Average Communication Major Salary

Updated September 14, 2023

$45,257

$21,00010%

$45,257Median

$93,00090%

What is the average communication major salary in the US?

As a communication major graduate in the USA, you can expect to earn on average $45,257 per year or $21.76 per hour.There is a huge gap between the top 10 percent earners and the bottom 10 percent earners -- about $72,000. The top 10 percent earn over $93,000, while the bottom 10 percent make less than $21,000 annually.The most abundant employment opportunities for communication majors are in retail companies and professional companies.New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts are some of the states with the best salaries for communication major graduates in the US.

Best Paying Cities

$54,303

$54,172

$53,357

Average Communication Salary By Company

There is good job security for communication major graduates. However, some industries offer better pay and benefit packages than others.retail companies and professional companies have the most job opportunities for communication major graduates.Microsoft and Meta are the highest paying companies.Also, companies like IBM and Apple pay communication major graduates very well.

Average Salary By Company

Rank	Company	Zippia Score	Average Communication Salary
1	1.Microsoft	4.8	$87,651
2	2.Meta	4.8	$85,980
3	3.IBM	4.7	$74,849
4	4.Apple	4.8	$73,494
5	5.Dell	4.8	$72,514
6	6.ESPN	4.6	$68,084
7	7.Citi	4.6	$67,103
8	8.JPMorgan Chase & Co.	4.8	$65,470
9	9.American Express	4.8	$60,501
10	10.Clear Channel Airport	4.5	$59,719
11	11.ICF	4.5	$56,456
12	12.Northwestern Mutual	4.5	$55,885
13	13.NBCUniversal	4.8	$55,622
14	14.Amazon	4.7	$54,347
15	15.Darden Restaurants	4.4	$53,951
16	16.ViacomCBS	4.6	$53,840
17	17.CVS Health	4.6	$53,727
18	18.Lockheed Martin	4.8	$53,321
19	19.Xerox	4.3	$52,779
20	20.U.S. Census Bureau	4.3	$50,628

Average Communication Major Salary By City

As a communication major graduate in the U.S., you can expect to earn on average $45,257 per year or $21.76 per hour.The city with the highest salaries for communication major graduates is New York, NY at $54,303 per year.The average entry-level salary in New York, NY is $25,000.Other top cities with competitive salaries are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, Hartford, CT, Boston, MA, Des Moines, WA, and Baltimore, MD.New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Massachusetts are the top 5 highest earning states for communication major graduates.On the other hand, South Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas report the lowest wages for communication major graduates.

Average Salary By Location

Rank	City	Average Communication Salary	Salary Range
1	New York, NY	$54,303	$28k $81k
2	San Francisco, CA	$54,172	$28k $81k
3	Washington, DC	$53,357	$28k $81k
4	Hartford, CT	$51,810	$28k $81k
5	Boston, MA	$50,923	$28k $81k
6	Des Moines, WA	$50,091	$28k $81k
7	Baltimore, MD	$47,400	$28k $81k
8	Albany, OR	$46,012	$28k $81k
9	Philadelphia, PA	$45,824	$28k $81k
10	Richmond, VA	$45,597	$28k $81k
11	Portland, ME	$44,248	$28k $81k
12	Chicago, IL	$44,057	$28k $81k
13	Minneapolis, MN	$43,919	$28k $81k
14	Las Vegas, NV	$43,535	$28k $81k
15	Cleveland, OH	$43,013	$28k $81k
16	Denver, CO	$42,646	$28k $81k
17	Milwaukee, WI	$42,360	$28k $81k
18	Phoenix, AZ	$42,208	$28k $81k
19	Raleigh, NC	$41,939	$28k $81k
20	San Antonio, TX	$41,742	$28k $81k

Average Communication Major Salary By State

The darker areas on the map show where Communication Majors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary

Communication Major Average Salary By State

State	Average Communication Major Salary	Average Hourly Rate
New York	$54,116	$26.02
New Jersey	$52,370	$25.18
Connecticut	$52,265	$25.13
California	$51,761	$24.89
Massachusetts	$51,004	$24.52
Washington	$49,972	$24.02
Rhode Island	$48,701	$23.41
Delaware	$47,418	$22.80
Maryland	$47,285	$22.73
New Hampshire	$46,067	$22.15
Oregon	$45,867	$22.05
Virginia	$45,863	$22.05
Pennsylvania	$45,503	$21.88
Vermont	$44,494	$21.39
Alaska	$44,405	$21.35
Hawaii	$44,370	$21.33
Illinois	$44,023	$21.16
Michigan	$43,917	$21.11
Minnesota	$43,901	$21.11
Maine	$43,813	$21.06
Nevada	$43,806	$21.06
Colorado	$42,754	$20.55
North Dakota	$42,531	$20.45
Wisconsin	$42,302	$20.34
Arizona	$42,146	$20.26
Ohio	$41,963	$20.17
Texas	$41,494	$19.95
North Carolina	$41,389	$19.90
West Virginia	$40,828	$19.63
Georgia	$39,862	$19.16
Idaho	$39,738	$19.10
Indiana	$39,702	$19.09
New Mexico	$39,531	$19.01
Wyoming	$39,493	$18.99
Iowa	$38,895	$18.70
Kentucky	$38,860	$18.68
South Dakota	$38,845	$18.68
Tennessee	$38,785	$18.65
Utah	$38,620	$18.57
Missouri	$38,495	$18.51
Montana	$38,360	$18.44
Nebraska	$37,993	$18.27
Kansas	$37,986	$18.26
Florida	$37,926	$18.23
South Carolina	$37,612	$18.08
Alabama	$37,469	$18.01
Oklahoma	$37,357	$17.96
Louisiana	$36,927	$17.75
Arkansas	$36,689	$17.64
Mississippi	$35,557	$17.09

Highest Paying Jobs For Communication Majors

Rank	Job Title	Average Salary	Open Jobs
1	Executive Producer	$117,841	74,007
2	User Experience Researcher	$99,848	24,148
3	Real Estate Agent	$91,787	41,399
4	Communications Consultant	$91,455	29,942
5	User Experience Designer	$91,159	52,582
6	Senior Account Executive	$84,118	173,383
7	Web Developer	$78,975	227,881
8	Training Specialist	$77,231	61,581
9	Business Analyst	$74,430	170,514
10	Data Analyst	$74,342	167,520
11	Communications Analyst	$74,108	24,472
12	Medical Sales Representative	$74,079	206,149
13	Analyst	$73,007	253,138
14	Producer	$72,201	10,610
15	Marketing Consultant	$70,592	88,935
16	Marketing Communications Writer	$70,480	99,978
17	Finance Analyst	$69,887	138,600
18	Account Executive	$69,618	205,561
19	Human Resources Analyst	$69,000	90,211
20	Pharmaceutical Sales Representative	$68,570	102,935

Average Communication Major Salary By Industry

The type of industry that a communication major graduate works in can influence their earning potential.Our data shows that telecommunication companies, manufacturing companies, and finance companies tend to have the highest salaries for communication major graduates.telecommunication companies pay communication major graduates an average salary of $37,921, manufacturing companies pay $37,850, and finance companies come in at $36,795.The average communication major salary in the retail industry is lower than the rest, coming in at $31,094.

Average Salary By Industry

Rank	Industry	Average Communication Major Salary	Range
1	Telecommunication	$37,921	$24k $50k
2	Manufacturing	$37,850	$24k $50k
3	Finance	$36,795	$24k $50k
4	Technology	$36,564	$24k $50k
5	Government	$36,248	$24k $50k
6	Health Care	$34,276	$24k $50k
7	Professional	$33,793	$24k $50k
8	Hospitality	$32,791	$24k $50k
9	Retail	$31,094	$24k $50k

Salary History For Communication Major Graduates

This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Communication major graduates.

Salaries For Related Majors

Rank	Major	Average Salary	Range
1	Advertising	$62,238	$35k $88k
2	Speech Communication And Rhetoric	$61,295	$35k $88k
3	Publishing	$55,507	$35k $88k
4	Journalism	$53,479	$35k $88k
5	Journalism And Mass Communications	$53,372	$35k $88k
6	Public Relations	$50,648	$35k $88k
7	Digital Media	$48,393	$35k $88k