SOC 27-3031 · Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro

Public Relations Specialists Salary in Cape Girardeau, MO

The average salary for public relations specialists in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is $58,780 a year ($28.26 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $54,210: half of the 30 people in this job in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 30% less than the U.S. average for this job ($84,120).

$58,780average per year

$28.26 / hourMedian $54,210Take-home ≈ $47,584

  • $41K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $67K75th
  • $83K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

30people in this job
-30%vs U.S. average
#7 of 8Missouri metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Relations Specialists pay range in Cape Girardeau

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,040 a year or less, while the top 10% make $82,750 or more. The middle half of public relations specialists in Cape Girardeau earn between $43,220 and $66,790.

  • $41K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $67K75th
  • $83K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$58,780$4,898$28.26
Median$54,210$4,518$26.06
Entry level (25th percentile)$43,220$3,602$20.78
Experienced (75th percentile)$66,790$5,566$32.11

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

Public Relations Specialists pay in Cape Girardeau vs. Missouri and the U.S.

Public relations specialists in Cape Girardeau earn 13% less than the Missouri average ($67,840) and 30% less than the U.S. average ($84,120). At the median the gap is -27% against the U.S. median of $74,750.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cape Girardeau$58,780$54,210$41,040$82,75030
Missouri$67,840$61,130$38,490$102,8504,820
United States$84,120$74,750$44,110$135,150283,380

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Public Relations Specialists salary after taxes in Cape Girardeau

On the average salary of $58,780, a single filer in Cape Girardeau takes home about $47,584 a year, or $3,965 a month and $1,830 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in MO$47,584$3,965
Working in IL$46,641$3,887

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Missouri paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Cape Girardeau area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $58,780 buys what about $68,287 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Cape Girardeau ($44,470). A typical home costs $232,332, or 4.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $58,780 is worth in another city

Public Relations Specialists salary in other Missouri cities

Cape Girardeau ranks 7th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; Kansas City pays the most ($74,490).

All Public Relations Specialists salaries in Missouri

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 Cape Girardeau, MO.

Public Relations Specialists salary in Cape Girardeau: questions

How much do public relations specialists make an hour in Cape Girardeau?

$28.26 an hour on average, and $26.06 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $41,040 a year and the 25th percentile is $43,220, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $47,584 a year ($3,965 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $58,780. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do public relations specialists earn more in Cape Girardeau than elsewhere?

The average here is 30% less than the U.S. average for this job ($84,120).

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 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (16020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.39, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.39).

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