• by Ray Schultz , July 20, 2023

While it should be no surprise, two studies from Muck Rack document that public relations professionals generally earn more than journalists.

The typical annual salary for PR pros is $85,000, rising to $107,000 at brands and $80,000 at agencies. In contrast, journalist salaries range from $40,000 to $70,000.

While 36% of PR pros earn $100,000 per year or more, only 17% of journalists do. Freelance journalists, of course, earn less than full-timers, but only the full-time positions are reflected here.

The salary ranges are as follows:

PR Professionals

• Less than $40,000—2%
• $40,000-$70,000—30%
• $70,000-$100,000—33%
• $100,000-$150,000—21%
• $150,000-$250,000—12%
• More than $250,000—3%

Journalists

• Less than $40,000—20%
• $40,000-$70,000—39%
• $70,000--$100,000—11%
• $150,000-$250,000—5%
• More than $250,000—1%

Muck Rack surveyed 1,034 PR professionals from March 31 to April 25, 2023 for its State of PR report and 2,226 journalists from January 4 to February 6, 2023 for the State of Journalism report.