SOC 27-3031 · St. Louis, MO-IL metro

Public Relations Specialists Salary in St. Louis, MO

The average salary for public relations specialists in St. Louis, Missouri is $73,160 a year ($35.17 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $65,170: half of the 1,990 people in this job in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($85,506).

$73,160average per year

$35.17 / hourMedian $65,170Take-home ≈ $57,065

  • $44K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $108K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

1,990people in this job
-14%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 8Missouri metros
95cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Public Relations Specialists pay range in St. Louis

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $107,990 or more. The middle half of public relations specialists in St. Louis earn between $51,770 and $83,150.

  • $44K10th
  • $52K25th
  • $65KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $108K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$73,160$6,097$35.17
Median$65,170$5,431$31.33
Entry level (25th percentile)$51,770$4,314$24.89
Experienced (75th percentile)$83,150$6,929$39.98

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

Public Relations Specialists salary after taxes in St. Louis

On the average salary of $73,160, a single filer in St. Louis takes home about $57,065 a year, or $4,755 a month and $2,195 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

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

StatePer yearPer month
Working in MO$57,065$4,755
Working in IL$56,818$4,735

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

Advertisement

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

Prices in the St. Louis area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.1), so the average $73,160 buys what about $76,939 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in St. Louis ($49,990). A typical home costs $276,878, or 3.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $73,160 is worth in another city

Public Relations Specialists salary in other Missouri cities

St. Louis ranks 3rd 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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Public Relations Specialists in St. Louis, MO.

Public Relations Specialists salary in St. Louis: questions

How much do public relations specialists make an hour in St. Louis?

$35.17 an hour on average, and $31.33 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level public relations specialists salary in St. Louis?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,770, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the public relations specialists take-home pay in St. Louis?

About $57,065 a year ($4,755 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,160. Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); 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 St. Louis than elsewhere?

The average here is 14% 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 St. Louis, MO-IL (41180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • 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 (2026 rules). Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); 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 0.81, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.