Public Relations Specialists Salary in Portland, OR (2024)
Public Relations Specialists in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn a median of $75,840 per year ($36.46 per hour) based on 2,960 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +8.7% against the national median of $69,780 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where public relations specialists actually sit across the pay range in Portland, OR, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.40 | $46,600 | |
| 25th percentile | $27.38 | $56,950 | |
| Median | $36.46 | $75,840 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $47.97 | $99,780 | |
| 90th percentile | $61.66 | $128,260 | |
| Average (mean) | $39.53 | $82,220 |
How Portland, OR compares
The local median of $75,840 runs +8.7% above the US median of $69,780 for this occupation; it pays 28.5% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($59,040); within the metro it ranks 274th of 664 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR — this occupation | $75,840 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $69,780 | +8.7% |
| Portland, OR — all occupations | $59,040 | +28.5% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $98,460 | -23.0% |
At a location quotient of 1.34, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 134% of the national share of these workers.
Moderate confidence The relative standard error is 7.6%. Treat the headline number as accurate to within roughly 8%, and read the percentiles as a range rather than a precise point.
Ranked 274th of 664 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Portland, OR
To put $75,840 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 274th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Dentists, General | $184,420 | 760 |
| Pediatricians, General | $181,990 | 600 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $178,210 | — |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $174,100 | 130 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $170,410 | — |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $170,220 | 30 |
| Pharmacists | $169,520 | 2,420 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $169,510 | 650 |
| Marketing Managers | $165,000 | 4,440 |
| Lawyers | $161,420 | 5,600 |
Where public relations specialists earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $58,600 to $98,460. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $98,460 | 6,040 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,370 | 24,000 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92,060 | 4,410 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $79,990 | 23,640 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $77,530 | 4,460 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,380 | 11,930 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $77,290 | 2,360 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $76,940 | 4,290 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $76,680 | 6,460 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $75,840 | 2,960 |
See the full national picture on the Public Relations Specialists salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for public relations specialists in Portland, OR?
The median annual wage is $75,840, or $36 per hour. That means half of the public relations specialists working in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $82,220.
What do the highest and lowest paid public relations specialists in Portland, OR earn?
The bottom 10% earn $46,600 or less, while the top 10% earn $128,260 or more — a spread of $81,660 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $56,950 and $99,780.
Is public relations specialists pay in Portland, OR above the local average?
Yes, it is 28.5% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $59,040. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Portland, OR pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $75,840 the metro median is 8.7% higher than the US median of $69,780 for public relations specialists. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $58,600 to $98,460.
How many public relations specialists work in Portland, OR?
BLS counts about 2,960 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 2.44 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.34, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 134% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 5.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.