Public Relations Specialist Salary in Albany, NY

Public Relations Specialists in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area earn a median $68,240 a year — 9% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $53,749 take-home, or $4,479 a month.

Median salary
$68,240
$32.81 per hour
Typical range
$44,050 – $115,680
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Albany, NY
1,580
1.93× national concentration

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median public relations specialist salary in Albany, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Public Relations Specialist in Albany, NY
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$53,749
per year · effective tax rate 21.2%
$4,479Monthly
$2,240Twice a month
$2,067Every 2 weeks
$25.84Hourly
  • Federal income tax$6,183
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,231
  • Medicare (1.45%)$989
  • New York income tax$3,088
  • Take-home pay$53,749

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.40% state

Public Relations Specialist pay by experience in Albany, NY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$44,050$21.18$35,792$2,983
25th percentile$53,360$25.65$42,770$3,564
Median (50th)$68,240$32.81$53,749$4,479
75th percentile$89,740$43.14$67,708$5,642
90th percentile (top earners)$115,680$55.62$84,426$7,036

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $68,240 buys in Albany, NY

Prices in Albany, NY are 0.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.03× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median public relations specialist's $53,749 take-home pay has the buying power of $53,983 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,417
32% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,702
38% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,062
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Albany, NY has 1.9× the national concentration of public relations specialist jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for public relations specialists, adjusted for cost of living

Albany, NY ranks #64 of 89 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1San Jose, CA $117,620$83,338$75,471
2Seattle, WA $96,000$76,366$68,716
3Washington, DC $101,680$74,688$68,594
4Olympia, WA $84,470$68,255$65,838
5Hartford, CT $87,830$67,363$65,562
6San Francisco, CA $102,520$74,315$64,279
7Trenton, NJ $84,990$65,397$63,381
8Sacramento, CA $89,640$66,619$62,454
64Albany, NY$68,240$53,749$53,983

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 89 metros →

Public Relations Specialist salaries elsewhere in New York

Frequently asked questions

How much does a public relations specialist make in Albany, NY?

The median public relations specialist salary in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area is $68,240 a year, or about $32.81 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $53,360 and $89,740.

What is a public relations specialist’s take-home pay in Albany, NY?

On the median $68,240 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $53,749 a year ($4,479 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,088 in New York taxes in 2026.

Is Albany, NY a good place to work as a public relations specialist?

Pay here is 9% below the national median of $74,750. Local prices are 0.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $53,983 would in a typical U.S. city. Albany, NY ranks #64 of 89 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a public relations specialist afford rent in Albany, NY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Albany, NY is $1,417 a month ($1,702 for two bedrooms) — 32% of a median public relations specialist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in Albany, NY

Cost of living & all salaries in Albany, NY →