SOC 27-3031 · Burlington, NC metro

Public Relations Specialists Salary in Burlington, NC

The average salary for public relations specialists in Burlington, North Carolina is $65,350 a year ($31.42 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $59,150: half of the 90 people in this job in the Burlington, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. average for this job ($84,120).

$65,350average per year

$31.42 / hourMedian $59,150Take-home ≈ $52,590

  • $35K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $98K90th

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

90people in this job
-22%vs U.S. average
#12 of 15North Carolina metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Relations Specialists pay range in Burlington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,610 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,810 or more. The middle half of public relations specialists in Burlington earn between $44,070 and $78,010.

  • $35K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $98K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$65,350$5,446$31.42
Median$59,150$4,929$28.44
Entry level (25th percentile)$44,070$3,672$21.19
Experienced (75th percentile)$78,010$6,501$37.50

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

Public Relations Specialists pay in Burlington vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Public relations specialists in Burlington earn 17% less than the North Carolina average ($78,940) and 22% less than the U.S. average ($84,120). At the median the gap is -21% against the U.S. median of $74,750.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Burlington$65,350$59,150$34,610$97,81090
North Carolina$78,940$67,230$39,840$136,4509,910
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 Burlington

On the average salary of $65,350, a single filer in Burlington takes home about $52,590 a year, or $4,382 a month and $2,023 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Burlington area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.2), so the average $65,350 buys what about $70,121 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Burlington ($44,010). A typical home costs $298,353, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $65,350 is worth in another city

Public Relations Specialists salary in other North Carolina cities

Burlington ranks 12th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($86,370).

All Public Relations Specialists salaries in North Carolina

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 Burlington, NC.

Public Relations Specialists salary in Burlington: questions

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

$31.42 an hour on average, and $28.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,610 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,070, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $52,590 a year ($4,382 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $65,350.

Do public relations specialists earn more in Burlington than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% 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 Burlington, NC (15500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.1%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.71, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.71).

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