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At the Cato Institute, employees can expect a competitive salary averaging $63,971 per year. Salaries vary based on roles and departments, with opportunities in research, marketing, and other sectors. For instance, roles in research and development tend to offer higher compensation compared to other positions. By examining the salary estimates provided, you can gauge the earning potential depending on your career path and chosen department.
Some of the top-paying positions include specialized roles in research and marketing that often command salaries above average. Understanding these figures can significantly aid in navigating your career path.
The highest paying jobs at The Cato Institute are economist, controller, art director, and fellow. Economist jobs at The Cato Institute earn an average yearly salary of $127,376, The Cato Institute controller jobs average $118,625, and The Cato Institute art director jobs average $117,980.
The lowest paying The Cato Institute roles include customer service representative and receptionist. The Cato Institute customer service representative average salary is $35,886 per year. So while the average The Cato Institute salary is $63,971 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
| Rank | Job title | Average The Cato Institute salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economist | $127,376 | $61.24 |
| 2 | Controller | $118,625 | $57.03 |
| 3 | Art Director | $117,980 | $56.72 |
| 4 | Fellow | $116,189 | $55.86 |
| 5 | Program Manager | $113,787 | $54.71 |
| 6 | Visitor | $113,036 | $54.34 |
| 7 | Data Engineer | $112,016 | $53.85 |
| 8 | Producer | $104,407 | $50.20 |
| 9 | Conference Director | $98,052 | $47.14 |
| 10 | Copy Editor | $73,999 | $35.58 |
| 11 | Policy Analyst | $69,276 | $33.31 |
| 12 | Information Technology Technician | $63,822 | $30.68 |
| 13 | Graphic Designer | $62,891 | $30.24 |
| 14 | Executive Assistant | $59,009 | $28.37 |
| 15 | Marketing Coordinator | $55,926 | $26.89 |
| 16 | Marketing Associate | $53,524 | $25.73 |
| 17 | Legal Extern | $53,446 | $25.70 |
| 18 | Store Manager | $51,307 | $24.67 |
| 19 | Conference Coordinator | $50,887 | $24.46 |
| 20 | Research Assistant | $50,620 | $24.34 |
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Salaries at The Cato Institute vary depending on the department you work in. The Cato Institute salaries in the non profit/government department are the highest with an average salary of $101,251. Employees in the engineering department at The Cato Institute receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $96,005 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at The Cato Institute include the sales and the retail organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $48,612 and $51,641, respectively.
| Rank | Department | Average The Cato Institute salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Non Profit/Government | $101,251 | $48.68 |
| 2 | Engineering | $96,005 | $46.16 |
| 3 | Facilities | $85,500 | $41.11 |
| 4 | Customer Service | $83,036 | $39.92 |
| 5 | Art/Design | $79,973 | $38.45 |
| 6 | Finance | $75,926 | $36.50 |
| 7 | IT | $72,323 | $34.77 |
| 8 | Sports/Entertainment | $70,713 | $34.00 |
| 9 | Marketing | $61,798 | $29.71 |
| 10 | Research & Development | $57,586 | $27.69 |
| 11 | Administrative | $53,861 | $25.89 |
| 12 | Legal | $52,516 | $25.25 |
| 13 | Retail | $51,641 | $24.83 |
| 14 | Sales | $48,612 | $23.37 |
| Rank | Position | Average The Cato Institute salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Research Assistant | $50,620 | $24.34 |
| 2 | Research Internship | $50,463 | $24.26 |
| Rank | Position | Average The Cato Institute salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Publication Director | $122,719 | $59.00 |
| 2 | Conference Director | $98,052 | $47.14 |
| 3 | Digital Marketing Manager | $80,462 | $38.68 |
| 4 | Outreach Manager | $58,079 | $27.92 |
| 5 | Marketing Coordinator | $55,926 | $26.89 |
| 6 | Conference Coordinator | $50,887 | $24.46 |
| 7 | Media Assistant | $50,758 | $24.40 |
| 8 | Government Relations Internship | $47,300 | $22.74 |
| 9 | Digital Media Internship | $38,884 | $18.69 |
| Rank | Position | Average The Cato Institute salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Administrative Director | $89,547 | $43.05 |
| 2 | Executive Assistant | $59,009 | $28.37 |
| 3 | Administrative Assistant | $47,434 | $22.80 |
| 4 | Receptionist | $36,019 | $17.32 |
Average salaries at The Cato Institute competitors, like Urban Institute, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Center for American Progress, vary. Urban Institute employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $79,461. The average salary at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is $64,751 per year, and the average salary at Center for American Progress is $63,319 per year.
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Institute | 4.6 | $79,461 |
| 2 | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | 4.0 | $64,751 |
| 3 | Center for American Progress | 4.4 | $63,319 |
| 4 | National Bureau of Economic Research | 4.6 | $62,209 |
| 5 | American Enterprise Institute | 4.4 | $60,683 |
| 6 | The Brookings Institution | 4.6 | $57,911 |
| 7 | Independence Institute | 3.6 | $56,273 |
| 8 | The Heritage Foundation | 4.6 | $55,617 |
| 9 | CSIS | 4.4 | $55,582 |
| 10 | Economic Policy Institute | 3.6 | $55,455 |
| 11 | Manhattan Institute | 3.9 | $53,985 |
| 12 | Middle East Institute | 4.3 | $52,436 |
| 13 | Council on Foreign Relations | 4.2 | $51,695 |
| 14 | Potomac Institute for Policy Studies | 4.4 | $51,678 |
| 15 | OpenSecrets | 3.5 | $51,277 |
| 16 | Common Cause | 3.9 | $49,271 |
| 17 | Center for a New American Security | 4.8 | $48,578 |
| 18 | Center for Media and Democracy | 3.4 | $47,317 |
| 19 | Hudson Institute | 3.9 | $42,498 |
| 20 | Hoover Institution | 4.4 | $42,138 |
| Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Policy Analyst | Washington, DC | 06/25/2025 | $72,000 |
| Senior Manager, Social Media and Email Marketing | Washington, DC | 06/04/2025 | $80,000 |
| Senior Web Developer | Washington, DC | 06/01/2025 | $120,000 |
| Conference Planner | Washington, DC | 05/26/2025 | $65,000 |
| Cato Press and Publications Assistant | Washington, DC | 05/26/2025 | $50,000 |
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of The Cato Institute, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about The Cato Institute. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at The Cato Institute. 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 The Cato Institute. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of The Cato Institute and its employees or that of Zippia.
The Cato Institute may also be known as or be related to CATO INSTITUTE, Cato Institute, Cato Institute, Inc. and The Cato Institute.