The typical salary for PR professionals is approximately $85,000, states a new Muck Rack report, while journalists usually earn between $40,000 and $70,000. According to data from the Census Bureau collected by Data USA, the average PR salary is $84,737. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average journalist salary is $48,370.

Muck Rack’s 2023 State of PR and Journalism Salaries report states that brands and agencies tend to pay PR professionals differently. PR pros at brands typically earn over $100,000, whereas PR pros at agencies earn around $80,000.

The report finds no strong correlation between hours worked and salary. Despite this, 57% of PR professionals reported working more than 40 hours a week, and nearly 80% work after hours at least once a week.

The report also delves into the topic of gender representation within PR agencies. Essentially, the more senior the position, the more likely men are to hold the role. Given that 80% of the PR professionals who responded to our survey are women and 18% are men, one might anticipate a similar gender distribution across all job roles. However, the data tells a different story. As job roles become more senior, the proportion of men in these positions increases, diverging from the overall gender distribution.

When it comes to journalism, the report states that the typical journalist’s salary remains consistent across different beats and seniority levels, falling within the $40,000-70,000 range. Interestingly, this range is the most common salary bracket even as years of experience increase. This suggests some wage stagnation across the industry, with seniority not necessarily translating into significantly higher pay.

The report also looks at the difference between full-time staff journalists and freelancers. Full-time freelancers were found to be more likely to earn less than $40,000 compared to their full-time staff counterparts. Moreover, freelancers were underrepresented in the upper income brackets.

More here.