Public Relations Specialists pay range in Rockford
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,660 a year or less, while the top 10% make $104,700 or more. The middle half of public relations specialists in Rockford earn between $47,890 and $80,530.
- $41K10th
- $48K25th
- $62KMedian
- $81K75th
- $105K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $65,800 | $5,483 | $31.63 |
| Median | $62,500 | $5,208 | $30.05 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $47,890 | $3,991 | $23.02 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,530 | $6,711 | $38.72 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Public Relations Specialists salary after taxes in Rockford
On the average salary of $65,800, a single filer in Rockford takes home about $51,934 a year, or $4,328 a month and $1,997 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Rockford a good place for public relations specialists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Rockford area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.2), so the average $65,800 buys what about $71,402 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Rockford ($47,120). A typical home costs $221,368, or 3.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Public Relations Specialists salary in other Illinois cities
Rockford ranks 7th 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 Rockford: questions
How much do public relations specialists make an hour in Rockford?
$31.63 an hour on average, and $30.05 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level public relations specialists salary in Rockford?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,660 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,890, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the public relations specialists take-home pay in Rockford?
About $51,934 a year ($4,328 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $65,800.
Do public relations specialists earn more in Rockford than elsewhere?
The average here is 23% less 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 Rockford, IL (40420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.8%.
- 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 0.28, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.28).
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