Cal Poly salaries

Q: Is the pay good at Cal Poly?

No, the pay is not good at Cal Poly. Compared to the industry average of $47,911 per year, the average annual salary at Cal Poly is $42,414, which is 11.47% lower.

Q: What is the starting pay at Cal Poly?

The starting pay at Cal Poly is $20,000 per year, or $9.62 per hour.

Q: How much does Cal Poly pay an hour?

Cal Poly pays $20.39 an hour, on average.

Zippia score 4.1

Cal Poly salary estimate

$42,414yearly

$20.39 hourly rate

Entry-level salary

$20,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Cal Poly Salaries Overview

Cal Poly offers a competitive salary structure, with an average annual salary of $42,414. The salary distribution varies significantly across departments, reflecting the diverse roles within the institution. For instance, positions in research and development typically command higher salaries compared to entry-level administrative roles.

Highest Paying Jobs

Some of the top-paying positions at Cal Poly include specialized roles in engineering and administration. These roles not only provide financial rewards but also opportunities for professional growth.

Departmental Salary Breakdown

Understanding salaries by department is essential for prospective employees. For example, the engineering department often offers more lucrative salaries compared to other areas. This insight can help job seekers tailor their applications and negotiate effectively.

Highest paying jobs at Cal Poly

The highest paying jobs at Cal Poly are program director, philanthropy chairperson, team leader, and senior project engineer. Program director jobs at Cal Poly earn an average yearly salary of $111,859, Cal Poly philanthropy chairperson jobs average $105,997, and Cal Poly team leader jobs average $97,604.

The lowest paying Cal Poly roles include student assistant and resident advisor. Cal Poly student assistant average salary is $25,568 per year. So while the average Cal Poly salary is $42,414 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Cal Poly

Rank	Job title	Average Cal Poly salary	Hourly rate
1	Program Director	$111,859	$53.78
2	Philanthropy Chairperson	$105,997	$50.96
3	Team Leader	$97,604	$46.93
4	Senior Project Engineer	$94,345	$45.36
5	Researcher	$90,348	$43.44
6	Treasurer	$89,229	$42.90
7	Manager	$86,087	$41.39
8	Senior Design Project	$82,495	$39.66
9	Software Developer	$82,167	$39.50
10	Web Developer	$80,541	$38.72
11	Research Associate	$72,604	$34.91
12	Network Technician	$71,461	$34.36
13	Marriage And Family Therapist	$69,877	$33.59
14	Workshop Facilitator	$68,617	$32.99
15	Guest Lecturer	$68,262	$32.82
16	Graphic Designer	$61,258	$29.45
17	Contract Analyst	$60,294	$28.99
18	Teaching Associate	$60,093	$28.89
19	Laboratory Technician	$50,939	$24.49
20	Strength And Conditioning Internship	$49,165	$23.64

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Cal Poly salaries by department

Salaries at Cal Poly vary depending on the department you work in. Cal Poly salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $143,563. Employees in the engineering department at Cal Poly receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $81,956 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Cal Poly include the administrative and the hospitality/service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $29,829 and $31,789, respectively.

Average Cal Poly salary by department

Rank	Department	Average Cal Poly salary	Hourly rate
1	Corporate Management	$143,563	$69.02
2	Engineering	$81,956	$39.40
3	Art/Design	$53,652	$25.79
4	IT	$53,594	$25.77
5	Healthcare	$46,091	$22.16
6	Research & Development	$45,982	$22.11
7	Sales	$45,399	$21.83
8	Non Profit/Government	$44,527	$21.41
9	Retail	$44,009	$21.16
10	Marketing	$43,519	$20.92
11	Education	$42,527	$20.45
12	Plant/Manufacturing	$41,808	$20.10
13	Facilities	$38,511	$18.51
14	Customer Service	$31,875	$15.32
15	Hospitality/Service	$31,789	$15.28
16	Administrative	$29,829	$14.34

How much does Cal Poly pay by department?

Best paying Cal Poly administrative salaries

Rank	Position	Average Cal Poly salary	Hourly rate
1	Executive Administrator	$56,671	$27.25
2	Office Manager	$52,201	$25.10
3	Phonathon Caller	$47,513	$22.84
4	Facility Supervisor	$43,865	$21.09
5	Office Administrator	$37,190	$17.88
6	Administrative Assistant	$36,036	$17.33
7	Project Management Internship	$33,949	$16.32
8	Data Entry Associate	$33,142	$15.93
9	Secretary	$31,426	$15.11
10	Student Caller	$30,490	$14.66
11	Data Entry Clerk	$30,347	$14.59
12	Receptionist	$30,226	$14.53
13	Student Assistant	$25,568	$12.29

Best paying Cal Poly research & development salaries

Rank	Position	Average Cal Poly salary	Hourly rate
1	Researcher	$90,348	$43.44
2	Research Associate	$72,604	$34.91
3	Laboratory Technician	$50,939	$24.49
4	Research Assistant	$45,478	$21.86
5	Laboratory Assistant	$33,613	$16.16

Best paying Cal Poly education salaries

Rank	Position	Average Cal Poly salary	Hourly rate
1	Training Manager	$76,046	$36.56
2	Education Director	$73,896	$35.53
3	E-Learning Designer	$70,920	$34.10
4	Instructor	$69,607	$33.46
5	Graduate Advisor	$68,347	$32.86
6	Guest Lecturer	$68,262	$32.82
7	Upward Bound Director	$63,344	$30.45
8	Student Teacher	$62,158	$29.88
9	Spanish Lecturer	$61,818	$29.72
10	Teaching Associate	$60,093	$28.89
11	Educational Technician Lead	$56,089	$26.97
12	University Administrator	$54,349	$26.13
13	Coach And Trainer	$53,776	$25.85
14	Intramural Supervisor	$50,361	$24.21
15	Strength And Conditioning Internship	$49,165	$23.64
16	Head Coach	$48,162	$23.15
17	College Counselor	$46,029	$22.13
18	Student Athlete	$42,834	$20.59
19	Teaching Assistant	$42,687	$20.52
20	Peer Advisor	$40,998	$19.71

Cal Poly competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Cal Poly competitors, like University of Southern California, University of San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara, vary. University of Southern California employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $66,195. The average salary at University of San Diego is $59,478 per year, and the average salary at UC Santa Barbara is $58,647 per year.

Highest paying Cal Poly competitors

Rank	Company name	Zippia score	Average salary
1	University of Southern California	4.1	$66,195
2	University of San Diego	4.5	$59,478
3	UC Santa Barbara	4.4	$58,647
4	California State University	4.2	$55,237
5	University of California, Riverside	4.1	$53,897
6	Santa Clara University	4.4	$52,675
7	Butte College	4.3	$50,607
8	Sacramento State	4.0	$50,134
9	Loyola Marymount University	3.5	$49,804
10	San Francisco State University	4.1	$48,889
11	Marist College	4.1	$47,033
12	Keene State College	4.1	$45,754
13	Arizona State University	4.0	$45,751
14	Trinity University	4.2	$44,255
15	Manchester University	3.9	$43,891
16	Millersville University	4.1	$43,167
17	Diablo Valley College	4.5	$41,948
18	California State University, Chico	4.3	$37,151
19	University of West Georgia	4.4	$34,209
20	Southeastern Louisiana University	4.3	$29,503

Recently added Cal Poly salaries

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Athletic Equipment Services Specialist	San Luis Obispo, CA	06/25/2025	$53,500
Depot Support Associate-University Housing	San Luis Obispo, CA	06/24/2025	$44,160
University Controller	San Luis Obispo, CA	06/22/2025	$170,000
Executive Assistant-University Personnel	San Luis Obispo, CA	06/19/2025	$73,500
Administrative Support Coordinator-Information Technology Services	San Luis Obispo, CA	06/18/2025	$46,376

Frequently asked questions about Cal Poly salaries

Is the pay good at Cal Poly?

What is the starting pay at Cal Poly?

How much does Cal Poly pay an hour?

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Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Cal Poly, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Cal Poly. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Cal Poly. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Cal Poly. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Cal Poly and its employees or that of Zippia.

Cal Poly may also be known as or be related to CAL POLY CORPORATION, Cal Poly and Cal Poly Corporation.