The PR Council’s 2025 Compensation Survey Report, which features the most reliable data in the marketplace, reveals that overall interquartile salaries, representing the middle 50% of all reported salaries, rose 0.9% in the past year. The modest increase signals a period of salary stability as firms adapt to complex business demands and rising operational costs.
“In today’s constrained growth environment, firms are juggling the high cost of investing in new technologies with significant increases in medical insurance premiums,” said Kim Sample, President of the PR Council. “To maintain employee satisfaction, many are preserving competitive health benefits while being more selective with merit increases. The data shows that agencies are prioritizing investments in roles that drive revenue and directly impact client satisfaction.”
“Although promotion practices vary by agency size and structure,” Sample noted, “agencies report they’re continuing to promote and give promotion increases as employees meet performance expectations for the next level and the business can support the associated higher billing rates.”
Setting Realistic Compensation Expectations
Understanding market benchmarks has become more critical than ever for agency leaders navigating the current compensation landscape. “We encourage leaders to review the data and use it as a realistic guide for salary expectations in the year ahead,” Sample said.
The survey, which includes compensation data from 290 PRC member agency offices for a total of over 8,200 salaries, reveals defining trends shaping agency talent strategies.
The PR Council Compensation Survey
The PR Council’s Compensation Survey is one of the industry’s most comprehensive benchmarks for agency salary data, capturing detailed compensation information across titles, departments, and experience levels. The survey data and detailed analysis are available exclusively to participating member agencies. Agencies interested in participating in a future Compensation Survey or in the PR Council’s other benchmarking efforts can learn more here.