Public Relations Specialist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 29 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Naperville, Des Plaines, Algonquin, Melrose Park, Tinley Park.

Also listed as: Public Relations Specialists

Median salary$60,000
Middle 50%$47.3k–$70k
vs. national median−14%comparison median $70,000
Filings29FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $44,949 and $147,018.
PercentileSalary
10th$44,949
25th$47,320
50th (median)$60,000
75th$70,000
90th$76,404

Salary by year

Median salary

$40k $55k $70k FY2020: median $52,541 (10 filings) FY2021: median $51,917 (13 filings) FY2022: median $53,310 (12 filings) FY2025: median $61,402 (21 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 10 filings FY20 FY2021: 13 filings FY21 FY2022: 12 filings FY22 FY2023: 8 filings FY23 FY2024: 8 filings FY24 FY2025: 21 filings FY25 FY2026: 8 filings FY26 21
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$52,541$42,754$54,38510
FY2021$51,917$48,000$82,00013
FY2022$53,310$42,000$65,27012
FY2023–––8
FY2024–––8
FY2025$61,402$44,949$70,00021
FY2026–––8

Cost of living

Chicago's median Public Relations Specialist salary of $60,000 is worth about $57,900 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Public Relations Specialists in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $77,050 in May 2025 (4,920 employed). The H-1B median here is $60,000, 22% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
The University of Chicagotoo few4
Il Fantuantoo few2
Nap MCtoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $44,949 11
Mid-level · Level II $61,402 15
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$44,949$44,94911
Mid-level · Level II$61,402$61,40215

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.