Public Relations Specialists Salary
The median pay for a public relations specialists in St. Louis, MO-IL is $65,170/year ($31.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $68,535 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 28.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $65K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About public relations specialists
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Pay for public relations specialists in St. Louis runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $75K. Rent runs $1,218/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for public relations specialists in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $68K | $74K |
| Columbia | $48K | $53K |
| Springfield | $53K | $60K |
| Jefferson City | $60K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level public relations specialists (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Public Relations Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Public Relations Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $103K | +37% | 16,720 |
| Washington | $87K | +17% | 6,430 |
| California | $85K | +14% | 32,710 |
| Connecticut | $85K | +14% | 1,910 |
| New York | $81K | +9% | 28,250 |
| Colorado | $81K | +8% | 7,410 |
| Virginia | $80K | +8% | 9,990 |
| New Jersey | $80K | +7% | 4,980 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +7% | 6,760 |
| Maryland | $80K | +6% | 4,190 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +4% | 1,140 |
| Illinois | $76K | +2% | 6,200 |
| Delaware | $76K | +2% | 930 |
| Oregon | $75K | +0% | 4,510 |
| Nevada | $74K | -1% | 1,600 |
| New Hampshire | $73K | -2% | 1,140 |
| Georgia | $73K | -2% | 6,860 |
| North Dakota | $70K | -6% | 640 |
| Alaska | $70K | -6% | 640 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -8% | 1,130 |
| Minnesota | $69K | -8% | 8,260 |
| Wyoming | $67K | -10% | 480 |
| Wisconsin | $67K | -10% | 4,410 |
| North Carolina | $67K | -10% | 9,910 |
| Arizona | $67K | -11% | 5,350 |
| Vermont | $66K | -12% | 1,260 |
| Michigan | $65K | -13% | 7,510 |
| Texas | $65K | -13% | 25,220 |
| Arkansas | $65K | -13% | 980 |
| Oklahoma | $65K | -13% | 2,280 |
| Indiana | $65K | -13% | 3,750 |
| Kansas | $65K | -13% | 2,340 |
| Ohio | $65K | -13% | 6,670 |
| South Dakota | $65K | -14% | 210 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -15% | 1,800 |
| Montana | $64K | -15% | 1,760 |
| Florida | $64K | -15% | 17,820 |
| Iowa | $63K | -16% | 2,890 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -16% | 2,950 |
| Utah | $63K | -16% | 1,800 |
| Maine | $62K | -16% | 1,400 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -17% | 1,590 |
| Alabama | $62K | -17% | 2,410 |
| Missouri | $61K | -18% | 4,820 |
| Idaho | $61K | -18% | 1,220 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -19% | 3,380 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -19% | 1,710 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -20% | 2,580 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -20% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -23% | 11,180 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -24% | 350 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track public relations specialists salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a public relations specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
Yes — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 28.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for public relations specialists in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public relations specialists typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,618/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is public relations specialist a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $65K here vs. $75K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for public relations specialists?
St. Louis pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do public relations specialists make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $65,170 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,640, and experienced public relations specialists can clear $107,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,327/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 28.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a public relations specialists salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median public relations specialists salary is worth about $68,535 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do public relations specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.