541820/Public Relations Agencies
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
60K
employees, 2023
60K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 8,646 US Public Relations Agencies business locations employed 60,066 people and paid $7.2 billion in annual payroll, $119,649 per employee on average. Employment was down 3.7% from 2022. New York had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
8,646
+0.1% vs 2022
Employees
60,066
-3.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$7.2B
-3.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$119,649
+0.8% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Public Relations Agencies in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 938 | 12,561 | $138,411 | 0.14% |
| California | 1,638 | 10,558 | $108,266 | 0.06% |
| District of Columbia | 493 | 6,904 | $178,510 | 1.24% |
| Illinois | 336 | 3,305 | $103,429 | 0.06% |
| Texas | 467 | 2,570 | $95,982 | 0.02% |
| Massachusetts | 201 | 2,122 | $108,292 | 0.06% |
| Virginia | 308 | 2,048 | $134,047 | 0.06% |
| Florida | 591 | 1,843 | $114,695 | 0.02% |
| Washington | 200 | 1,414 | $105,513 | 0.05% |
| New Jersey | 218 | 1,329 | $95,156 | 0.03% |
| Georgia | 277 | 1,311 | $77,264 | 0.03% |
| Missouri | 104 | 1,122 | $123,635 | 0.04% |
| Pennsylvania | 195 | 1,045 | $93,367 | 0.02% |
| Oregon | 144 | 956 | $100,333 | 0.06% |
| Colorado | 256 | 870 | $91,441 | 0.03% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Public Relations Agencies employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 990 | 13,140 | $135,479 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 801 | 9,179 | $167,006 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 853 | 5,421 | $98,765 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 304 | 3,251 | $102,348 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 250 | 2,933 | $126,620 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 182 | 2,098 | $108,230 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 143 | 1,272 | $107,428 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 226 | 1,105 | $78,624 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 141 | 1,084 | $94,567 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 202 | 1,053 | $107,990 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 107 | 911 | $101,121 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 293 | 891 | $89,259 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 219 | 814 | $136,808 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 127 | 729 | $89,652 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 186 | 719 | $94,453 |
Business size
US Public Relations Agencies business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6,387 | 73.9% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,076 | 12.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 613 | 7.1% |
| 20 to 49 | 370 | 4.3% |
| 50 to 99 | 118 | 1.4% |
| 100 to 249 | 63 | 0.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 17 | 0.2% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 5418Public Relations Agencies 54182
Questions and answers
How many people work in Public Relations Agencies in the US?
60,066 people worked at 8,646 US Public Relations Agencies business locations in 2023, down 3.7% from 2022. That is 0.04% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Public Relations Agencies?
$119,649 a year per employee in 2023, from $7.2 billion in annual payroll (up 0.8% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Public Relations Agencies jobs?
New York had the most, with 12,561 employees in 2023, followed by California (10,558) and District of Columbia (6,904).
Which metro areas have the most Public Relations Agencies jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (13,140), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (9,179), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (5,421) had the most Public Relations Agencies employees in 2023.
Are most Public Relations Agencies businesses small?
93.4% of the 8,644 Public Relations Agencies business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.