BLS metro-level wage data places Public Relations Specialists pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a median of $76,970 per year ($37.01/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $74,750, Durham-Chapel Hill pays +3% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 1,090 public relations specialistss are employed across the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA in SOC 27-3031.

The Durham-Chapel Hill pay distribution spans from $48,040 at the 10th percentile to $134,140 at the 90th — a 2.8× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $61,980 and the 75th at $98,720, so half of Durham-Chapel Hill-based public relations specialistss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Durham-Chapel Hill, NC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide NC data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.