Public Relations and Advertising
Communication & Journalism · federal classification: Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $57,711 | $38,014 to $67,085 | 7 | 71% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $60,218 | $52,538 to $67,510 | 195 | 96% |
| Master's Degree | $77,912 | $61,494 to $88,824 | 38 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +5% (2025 to 2035), about 147,200 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training and Development Specialists | $69,280 | +10.8% | 46,000 |
| Public Relations Specialists | $74,750 | +1.8% | 23,000 |
| Human Resources Managers | $149,280 | +5.5% | 16,800 |
| Fundraisers | $72,550 | +5.5% | 10,000 |
| Editors | $77,920 | -1.1% | 7,900 |
| Community Health Workers | $51,850 | +12.7% | 7,000 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a public relations and advertising program, of 491 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Michigan State University
- University of Oregon
- Boston University
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Florida
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.