Public Affairs Careers

Salary data and insights based on 1,634 job postings

Public Affairs professionals earn a median salary of $63,263 at entry-level, rising to $100,000 at mid-level and $157,500 for senior roles across 1,634 analyzed positions. The field is heavily concentrated in Washington, DC and New York, NY, reflecting the importance of proximity to government and media centers. Demand is strongest for professionals with expertise in project management, stakeholder engagement, media relations, written communication, and government relations.

Last updated: May 2026

Entry Level

$63,263

137 jobs

Mid Level

$100,000

352 jobs

Senior Level

$157,500

371 jobs

Jobs Analyzed

1,634

Last 6 months

Salary by Experience Level

Chart shows median salaries. Hover for full range details.

Most Common Job Titles

Required Skills

Project managementStakeholder engagementMedia relationsWritten communicationGovernment relationsWritten and verbal communicationSocial media managementMedia RelationsStrategic communicationsStakeholder relationship managementProject ManagementStakeholder EngagementGovernment RelationsMicrosoft Office SuiteStrategic planning

Explore Specific Job Titles

Public Affairs Specialist

$95,520100 jobs

Public Affairs Manager

$170,00085 jobs

Public Affairs Intern

$52,00069 jobs

Summer Intern

$38,27259 jobs

Director of Public Affairs

$153,00057 jobs

Public Affairs Coordinator

$75,92032 jobs

Vice President, Public Affairs

$145,00024 jobs

Organizing Director

$104,00019 jobs

Manager, Public Affairs

$136,40018 jobs

Director of External Affairs

$157,50016 jobs

Public Affairs Officer

$114,13714 jobs

Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist

$163,86114 jobs

Top Employers

Gilead Sciences

11 jobs

Meta

10 jobs

Google

9 jobs

BerlinRosen

8 jobs

CLEAR

8 jobs

Booz Allen

8 jobs

Waymo

7 jobs

US Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the Office of the U.S. Attorneys

7 jobs

FleishmanHillard

7 jobs

PLUS Communications

7 jobs

Top Locations

Washington, DC

214 jobs

United States

85 jobs

New York, NY

62 jobs

Washington, DC, USA

41 jobs

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

37 jobs

Austin, TX

20 jobs

Chicago, IL

19 jobs

Boston, MA

18 jobs

Arlington, VA

17 jobs

Washington DC-Baltimore Area

17 jobs

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