Page 1 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

441 G St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20548

September 30, 2016

The Honorable Mike Enzi

Chairman

Committee on the Budget

United States Senate

Public Relations Spending: Reported Data on Related Federal Activities

Dear Mr. Chairman:

With the increased popularity and accessibility of expanded media platforms, the federal 

government’s ability to publicize information has changed rapidly, but the total scope of federal 

public relations activities is largely unknown. A number of factors makes it difficult to quantify the 

resources the federal government devotes to public relations. These factors include the 

expanded use of web-based platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, and the wide variety of 

activities that could be considered public relations, from publicizing health and safety bulletins to 

providing information on federal entitlements and benefits. 

Given the changing media landscape, you requested that we determine how much the federal 

government spends on public relations activities, including contracts and internal agency 

support, and identify the highest-spending agencies. This report examines: (1) the reported 

federal spending on contracts for advertising and public relations activities from fiscal year 2006 

through 2015, including the agencies that have spent the most; and (2) the reported number of 

federal public relations employees and their combined annual salaries from fiscal years 2006 

through 2014, and the agencies reported to have the highest total salaries for public relations 

employees.1

To address our first objective, we analyzed data from the Federal Procurement Data System –

Next Generation (FPDS-NG) database for fiscal years 2006 through 2015. The FPDS-NG 

database captures information on the federal government’s contract awards and obligations. It 

includes data for most federal contracts that have an estimated value of $3,000 or more.2 We 

reviewed obligations data for contracts coded under the “support - management: public 

relations” and “support - management: advertising” product service codes.3 We assessed the 

reliability of these data by considering known strengths and weaknesses of FPDS-NG data, 

based on our past work, and looking for obvious errors and inconsistencies in the data. We

 1

At the time of our review, the most recent data we were able to access on federal employees were from fiscal year 

2014. 

2

FPDS-NG does not include data from intelligence agencies, the U.S. Postal Service, judicial branch, and most of the 

legislative branch. 

3

An obligation is a definite commitment that creates a legal liability for the payment of goods and services ordered or 

received. An agency incurs an obligation, for example, when it places an order, signs a contract, or takes other 

actions that require the government to make payments. 
Page 2 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

concluded that they were sufficiently reliable for our purposes, though there are limitations to 

using them, which we discuss in more detail below.

To address our second objective, we analyzed employee data for fiscal years 2006 through 

2014 from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Enterprise Human Resources 

Integration (EHRI) Statistical Data Mart system. EHRI contains salary data and other information 

for most federal civilian employees in more than 100 federal agencies.4 The data we present on 

the number of employees engaged in public relations activities and their salaries are derived 

from EHRI data on full-time, permanent, career federal employees classified under the Public 

Affairs occupational series.5 We assessed the reliability of EHRI data by considering known 

strengths and weaknesses of the data, based on our past work and that of OPM, and by looking 

for obvious errors and inconsistencies in the data. We determined they were sufficiently reliable 

to present the numbers and total salaries of public relations employees from fiscal years 2006 

through 2014. However, there are limitations to using them, as discussed below. We have work 

underway to further explore these and other issues related to public relations spending and 

activities.

We conducted this performance audit from February 2016 to September 2016 in accordance 

with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan 

and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for 

our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence 

obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit 

objectives.

Results in Brief

Federal obligations for advertising and public relations contracts have, on average, been close 

to $1 billion annually over the past decade, ranging from a low of about $800 million in fiscal 

year 2012 to a high of about $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2009, according to FPDS-NG data. 

Obligations for these contracts are concentrated among a few agencies, with 10 agencies 

responsible for 95 percent of these obligations over the past ten years. The Department of 

Defense (DOD), which is responsible for over 60 percent of total obligations for these contracts, 

has driven changes in overall spending. Although advertising and public relations contracts data 

provide an indication of the magnitude of federal spending on public relations activities, they do 

not capture the full scope of these activities. This is due to several factors. For example, the 

data we present is based on contracts coded under categories that closely align to public 

relations, such as “support – management: advertising.” There are other categories that could 

encompass public relations activities, such as “Signs, Advertising Displays, and Identification 

Plates,” but we did not use them because public relations activities could not be disaggregated 

from other activities. 

 4

EHRI is the primary government-wide source for information on federal employees. The EHRI data we analyzed 

cover executive branch civilian employees, with some exclusions, and limited legislative branch employees. 

5

The employment numbers we present in this report reflect the number of individual employees as of the end of each 

fiscal year. We did not include part-time or seasonal employees or employees in nonpay status in our analysis. Salary

data represent each employee’s annual salary as of the end of each fiscal year, which can differ from the amount 

actually paid to an employee. For example, if an employee started in a position halfway through the fiscal year, the 

employing agency would have only paid half of his or her salary in that year. Salary data do not include the cost of 

employee benefits such as health insurance and pensions. 
Page 3 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

The combined salary amounts for federal public relations employees averaged approximately 

$430 million from fiscal year 2006 through 2014, reaching nearly $500 million in fiscal year 

2014, according to EHRI data. Over this time period the number of federal public relations 

employees ranged from a low of 4,422 in fiscal year 2006 to a high of 5,238 in fiscal year 2011. 

These employees were concentrated among a relatively small number of agencies, but to a 

lesser extent than contract obligations for advertising and public relations. DOD is the largest 

employer of public relations staff; accordingly, DOD public relations employees have the highest 

combined salaries. Although federal employment data provide an indication of federal employee 

resources devoted to public relations, they do not reflect the full scope of these resources. 

Reasons for this include the likelihood that employees beyond just those classified under the 

Public Affairs occupational series, which we used in the analysis, are involved in public relations 

activities.

Background

Agencies may have legitimate interests in communicating with the public regarding their

functions, policies, and activities. Table 1 describes some of the purposes of agency 

communication with the public, along with related examples.

Table 1: Examples of Federal Advertising and Public Relations Activities

Activity Description Examples

Public 

education 

and

awareness

Providing educational 

resources and 

information on public 

health and safety issues, 

informing the public of 

its rights and 

entitlements, 

discouraging harmful or 

dangerous behavior

• The Department of State provides resources to educators on 

topics such as diplomacy.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publicizes 

information on the Zika virus.

• The Internal Revenue Service publicizes information on 

eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit.

• The Department of Transportation campaigns against 

distracted driving.

Customer 

service

Providing information to 

users of agency services

• The Department of Education provides information to people 

applying for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

General 

information

and 

recruitment

Keeping the public 

informed of agency 

activities; advertising to 

support recruitment 

• The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has webcams that allow 

website visitors to view selected animals.

• The military service components advertise in support of their 

recruitment missions. 

Compliance 

with laws 

and policies

Making information 

available to comply with 

statutes, executive 

orders, policies, and 

procedures

• Agencies publish information on regulations, in part to meet 

requirements that the public be informed and given an 

opportunity to provide input.

• The Environmental Protection Agency publishes information 

on draft environmental impact statements to make the public 

aware and allow comment.

• Agencies publicize information on available contracts and 

grants. 

Source: GAO analysis of agency information | GAO-16-877R

Although there is no single, commonly-accepted definition of what constitutes advertising or 

public relations, we and others, including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the 

Congressional Research Service (CRS), have identified definitions. 
Page 4 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

• OMB guidance on determining costs for grants and other federal awards described 

“advertising costs” as “the costs of advertising media and corollary administrative costs,” 

and stated that advertising media includes magazines, newspapers, radio and television, 

direct mail, exhibits, and electronic or computer transmittals. It stated that “public 

relations” includes “community relations and those activities dedicated to maintaining the 

image of the governmental unit or maintaining or promoting understanding and favorable 

relations with the community or public at large or any segment of the public.”6

• In our recent examination of DOD advertising, we described advertising as “the 

placement of messages intended to inform or persuade an audience through various 

types of media, such as television, radio, digital media, direct mail, and others.”7 Also in 

our past work, we have described public relations, or public affairs, as “an effort to 

develop and disseminate information to explain the activities of and the issues facing 

[an] organization” and explained that such efforts include issuing press releases and 

producing material for radio and television broadcasts, among other activities.8

• CRS has used the term “public communications” and described it as “agency 

communications that are directed to the public.”9 In its 2014 report on federal 

advertising, CRS acknowledges a lack of a government-wide definition of advertising. To 

provide an estimate of federal advertising expenditures, CRS used data on contracts 

coded as “advertising services” in the FPDS-NG database.10

In addition to more traditional public relations media such as television and radio, agencies are 

expanding the use of various media technologies to facilitate communication with the public. 

These media technologies include e-mail, websites, blogs, text messaging, and social media 

such as Facebook. The President and OMB have encouraged this use. For example, an OMB 

memorandum provided agencies guidance on using social media and other web-based 

technology to make government more transparent, participatory, and collaborative.11

 6

See OMB, OMB Circular A-87 Revised (Washington, D.C.: May 10, 2004). 

7

GAO, DOD Advertising: Better Coordination, Performance Measurement, and Oversight Needed to Help Meet 

Recruitment Goals, GAO-16-396 (Washington, D.C.: May 12, 2016). 

8

GAO, Public Affairs: Personnel Engaged in Public and Congressional Affairs in Federal Agencies, 

GAO/GGD-93-71FS (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 8, 1993).

9

CRS, Congressional Oversight of Agency Public Communications: Implications of Agency New Media Use, CRS

(Washington, D.C.: Mar. 14, 2012).

10CRS, Advertising by the Federal Government: An Overview, CRS (Washington, D.C.: June 23, 2014). 

11OMB Memorandum Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act 

(Washington, D.C.: Apr. 7, 2010).
Page 5 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Contracting Data Show Federal Obligations for Advertising and Public Relations Average 

Close to $1 Billion Annually, although the Full Amount is Not Known

The Federal Government Has Obligated, on Average, Close to $1 Billion Annually for 

Advertising and Public Relations Contracts

From fiscal years 2006 through 2015, the federal government obligated on average about $1 

billion annually on advertising and public relations contracts, with total obligations ranging from 

a low of about $800 million in fiscal year 2012 to a high of about $1.3 billion in fiscal year 

2009.12 As shown in figure 1, agencies obligated more for advertising contracts than public 

relations contracts, and obligations for both of these contract types have totaled less than onetenth of 1 percent of total government-wide obligations in each year.

Figure 1: Federal Obligations on Contracts for Advertising and Public Relations, Fiscal 

Years 2006 – 2015 

Note: Dollars amounts are nominal. Adjusting for inflation does not substantially change the trend shown.

FPDS-NG and the obligations data we used to calculate obligations for advertising and public relations contracts as a 

percent of total federal obligations include some differences in agencies they include. We determined that these 

differences are minor enough that they do not substantially affect our calculation of the percentage of government 

obligations going to contracts for advertising and public relations.

 12Data on contract spending are from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG). They 

reflect all contracts coded under the “support - management: public relations” and “support - management: 

advertising” product service codes. FPDS-NG does not include data from intelligence agencies, the U.S. Postal 

Service, judicial branch, and most of the legislative branch.
Page 6 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Obligations for public relations and advertising contracts are concentrated among a few 

agencies, some of which have driven the amount of these obligations over the past 10 fiscal 

years. Ten agencies were responsible for 95 percent of the funds obligated towards these 

contracts over the past 10 years, with DOD responsible for more than half of all obligations. 

Both the increase in obligations leading up to fiscal year 2009 and the subsequent decline 

through fiscal year 2012 were primarily driven by DOD and the Department of Commerce’s 

(Commerce) Census Bureau.13 Between fiscal year 2006 and 2012, DOD and Commerce were 

responsible for over two-thirds (68 percent) of total obligations for advertising and public 

relations contracts. Thus, changes in these agencies’ obligations also affected overall 

obligations. Figure 2 shows these two agencies’ and all other agencies’ obligations for these 

contracts. Other agencies that contributed to the decline in contract obligations over this period 

include the Executive Office of the President’s Office of National Drug Control and Policy and 

the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration and its Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Enclosures I through III 

have more detailed information on agency spending on advertising and public relations 

contracts and changes over time. 

Figure 2: Departments of Defense and Commerce as a Portion of All Agencies’ 

Obligations for Advertising and Public Relations Contracts Fiscal Years 2006 – 2015

Note: Negative numbers reflect deobligations, which could be due to the return of unused amounts when a contract 

closes or the cancellation of all or part of a contract. 

 13DOD’s military services use advertising as a tool to help influence individuals to consider military service and to 

attain annual goals for military service recruitment. The Census Bureau implemented a communications campaign 

that included paid media to target advertisements and engage government and community organizations in support 

of the 2010 census.
Page 7 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Advertising and Public Relations Contracts Data Provide an Indication of the Magnitude of 

Federal Spending on Public Relations Activities, but Do Not Capture the Full Scope

Although we have determined that federal contracting data are sufficiently reliable for providing 

an indication of the magnitude of spending on public relations, using them involves some 

limitations and, as a result, they do not capture the full scope of obligations for advertising and 

public relations contracts. For example, the data we present reflect contracts coded under 

categories that closely align to public relations—“support - management: public relations” and 

“support - management: advertising.”14 Other codes exist that could encompass public relations 

activities, but we did not include them in our scope because they also include activities that are 

not related to public relations. For example, the code “Signs, Advertising Displays, and 

Identification Plates” could include contracts for signs related to advertising to the public, but 

also could include signs for internal agency use. 

Another limitation is that agencies may categorize contracts that include advertising and public 

relations activities under other product service codes in cases where the contracts are also for 

other types of services. When a contract is for multiple types of services, agencies are to 

categorize it according to the code that applies to the service with the highest cost. Therefore, 

contracts coded under the advertising or public relations codes may also include other types of 

services, and contracts coded under other codes may include advertising and public relations 

services. The data do not allow us to disaggregate obligations for advertising and public 

relations services from other services in these contracts. To get a sense of the extent to which 

public relations and advertising services might be part of broader contracts, we searched 

approximately 18 million fiscal year 2015 contract actions in FPDS-NG for contracts that had the 

terms “public relations” and “advertising” in them, but were not coded under the “support -

management: public relations” or “support - management: advertising” codes. We found 55 

contract actions with the term “public relations” and 161 contract actions with the term 

“advertising” that had not been coded under the codes we included in our scope. 

Total Salaries of Federal Public Relations Employees Averaged about $430 Million

from Fiscal Years 2006 through 2014, but Total Employee Resources Are Not Known

Federal Public Relations Employment Averaged About 4,900 Employees in Recent Years, with 

Combined Salaries Approaching $500 Million in Fiscal Year 2014

From fiscal years 2006 through 2014 there were on average approximately 4,900 federal public 

relations employees, and they consistently made up about 0.3 percent of the total federal 

civilian workforce in each year, according to OPM data.15 The number of these employees 

 14According to a General Services Administration manual on FPDS-NG product service codes, the public relations 

code includes “writing services, event planning and management, media relations, radio and television analysis, and 

press services.” The manual does not provide more detail on the advertising code. See: U.S. General Services 

Administration, Federal Procurement Data System Product and Service Codes Manual, August 2015 Edition 

(effective October 1, 2015).

15Data on federal employees in this report are from OPM’s Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) 

Statistical Data Mart's status data and cover most executive branch agencies. Executive branch agencies not 

included in EHRI are: the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Federal Reserve System –

Board of Governors, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Office of the Director of 

National Intelligence, Office of the Vice President, Postal Rate Commission, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Postal 

Service, and the White House Office. Legislative Branch coverage is limited to the Government Publishing Office, 
Page 8 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

ranged from a low of 4,422 in fiscal year 2006 to a high of 5,238 in fiscal year 2011. OPM 

guidance states that employees classified under the Public Affairs occupational series are 

responsible for administering, supervising, or performing work involved in establishing and 

maintaining communication between federal agencies and the public. Among other things, their 

work includes identifying communication needs and developing informational materials on 

agency policies, programs, services, and activities. Figure 3 shows the number of federal public 

relations employees in fiscal years 2006 through 2014.

Figure 3: Number and Percent of Federal Public Relations Employees, Fiscal Years 2006 

– 2014

As with contracting for advertising and public relations services, employment of public relations 

staff is concentrated among a few agencies and changes at these agencies can drive overall 

public relations employment levels. DOD is the largest employer of these staff, with on average 

just over 40 percent of all federal public relations employees between fiscal years 2006 and 

2014. The agency was the primary driver of both the increase in employment from fiscal year 

2006 through 2011 and the decrease that followed through fiscal year 2014. For example, 

between fiscal year 2006 and 2011, overall employment increased by 816 employees (about 18 

percent), from 4,422 to 5,238. DOD hired over half (435) of these 816 new employees. 

Additional details on public relations employment and changes over time are provided in 

enclosures IV through VI.

The combined salaries for federal public relations employees averaged about $430 million 

between fiscal years 2006 and 2014, reaching nearly $500 million in fiscal year 2014.16 As a 

 U.S. Tax Court, and several small commissions. Military servicemembers also serve public relations roles but are not 

included in EHRI. We include only full-time, permanent, career civilian on-board employees in our analysis.

16The salary data do not reflect actual costs to agencies; they represent employees’ combined annual salaries. In 

some cases these figures may be different. For example, if an employee uses unpaid leave or is only in a position for 

part of the fiscal year, the agency pays the employee less than his or her annual salary. 
Page 9 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

percentage of total federal pay, public relations salaries have been consistent at about 0.3 

percent between fiscal years 2006 and 2014. In nominal dollars, combined salaries increased 

by 36 percent from fiscal year 2006. However, when we adjust salary figures for inflation, the 

increase is 18 percent and the trend aligns with the number of employees. The median public 

relations salary in fiscal year 2014 was about $90,000, up 17 percent from the approximately 

$77,000 median salary in fiscal year 2006.17 If these amounts are adjusted for inflation, the 

increase over that time period is 2 percent.18 Figure 4 shows the combined salaries of federal 

public relations employees and their share of total federal employment from fiscal years 2006 

through 2014.

Figure 4: Public Relations Employees Combined Salaries Fiscal Years 2006 – 2014 

Notes: Dollars amounts are nominal. Adjusting for inflation does not substantially change the trend shown. 

Salary amounts represent the combined annual salaries for full-time, permanent, career civilian public relations 

employees included in the EHRI database at the close of each fiscal year. The cost of employee benefits is not 

included.

Percentage of total pay provides a sense of magnitude of public relations employee salaries relative to the 

government as a whole. It should not be used to compare the relative salaries among occupations or individuals, as it

does not control for other factors which might explain apparent differences.

 17These data reflect the salaries of public relations employees at all stages of their careers and with varying years of 

experience, levels of education, and federal service.

18These salary figures do not include the cost of employee benefits, such as those related to health insurance and 

retirement. There are different methodologies for calculating the cost of these benefits. A 2008 memorandum from 

the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to calculate benefits for civilian full and part time 

employees at 36.25 percent of their basic pay rate. See OMB Update to Civilian Position Full Fringe Benefit Cost 

Factor, Federal Pay Raise Assumptions, and Inflation Factors used in OMB Circular No. A-76, “Performance of 

Commercial Activities,” M-08-13 (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 11, 2008).
Page 10 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Federal Employment Data Provide an Indication of Federal Employee Resources Devoted to 

Public Relations, but Do Not Capture the Full Scope

Although the EHRI database is sufficiently reliable for providing an indication of federal 

employee resources devoted to public relations, it does not fully represent such resources. We 

used data on employees in the Public Affairs occupational series to describe public relations 

employment and salaries. It is likely that employees classified under other occupational series 

also perform public relations activities. For example, employees who are subject-matter experts 

may contribute to an agency’s blog post or website update on that subject. On the other hand, it 

is possible that employees classified under the Public Affairs occupational series perform tasks 

that are unrelated to public relations. In both cases, available data do not capture the 

percentage of an employee’s time devoted to public relations or other activities, so we were 

unable to be more precise in our estimates. 

Agency Comments

We are not making any recommendations in this report. We provided a draft of this report to the 

Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management for comment. Neither 

agency had comments on the draft.

As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce the contents of this report earlier, we 

plan no further distribution until five days from the report date. At that time, we will send copies 

to the appropriate congressional committees and the Director of the Office of Management and 

Budget and the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management. In addition, the report is 

available at no charge on the GAO website at http://www.gao.gov.

If you or your staff has any questions about this report, please contact me at (202) 512-6806 or 

krauseh@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs 

may be found on the last page of this report. 

Other GAO staff who made key contributions to this report include Carol Henn (Assistant 

Director), Shari Brewster, Jenny Chanley, Julia Kennon, Joshua Miller, Meredith Moles, 

Kathleen Padulchick, and Elise Vaughan Winfrey.

Sincerely yours, 

Heather Krause

Acting Director, Strategic Issues 

Enclosures – 6
Page 11 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Enclosure I: Federal Agencies’ Reported Obligations for Advertising and Public Relations 

Contracts 

Table 2 shows descriptive statistics for the 20 agencies with the highest obligations for 

advertising and public relations contracts in fiscal year 2015. These statistics include each 

agency’s minimum and maximum annual obligations for these contracts over fiscal years 2006 

through 2015, the agencies’ average annual obligations for these contracts over this time 

period, and the percentage of total agency obligations going to these contracts in fiscal year 

2015 and on average from fiscal years 2006 through 2015. Variations in the percentage of 

agency obligations devoted to advertising and public relations contracts can be due to several 

factors. For example, the Department of Health and Human Services administers more grant 

dollars than all other agencies combined. Due in part to this factor, the agency’s total obligations 

are relatively high and thus the percentage of total agency obligations going to advertising and 

public relations contracts is relatively low. 

Table 2: Federal Agencies’ Reported Obligations for Advertising and Public Relations 

Contracts (Dollars in Thousands) 

Agency

Fiscal Years 2006 – 2015 Fiscal Year 2015

Average Annual 

Obligations

Minimum Annual 

Obligations

Maximum Annual 

Obligations

Average 

Agency Total 

Percentage of 

ObligationsObligations

Agency Total 

Percentage of 

Obligations

Department of Defense $626,221 $451,527 $867,673 0.07% $590,800 0.07%

Department of Health and Human 

Services

$116,678 $52,572 $235,572 0.01% $114,367 0.01%

Department of Homeland Security $37,599 $17,138 $54,925 0.06% $46,093 0.07%

Department of Commerce $37,680 $(8,282) $203,664 0.22% $7,701 0.04%

Department of Transportation $35,951 $3,747 $68,952 0.04% $45,545 0.05%

Department of Veterans Affairs $23,641 $314 $63,399 0.02% $22,181 0.01%

Department of Agriculture $8,804 $4,018 $17,539 0.01% $4,018 0.00%

Department of Justice $5,927 $2,291 $10,435 0.02% $2,291 0.01%

Department of Labor $5,585 $1,608 $11,850 0.01% $5,365 0.01%

Department of State $5,840 $3,617 $12,144 0.02% $12,144 0.03%

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development

$4,515 $1,463 $6,803 0.01% $3,691 0.01%

Social Security Administration $4,407 $1,762 $7,932 0.00% $5,068 0.00%

Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau1 $4,251 $1,122 $8,112 0.83% $8,112 1.45%

U.S. Agency for International 

Development

$3,897 $172 $17,791 0.06% $9,825 0.11%

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration

$3,415 $282 $10,393 0.02% $4,052 0.02%

National Science Foundation $2,776 $212 $6,038 0.04% $4,419 0.06%

Peace Corps $1,305 $(95) $10,268 0.31% $10,268 2.38%
Page 12 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Agency

Fiscal Years 2006 – 2015 Fiscal Year 2015

Average Annual 

Obligations

Minimum Annual 

Obligations

Maximum Annual 

Obligations

Average 

Agency Total 

Percentage of 

ObligationsObligations

Agency Total 

Percentage of 

Obligations

Office of Personnel Management $940 $3 $3,973 0.00% $3,973 0.00%

Small Business Administration $246 $0 $1,381 0.01% $1,381 0.09%

Securities and Exchange 

Commission

$223 $4 $1,323 0.02% $1,323 0.09%

Other Agencies $68,458 $5,637 $145,062 0.01% $5,637 0.00%

Total $995,808 $793,509 $1,325,103 0.01% $908,255 0.02%

Source: GAO analysis of Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation and Office of Management and Budget 

data | GAO-16-877R 

Notes: The ranking is based on the average annual obligations from fiscal years 2006 through 2015. Dollars amounts 

are not adjusted for inflation. 

Negative numbers reflect deobligations, which could be due to the return of unused amounts when a contract closes 

or the cancellation of all or part of a contract. 

1

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began operations in July 2011 and fiscal year 2012 was the first year in 

which it obligated funds to advertising and public relations contracts. All descriptive data provided for the agency 

therefore reflect fiscal years 2012 through 2015.
Page 13 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Enclosure II: Changes in Reported Obligations for Advertising and Public Relations 

Contracts

Agency obligations for advertising and public relations contracts can vary considerably from 

year to year. For example, between fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the Department of Commerce’s 

obligations for these contracts went from about $13 million to about $204 million. Figure 5

shows how obligations ranged over fiscal years 2006 through 2015 for the five agencies with the 

largest variations in obligations for public relations and advertising contracts over this time 

period. 

Figure 5: Agencies with the Largest Differences between Minimum and Maximum Annual 

Obligations for Public Relations and Advertising Contracts over Fiscal Years 2006 – 2015

Note: Negative numbers reflect deobligations, which could be due to the return of unused amounts when a contract 

closes or the cancellation of all or part of a contract. 
Page 14 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Enclosure III: Breakdown of Agency Reported Obligations for Advertising and Public 

Relations Spending

Ten federal agencies made up about 95 percent of the federal government’s obligations for 

advertising and public relations contracts from fiscal years 2006 through 2015, but agency 

obligations varied from year to year. For example, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) 

and Executive Office of the President (EOP) both have a relatively high annual average over the 

past 10 years, but both of these agencies’ obligation levels changed significantly over time.19 Of 

the approximately $377 million Commerce has obligated for advertising and public relations 

contracts over the past 10 years, it obligated $228 million, or 61 percent, in fiscal years 2006 

through 2009. Of the $400 million EOP obligated for these contracts over the past 10 years, it 

obligated $322 million, or 80 percent, in fiscal years 2006 through 2009. Figure 6 shows the 

breakdown by agency of average annual obligations for these contracts.

Figure 6: Breakdown by Agency of Average Annual Obligations for Advertising and 

Public Relations Contracts: Fiscal Years 2006 – 2015 

Notes: The percentages in the “all other” pie chart do not add to the “all other” total and percentages in the main pie 

do not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

We did not adjust dollar amounts for inflation. Doing so does not substantially change the breakdown shown.

 19Within the Executive Office of the President, the Office of National Drug Control Policy obligated most (83 percent) 

of the funds going to advertising and public relations contracts. Within the Department of Commerce, the Census 

Bureau obligated most (95 percent) of the funds going to these contracts.
Page 15 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Enclosure IV: Federal Agencies’ Public Relations Employees 

Table 3 shows descriptive statistics on federal agencies with 12 or more public relations 

employees in fiscal year 2014. The table shows each agency’s minimum and maximum 

numbers of these employees over fiscal years 2006 through 2014 and the number in fiscal year 

2014. It also shows each agency’s public relations employees as a percentage of total agency 

employees and their combined salaries in fiscal year 2014. Employment and salaries at most 

agencies were relatively stable over time. As shown, at most agencies public relations 

employees make up less than 1 percent of total employees.
Page 16 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Table 3: Agency Public Relations Employees and Their Salaries ($ Thousands)

Agency

Minimum 

Number of 

Public 

Relations 

Employees 

Fiscal Years

2006-2014

Maximum 

Number of 

Public 

Relations 

Employees 

Fiscal Years

2006-2014

Fiscal Year 

2014 Public 

Relations 

Employees

Fiscal Year 

2014 Public 

Relations 

Employees 

Percentage of 

Total 

Employees

Fiscal Year 

2014 Public 

Relations 

Employees’ 

Combined 

Salaries

Department of Defense 1,825 2,260 2,123 0.3% $176,644

Department of Agriculture 499 538 499 0.7% $43,169

Department of the Interior 233 295 295 0.6% $27,998

Department of Veterans Affairs 144 286 286 0.1% $24,909

Department of Health and 

Human Services 211 265 259 0.4% $28,204

Department of the Treasury 200 240 214 0.2% $23,715

Department of Homeland 

Security 109 185 176 0.1% $19,638

Environmental Protection 

Agency 142 187 165 1.1% $17,768

Department of Justice 115 160 148 0.1% $15,052

Social Security Administration 140 193 140 0.2% $13,965

Department of State 93 127 122 1.2% $12,395

National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration 100 114 110 0.6% $11,446

Department of Commerce 82 91 91 0.3% $10,141

Department of Energy 75 89 84 0.6% $8,774

Department of Transportation 55 63 55 0.1% $6,629

Small Business Administration 23 44 41 1.8% $3,989

Smithsonian Institution 27 33 29 0.6% $2,624

Department of Housing and 

Urban Development 16 22 19 0.2% $2,340

Department of Labor 19 26 19 0.1% $2,167

Department of Education <12 19 18 0.5% $2,035

Federal Election Commission 16 20 18 5.8% $1,721

General Services 

Administration 14 19 16 0.1% $1,718

Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission <12 14 14 0.4% $1,783

National Science Foundation <12 17 12 1.0% $1,405

Total 4,422 5,238 5,086 0.3% $475,177

Source: GAO analysis of data from the Office of Personnel Management’s Enterprise Human Resources Integration 

Statistical Data Mart | GAO-16-877R.

Notes: Data represent the number of full-time, permanent, career, civilian public relations employees as of September 

30, 2014. Salary figures represent the annual salaries of these employees.

Agencies with fewer than 12 employees in the public affairs occupational series as of September 30, 2014 are not 

listed in this table, but are included in the totals. Because of this, the counts and dollar amounts in this table do not 

sum to the totals.
Page 17 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Enclosure V: Changes in Federal Public Relations Employment

While overall public relations employment has been relatively stable in recent years, some 

agencies have significantly increased the number of these employees. Table 4 shows the 

agencies with the highest percentage increases from fiscal year 2006 through 2014, along with 

their average annual increases over this time period.

Table 4: Agencies with the Largest Percentage Increases in Public Relations Employees 

Fiscal Years 2006 – 2014 

Agency

Number of Employees

Change

from FY 

2006 to 2014

Average 

Annual 

Change FY 

2006-2014

Fiscal 

Year 2006

Fiscal Year 

2014

Department of Veterans Affairs 144 286 99% 9.1%

Small Business Administration 25 41 64% 7.2%

Department of Homeland Security 109 176 61% 6.5%

Department of Justice 117 148 26% 3.2%

Department of the Interior 240 295 23% 2.7%

Department of Health and Human 

Services

211 259 23% 2.6%

Department of Defense 1,825 2,123 16% 2.0%

Environmental Protection Agency 142 165 16% 2.1%

General Services Administration 14 16 14% 2.1%

Department of State 109 122 12% 1.7%

Source: GAO analysis of data from the Office of Personnel Management’s Enterprise Human Resources Integration 

Statistical Data Mart | GAO-16-877R.

Note: Agencies with fewer than 12 employees in fiscal year 2006 or 2014 were not included in this analysis.
Page 18 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Figure 7 shows the number of public relations employees at the Department of Defense and the 

four other agencies that had the largest changes in public relations employment between fiscal 

years 2006 and 2014.

Figure 7: Changes in Public Relations Employment at Selected Agencies
Page 19 GAO-16-877R Public Relations Spending

Enclosure VI: Breakdown of Agency Public Relations Salaries

As the largest employer of public relations employees, the Department of Defense has the 

highest combined salaries for these employees, averaging about $160 million annually between 

fiscal years 2006 and 2014. As expected, the other agencies with the most public relations 

employees – such as the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services – also 

have the highest combined salaries for these employees. Figure 8 shows a breakdown of 

agencies by their combined average annual salaries for public relations employees. As shown, 

salaries are concentrated among a few agencies, but to a lesser extent than with advertising 

and public relations contracts shown in enclosure III. For example, 10 agencies were 

responsible for about 95 percent of obligations on these contracts over fiscal years 2006 

through 2015. In contrast, 10 agencies were responsible for about 82 percent of total public 

relations employee salaries over fiscal years 2006 through 2014.

Figure 8: Breakdown by Agency of Average Annual Public Relations Salaries: Fiscal 

Years 2006-2014

Notes: The percentages in the “all other” pie chart do not add to the “all other” total and the percentages in the main 

pie do not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

Salary amounts represent the annual salaries for full-time, permanent, career, civilian public relations employees 

included in the EHRI database. The cost of employee benefits is not included. 

We did not adjust dollars amounts for inflation. Doing so does not substantially change the breakdown shown.

(100645)
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