20 Highest Paying Jobs With a Communications Degree 2025

Majoring in communications can be a terrific way to prepare for entry-level positions and even some of the highest-paying jobs for experienced post-graduates. While wages depend on your years of experience and education, it may be possible to land high-paying communications jobs sooner than you think.

This article will explore some of the best communications degree jobs in areas like public relations, social media management, and beyond.

High-Paying Jobs With a Communications Degree

Communications is an academic field that examines every component of how people ''communicate'' within social, business, and organizational contexts. It complements other subjects, such as business marketing, copywriting, journalism, public relations, digital media, business branding, and public speaking.

Students can major in this subject to gain a theoretical and practical understanding of these and other topics. A strong educational foundation will prepare you for a competitive chance at obtaining the following highest paying jobs with a communications degree.

The following salary information was gathered from reputable sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which provides official data on wages, employment trends, and job outlooks across various industries. Please note that these salaries are based on national averages. The actual salary will vary depending on experience level, geographic area, and other factors.

1. Public Relations Manager

Estimated average salary: $134,760

A public relations manager is often a very public figure for a company, and must possess effective communication skills to do their job well. This position requires you to oversee all media relations for an organization and directly respond to any immediate public-image problems. Key skills include public speaking, crisis management, reputation management, and media relations.

2. Technical Writer

Estimated average salary: $91,670

A technical writer must take complex information and convert it into a precise but reader-friendly format. This career field may require additional technical skills, depending on the specific role, but communications coursework could prepare graduates for entry-level writing work. A communications specialist could excel as a technical writer as they hone their skills at researching, presenting, and the ability to disseminate sophisticated content.

3. Communications Post-Secondary Teacher

Estimated average salary: $90,950

If you earn at least a master's degree in the field, you may qualify to teach communications at either a four-year university or community college. The median salary for professors continues to increase, approaching almost six figures. This position has plenty of competition, so candidates must possess a strong background in writing, public speaking, and teaching.

4. Senior Copywriter

Estimated average salary: $85,420

Copywriters command similar wages as technical writers, with some overlap in job duties and qualifications. Copywriting is an important element of many companies' marketing strategies, affecting everything from digital marketing to traditional print advertising. You can use your writing skills and knowledge of marketing to excel in this highly compensated role.

5. Producer or Director

Estimated average salary: $83,480

Many communications graduates find profitable employment producing television programs, news content, movies, and other popular media. While the median annual salary exceeds $80,000, according to the BLS, there is plenty of variation in this communications field. Veteran producers for major media outlets may command well over $100,000 per year.

6. Broadcasting Manager

Estimated average salary: $79,620

This role sometimes overlaps with ''director of digital communications'' and some television/radio producers. The broadcasting manager is responsible for putting together several multi-media projects for a company, non-profit firm, or any other organization with marketing/branding content. This job requires proficiency in content creation, content marketing, external communications, and many other difficult tasks.

7. Market Research Analyst

Estimated average salary: $76,950

Most analyst jobs require a degree in marketing, communications, or business-related concentration. If you possess a strong understanding of business management, research skills, and critical thinking, this could be a solid role for you. You can get a head start on entering this career field by pursuing marketing internships before graduating from college.

8. Internal Communications Executive

Estimated average salary: $76,580

The field of communications is not always centered around interacting with the public. Internal communications are just as essential for larger organizations with several layers of hierarchy, including the military, billion-dollar companies, government agencies, and so forth. An executive may serve as a liaison between several departments and often has to settle internal disputes or disagreements.

9. Editor

Estimated average salary: $75,260

There are numerous career opportunities for employment as a digital content editor, traditional publishing editor, magazine editor, and beyond. While it's a somewhat broad job category, there is no shortage of career options and employment mobility. You can enjoy the higher salaries when you reach more managerial roles, such as editor-in-chief or executive publisher.

10. Senior Content Editor

Estimated average salary: $73,930

If you're a communications major who excels at the writing, proofreading, and editing aspects of the discipline, then senior content editor may be a suitable career goal. Content editors have high compensations as they're in demand for both digital and print media, and often make lateral career moves easily because of their broad skill set. This role sometimes has similar responsibilities as a content marketing manager, who has responsibility for the final production of articles, videos, social media, and more.

11. Writer/Author

Estimated average salary: $72,270

Writers can earn a high salary if they can create accurate, persuasive, and reader-friendly content. They serve businesses and organizations by composing press releases, blog posts, social media content, white papers, grant proposals, transcription, and much more. Even book authors can secure employment or lucrative contracts to write fiction stories, self-help literature, or content for other popular genres.

12. Public Relations Specialist

Estimated average salary: $69,780

The public relations specialist usually reports to the public relations director, making this an obvious stepping stone to an even higher-paying position. This person is in charge of managing the public image of companies, celebrities, politicians, sports athletes, and anyone else who has to engage with the public.

13. Proposal Writer

Estimated average salary: $68,240

You may see this appear as ''grant writer'' in some job advertisements, but there are several kinds of proposal writers. This is the person who completes grant applications, contract proposals, funding requests, or otherwise persuades other parties to do business. It's a solid opportunity for new graduates to utilize various communications strategies, especially persuasion and technical writing.

14. Corporate Communications Manager

Estimated average salary: $68,190

The corporate communications manager has the important responsibility of communicating with the public, the press, government, or other companies on behalf of the company. Salary figures vary considerably depending on the size of the organization, and you may see this job listed as ''communications director'' as well.

15. Marketing Manager

Estimated average salary: $65,600

This job also has a wide-ranging salary band and typically reports to a marketing director or vice president, depending on the corporate structure. Marketing managers may have multiple marketing analysts as direct reports, leaving them to direct an organization's overall marketing strategy. Communications majors should focus on market trends analysis, strategic communication, and marketing communications to prepare for this role.

16. Journalist or Reporter

Estimated average salary: $62,230

Journalists must possess strong written communication skills, know how to interview high-profile individuals, and analyze and re-transmit information for public consumption. They may encounter sensitive information or fast-breaking news where reporting requires careful discretion. Journalists must familiarize themselves with style guides for their publications and build some of the same skills as professional content writers.

17. Social Media Manager

Estimated average salary: $59,640

The job market for social media managers is in high demand these days because almost every institution with public visibility wants a social media presence. This position requires excellent communication internally and externally, along with expertise handling all the major platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Many social media managers work closely with the company's digital marketing team or marketing management.

18. Interpreters & Translators

Estimated average salary: $59,440

You can make a great living as a translator if you pair your communications degree with foreign language skills. Interpreters have to communicate with multiple parties to ensure both sides understand one another, despite language barriers. This career could involve overseas travel if you use your interpreter skills to support multinational corporations, nongovernment organizations, or other international groups.

19. Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

Estimated average salary: $59,440

Event planners must be good with people because they coordinate meetings and gatherings for dozens, hundreds, or even thousands at a time. They're in charge of facilitating an event all the way from the planning stage through its execution. Event planners should also have strong budgeting comprehension, time management, and project-management skills to succeed in this career field.

20. Digital Marketing Specialist

Estimated average salary: $57,760

Digital marketers serve organizations by utilizing online resources for marketing or branding purposes. This covers everything from social media advertising and search engine ads to developing web content and business reputation management. Some communications majors may pursue a minor in marketing or computer science to gain more expertise in the technical aspects of online advertising and search engine optimization (SEO).

FAQs About High-Paying Communication Degrees

We'll address some frequently asked questions regarding communication degrees and salary expectations. These will clarify what you just read in our list of the highest-paying jobs for communication professionals.

Which Field Is the Most Profitable as a Communications Graduate?

Communications has several profitable fields and concentrations that can lead graduates into any of the top jobs mentioned above. Financial public relations, for example, is one of the most lucrative because it's an important consideration for many major American companies.

If you specialize in any aspect of public relations, market research, or any other viable area, you should have no trouble getting a high-paying salary. There are many profitable business communications jobs, but if you'd like to maximize your degree value, then focus on qualifying for jobs at the top of the list.

Can You Make Six Figures With a Communications Degree?

Yes, public relations managers regularly earn at least six-figure incomes once they reach mid-career. This is not an entry-level position, but many communications majors move into this role, take on significant responsibilities, and earn high salaries. There are other careers on this list that also lead to six-figure salaries (e.g., technical writers and communications directors) once a communications graduate reaches mid-career and beyond.

What Is the Highest-Paying Job for a Communications Major?

The highest paying salary depends on what a communications major can negotiate with a hiring company. On average, the public relations manager or public relations director earns the highest salaries among communications graduates. If you'd like to learn how to prepare for rewarding careers like these, start by researching the best online communications degrees and apply to top schools in the field.

Explore Online Bachelor's Degree Programs

Don't forget to explore Learn.org's full catalog of online bachelor's degrees and master's programs and find the best school to jumpstart your communications career. Our online degree resources can help you unlock all the most profitable career paths.