PR Agency Cost Estimator

PR agency retainers typically range from $3,000-$50,000+ per month. Small/boutique agencies serving startups charge $3,000-$7,500/month, mid-size agencies charge $10,000-$25,000/month, and top-tier national/global agencies charge $25,000-$50,000+ per month. The actual cost depends on your industry, company size, and scope of services.

The biggest factors are: company size and revenue (larger companies need more comprehensive programs), industry complexity (healthcare, finance, and tech typically cost more due to specialized expertise needed), geographic scope (national and international campaigns cost significantly more), and the breadth of services needed (media relations, thought leadership, crisis prep, etc.).

Boutique agencies (under $10K/month) offer personalized attention, niche expertise, and flexibility - ideal for startups and specialized industries. Large agencies ($25K+/month) provide extensive media relationships, global reach, and comprehensive services - better for enterprises and national campaigns. Mid-size agencies offer a balance of both.

Standard deliverables include: strategic counsel, press release writing and distribution, media list building, proactive pitching, and monthly reporting. Higher-budget engagements add: media training, thought leadership content, crisis preparedness, executive visibility programs, and analyst relations.

Most agencies require 3-6 month minimum commitments. PR is a long-term strategy - meaningful results typically take 3-6 months to materialize. Longer commitments (12 months) often come with 5-10% discounts and allow for more strategic, sustained campaigns.

A senior in-house PR manager costs $80,000-$150,000+ annually in salary, plus benefits, tools, and overhead - often $150,000-$250,000 total. An agency at $10,000-$15,000/month ($120,000-$180,000/year) provides a full team, established media relationships, and no HR overhead. For most companies under $50M revenue, agencies are more cost-effective.

While PR ROI is harder to measure than paid advertising, expect: increased brand awareness (track share of voice), earned media value (typically 3-5x what you'd pay for equivalent advertising), improved credibility and trust, better lead quality from PR-driven traffic, and crisis risk mitigation value.