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Average Media Relations Specialist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A media relations specialist in United Kingdom earns about 84,800 GBP a year. That's 22% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 39,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 139,100 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a media relations specialist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
84,800 GBP
7,066 GBP per month
Lowest reported
39,300 GBP
3,275 GBP per month
Highest reported
139,100 GBP
11,591 GBP per month

A typical media relations specialist working in United Kingdom brings home around 7,066 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 39,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 139,100 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior media relations specialist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the media relations specialist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How media relations specialist pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all media relations specialists in United Kingdom earn less than 93,800 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 61,400 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 123,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of media relations specialists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 39,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 139,100 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

39,300
Low
93,800
Median
139,100
High
61,400
25th
123,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Media relations specialist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a media relations specialist in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical media relations specialist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    45,700 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +32% from previous
    60,100 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +50% from previous
    90,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    109,700 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    118,900 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    127,600 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 50%. That is the point at which a media relations specialist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Media relations specialist pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving media relations specialist pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average media relations specialist salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    54,100 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +20% from previous
    64,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +44% from previous
    93,100 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +35% from previous
    125,400 GBP

Media relations specialist gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male media relations specialists in United Kingdom earn an average of 90,600 GBP a year, while female media relations specialists earn around 86,100 GBP. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Media Relations Specialist gender pay gap

5%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 90,600 GBP
Women 86,100 GBP

Pay raises for a media relations specialist in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 9% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Media relations specialist bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

62%

62% of media relations specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a media relations specialist a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 38% of media relations specialists reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Media relations specialist: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Media relations specialist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Media relations specialist pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • Glasgow
  • Bradford
  • Edinburgh
  • Leeds
  • London
  • Liverpool
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion163,500 GBP175,100 GBP77,000-262,300 GBP
ScotlandRegion119,700 GBP114,300 GBP61,700-183,600 GBP
BirminghamCity109,000 GBP115,600 GBP50,300-172,300 GBP
BristolCity105,800 GBP114,900 GBP50,000-166,600 GBP
GlasgowCity105,800 GBP107,700 GBP52,600-163,500 GBP
BradfordCity103,600 GBP99,600 GBP53,300-157,600 GBP
EdinburghCity103,600 GBP98,700 GBP54,600-156,200 GBP
LeedsCity102,700 GBP105,800 GBP49,200-160,600 GBP
LondonCity102,700 GBP111,700 GBP45,300-164,100 GBP
LiverpoolCity100,700 GBP102,700 GBP49,800-158,900 GBP
BrightonCity99,900 GBP100,700 GBP49,700-153,700 GBP
CoventryCity99,700 GBP97,600 GBP53,600-152,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity99,100 GBP107,300 GBP46,200-157,600 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity98,000 GBP95,000 GBP50,000-151,800 GBP
ManchesterCity97,900 GBP94,000 GBP50,100-153,800 GBP
BelfastCity97,600 GBP105,200 GBP42,700-152,900 GBP
LeicesterCity97,300 GBP107,700 GBP45,200-156,200 GBP
DerbyCity97,100 GBP98,900 GBP46,700-153,800 GBP
CardiffCity96,800 GBP97,900 GBP49,400-153,800 GBP
YorkCity96,000 GBP90,600 GBP50,500-146,700 GBP
NewcastleCity96,000 GBP97,400 GBP47,500-146,900 GBP
NottinghamCity95,100 GBP90,900 GBP49,800-147,900 GBP
SheffieldCity94,800 GBP105,200 GBP42,700-152,900 GBP
SomersetCity94,500 GBP96,500 GBP46,000-146,900 GBP
AberdeenCity94,000 GBP99,400 GBP48,200-150,100 GBP
ArmaghCity93,100 GBP92,900 GBP45,600-140,200 GBP
SwanseaCity92,200 GBP95,100 GBP44,700-142,300 GBP
PlymouthCity91,600 GBP89,300 GBP46,700-141,000 GBP
DundeeCity91,600 GBP100,900 GBP44,300-148,300 GBP
OxfordCity90,600 GBP88,700 GBP44,900-139,100 GBP
NewportCity90,000 GBP94,000 GBP38,900-142,100 GBP
PeterboroughCity89,900 GBP98,100 GBP40,200-140,200 GBP
LincolnCity88,600 GBP87,200 GBP45,000-137,100 GBP
CambridgeCity88,500 GBP84,800 GBP46,200-139,100 GBP
ExeterCity88,300 GBP85,500 GBP47,500-138,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity88,300 GBP98,100 GBP40,200-140,200 GBP
GloucesterCity88,000 GBP90,300 GBP45,100-139,100 GBP
WinchesterCity87,700 GBP86,100 GBP42,700-134,100 GBP
HartlepoolCity87,400 GBP91,700 GBP40,300-138,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity87,400 GBP86,800 GBP46,100-137,100 GBP
NewryCity86,600 GBP93,800 GBP39,800-137,100 GBP
ChesterCity86,300 GBP95,300 GBP41,300-139,100 GBP
LisburnCity84,900 GBP83,700 GBP41,900-128,400 GBP
StirlingCity84,800 GBP88,000 GBP43,500-134,700 GBP
DurhamCity84,800 GBP92,100 GBP38,000-134,700 GBP
NorwichCity84,800 GBP93,800 GBP39,300-139,100 GBP
DerryCity84,300 GBP83,400 GBP44,700-130,400 GBP
PooleCity84,300 GBP88,400 GBP42,700-134,100 GBP
WellsCity84,200 GBP81,200 GBP42,300-127,700 GBP
CanterburyCity83,800 GBP87,500 GBP40,700-130,400 GBP
WalesRegion83,300 GBP85,500 GBP39,000-127,600 GBP
InvernessCity83,200 GBP90,300 GBP37,800-132,000 GBP
SalisburyCity81,200 GBP81,300 GBP40,500-125,400 GBP
WakefieldCity80,700 GBP86,600 GBP37,300-128,200 GBP
KirkwallCity79,600 GBP76,900 GBP41,400-124,500 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion78,900 GBP80,800 GBP39,100-123,000 GBP
StromnessCity78,700 GBP87,300 GBP34,800-127,700 GBP
BangorCity78,400 GBP76,600 GBP42,600-121,800 GBP
StrontianCity78,200 GBP73,300 GBP39,500-118,900 GBP
TruroCity78,200 GBP79,800 GBP39,500-119,700 GBP
St DavidsCity75,900 GBP71,900 GBP38,000-115,600 GBP
RiponCity75,800 GBP73,500 GBP41,300-117,100 GBP
AbingdonCity75,800 GBP73,500 GBP41,100-117,100 GBP

Media Relations Specialist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a media relations specialist make per month in United Kingdom?

    A media relations specialist in United Kingdom earns about 7,066 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 84,800 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a media relations specialist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level media relations specialists in United Kingdom start near 39,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 139,100 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 61,400 and 123,800 GBP.

  • Is the median media relations specialist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 93,800 GBP, higher than the average of 84,800 GBP. Half of media relations specialists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for media relations specialists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a media relations specialist in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (90,600 vs 86,100 GBP a year).

  • Do media relations specialists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 62% of media relations specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do media relations specialists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a media relations specialist about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do media relations specialists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A media relations specialist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.