Public Relations and Advertising degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in public relations and advertising earn a median $62,264 four years after finishing, across 173 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in advertising and public relations earn $68,216, $6,167 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is marketing managers (7%).
Median across 173 colleges; middle half $56,032–$68,942.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $47,048–$93,403. 3,340 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Advertising And Public Relations"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$32,578/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs public relations and advertising graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in advertising and public relations actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Managers | 7% | $166,790 | +6.9% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Market Research Analysts And Marketing Specialists | 6% | $78,760 | +7.0% | Bachelor's degree | ECI |
| Other Managers | 6% | — | — | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Public Relations Specialists | 3% | $74,750 | +1.8% | Bachelor's degree | EAS |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Advertising And Promotions Managers | 2% | $133,660 | -3.7% | Bachelor's degree | ECA |
| Project Management Specialists | 2% | $102,320 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
These 8 jobs account for 32% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Public Relations and Advertising earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $51,434 (3) | — |
| California | $78,630 (8) | $73,321 (358) |
| Colorado | — | $67,032 (102) |
| District of Columbia | $78,410 (3) | — |
| Florida | $63,368 (9) | $59,662 (240) |
| Georgia | $64,934 (3) | $61,101 (148) |
| Illinois | $63,686 (10) | $71,594 (252) |
| Indiana | $66,178 (6) | — |
| Iowa | $62,526 (6) | — |
| Kentucky | $51,914 (6) | — |
| Louisiana | $53,240 (3) | — |
| Massachusetts | $70,804 (4) | — |
| Michigan | $59,724 (10) | $59,820 (165) |
| Missouri | $56,542 (6) | — |
| New Jersey | $63,612 (3) | $70,877 (128) |
| New York | $67,242 (14) | $84,266 (280) |
| North Carolina | $55,671 (5) | — |
| Ohio | $60,642 (13) | — |
| Oklahoma | $56,319 (3) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $64,538 (13) | $72,618 (103) |
| South Carolina | $65,248 (3) | — |
| Tennessee | $60,776 (4) | — |
| Texas | $64,350 (8) | $68,433 (377) |
| Washington | $67,092 (4) | — |
| Wisconsin | $64,978 (3) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where public relations and advertising graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 22 in Florida, 4 in Virginia, 17 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $87,946 | $20,251 |
| 2 | University of MiamiFL | $82,999 | $18,000 |
| 3 | Pepperdine UniversityCA | $81,417 | $26,000 |
| 4 | University of San FranciscoCA | $81,285 | $23,250 |
| 5 | Chapman UniversityCA | $80,139 | $22,625 |
| 6 | Pacific Union CollegeCA | $77,121 | — |
| 7 | University of FloridaFL | $69,600 | $17,439 |
| 8 | San Diego State UniversityCA | $67,414 | $17,038 |
| 9 | Florida State UniversityFL | $65,941 | $13,849 |
| 10 | Florida International UniversityFL | $65,343 | $12,000 |
| 11 | The University of TampaFL | $63,368 | $25,000 |
| 12 | Biola UniversityCA | $62,319 | $21,104 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Public Relations and Advertising degree questions
How much do Public Relations and Advertising graduates make?
Public Relations and Advertising graduates earn a median $62,264 four years after finishing, across 173 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $56,032 to $68,942; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in advertising and public relations, the median is $68,216 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Public Relations and Advertising degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in advertising and public relations earn a median $68,216: $6,167 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $32,578 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Public Relations and Advertising graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in advertising and public relations, the most common jobs are marketing managers (7%), market research analysts and marketing specialists (6%), other managers (6%). Marketing Managers earn a U.S. median $166,790.
How much do Public Relations and Advertising graduates earn in Florida?
Across 9 Florida colleges reporting, Public Relations and Advertising graduates earn a median $63,368 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $59,662.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
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Cite this: “Public Relations and Advertising degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/public-relations-and-advertising.