88Median hourly pay

$64,460–$121,180Middle half of workers, yearly

32,710People in this job in California

That is 14% higher than the U.S. median ($74,750). California ranks 3rd of 51 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for public relations specialists in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$23.82	$49,550
25% of workers	$30.99	$64,460
Half of workers (median)	$40.88	$85,030
75% of workers	$58.26	$121,180
90% of workers	$77.18	$160,520

Public Relations Specialists pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$117,620	2,200
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$102,520	6,290
Napa	$98,190	80
El Centro	$93,100	40
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$89,640	2,620
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$83,180	180
Yuba City	$81,650	40
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	$81,240	2,730
Santa Rosa-Petaluma	$80,700	270
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$80,610	370
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$79,860	11,910
Vallejo	$79,590	130
Salinas	$78,960	190
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$78,450	270
Stockton-Lodi	$77,710	210
Merced	$77,380	40
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$77,010	1,470
Modesto	$76,610	140
Bakersfield-Delano	$76,580	270
Visalia	$74,780	100
Redding	$73,920	100
Chico	$73,890	120
Fresno	$72,870	490
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles	$71,190	160

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for public relations specialists

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
Job outlook: +1.8% over ten years, little or no change · about 23,000 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Editors	$98,030
Media and Communication Workers, All Other	$102,630
Writers and Authors	$86,480
Interpreters and Translators	$70,770
Technical Writers	$104,000
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners	$116,020

Other job titles for this job

Concert PromoterPolitical AdvisorPolitical AidePublic Information OfficerCommunity LiaisonMedia SpecialistImage ConsultantAudience CoordinatorBrand AdvocateCommunication SpecialistCommunications AssociateCommunity Relations Coordinator

Open public relations specialists jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring public relations specialists? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job free Find jobs Check pay for any job

Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/public-relations-specialists/california.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.