Public Relations Specialists pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $150,890 or more. The middle half of public relations specialists in Chicago earn between $60,610 and $107,110.
- $49K10th
- $61K25th
- $77KMedian
- $107K75th
- $151K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $88,860 | $7,405 | $42.72 |
| Median | $77,050 | $6,421 | $37.04 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $60,610 | $5,051 | $29.14 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $107,110 | $8,926 | $51.50 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Public Relations Specialists salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $88,860, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $67,086 a year, or $5,590 a month and $2,580 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $68,707 | $5,726 |
| Working in IL | $67,086 | $5,590 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for public relations specialists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $88,860 buys what about $85,776 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Public Relations Specialists salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 7 Illinois metro areas for this job; Bloomington pays the most ($92,230).
- Bloomington$92,230
- Chicago$88,860
- Peoria$82,560
- Springfield$78,650
- Champaign$70,510
- Decatur$67,330
- Rockford$65,800
Highest-paying cities for public relations specialists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($126,870).
- San Jose, CA$126,870
- Washington, DC$116,930
- San Francisco, CA$114,310
- Lexington Park, MD$107,990
- Kennewick, WA$102,230
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Public Relations Specialists salary in Chicago: questions
How much do public relations specialists make an hour in Chicago?
$42.72 an hour on average, and $37.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level public relations specialists salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $60,610, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the public relations specialists take-home pay in Chicago?
About $67,086 a year ($5,590 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $88,860.
Do public relations specialists earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($85,506).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-3031; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.60, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.60).
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