SOC 27-3031 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro

Public Relations Specialists Salary in Boston, MA

The average salary for public relations specialists in Boston, Massachusetts is $93,800 a year ($45.10 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $81,440: half of the 5,380 people in this job in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($85,506).

$93,800average per year

$45.10 / hourMedian $81,440Take-home ≈ $70,448

  • $54K10th
  • $63K25th
  • $81KMedian
  • $112K75th
  • $146K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

5,380people in this job
+10%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 6Massachusetts metros
108cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Relations Specialists pay range in Boston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,800 a year or less, while the top 10% make $145,720 or more. The middle half of public relations specialists in Boston earn between $62,940 and $111,860.

  • $54K10th
  • $63K25th
  • $81KMedian
  • $112K75th
  • $146K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$93,800$7,817$45.10
Median$81,440$6,787$39.15
Entry level (25th percentile)$62,940$5,245$30.26
Experienced (75th percentile)$111,860$9,322$53.78

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Public Relations Specialists salary after taxes in Boston

On the average salary of $93,800, a single filer in Boston takes home about $70,448 a year, or $5,871 a month and $2,710 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NH$74,818$6,235
Working in MA$70,448$5,871

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.

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Is Boston a good place for public relations specialists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $93,800 buys what about $86,638 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 7.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $93,800 is worth in another city

Public Relations Specialists salary in other Massachusetts cities

Boston ranks 1st of 6 Massachusetts metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Public Relations Specialists salaries in Massachusetts

Highest-paying cities for public relations specialists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($126,870).

Public Relations Specialists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Public Relations Specialists in Boston, MA.

Public Relations Specialists salary in Boston: questions

How much do public relations specialists make an hour in Boston?

$45.10 an hour on average, and $39.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level public relations specialists salary in Boston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,800 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,940, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the public relations specialists take-home pay in Boston?

About $70,448 a year ($5,871 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $93,800. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.

Do public relations specialists earn more in Boston than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
  • 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 (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.09, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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