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Salary comparison

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists vs. Public Relations Specialists: Who Earns More?

Public Relations Specialistss out-earn News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss by $13K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss land at $62,200 and Public Relations Specialistss at $74,750. The education gap is real: news analysts, reporters, and journalist programs typically require bachelor's degree, while public relations specialist programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss is District of Columbia ($105,390); for Public Relations Specialistss it's District of Columbia ($102,740).

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
Public Relations Specialists
Median salary
$62,200
$74,750
Hourly rate
$29.91/hr
$35.94/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$36,240
$44,110
Senior level (90th %)
$144,140
$135,150
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
39,250
283,380
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Arts & Media
Arts & Media
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists median pay.

State
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
Public Relations Specialists
District of Columbia
$105,390
$102,740
New York
$100,770
$81,250
Georgia
$81,910
$73,200
Nevada
$78,550
$73,840
Rhode Island
$74,570
$77,540
Maryland
$63,680
$79,560
Virginia
$62,140
$80,380
Connecticut
$61,620
$84,990
Colorado
$60,770
$80,680
Illinois
$60,590
$76,380
New Jersey
$59,830
$80,130
Delaware
$55,600
$76,120
Washington
$54,760
$87,470
Oregon
$49,200
$74,900
New Hampshire
$48,450
$73,280

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss or Public Relations Specialistss?

Public Relations Specialistss earn more nationally. The median is $62,200 for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss versus $74,750 for Public Relations Specialistss, a difference of $13K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists or Public Relations Specialists?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists or Public Relations Specialists?

News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists typically requires bachelor's degree. Public Relations Specialists requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss at $105,390/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists vs. Public Relations Specialists pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss earn $105,390 vs. $102,740 for Public Relations Specialistss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists salary breakdownView →Full Public Relations Specialists salary breakdownView →Best cities for News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalistss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Public Relations Specialistss by take-home payExplore →How to become a news analysts, reporters, and journalistsGuide →How to become a public relations specialistsGuide →