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Centene salary estimate

$58,575yearly

$28.16 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$33,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Centene Salaries

Centene Corporation's salary structure reflects a broad spectrum of pay based on job roles, locations, and departments. The average annual salary stands at $58,575, but there are notable differences among various positions. For instance, lead application engineers earn an impressive $112,938 per year, while senior applications engineers follow closely with $111,680. Roles like team leaders also command respectable salaries, averaging $110,047.

In contrast, entry-level positions such as internships and customer service roles offer lower compensation, with internships averaging around $30,521. Salaries vary significantly by department; the engineering department pays the highest average at $97,613, while customer service roles average $34,669.

Competitive Landscape

When compared with competitors like Universal American and Aetna, Centene's salaries remain competitive. Universal American's average salary is $64,663, making it one of the higher-paying alternatives in the healthcare sector. Understanding these salary trends can assist candidates in making informed decisions as they explore their career paths within Centene.

Highest paying jobs at Centene

The highest paying jobs at Centene are lead application engineer, senior applications engineer, team leader, and senior manager of business operations. Lead application engineer jobs at Centene earn an average yearly salary of $112,938, Centene senior applications engineer jobs average $111,680, and Centene team leader jobs average $110,047.

The lowest paying Centene roles include internship and customer service representative. Centene internship average salary is $30,521 per year. So while the average Centene salary is $58,575 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Centene

RankJob titleAverage Centene salaryHourly rate
1Lead Application Engineer$112,938$54.30
2Senior Applications Engineer$111,680$53.69
3Team Leader$110,047$52.91
4Senior Manager Of Business Operations$101,029$48.57
5Clinical Pharmacist$94,026$45.20
6Java/J2ee Developer$88,400$42.50
7Contract Negotiator$82,748$39.78
8Java Developer$81,443$39.16
9Business Analyst$80,882$38.89
10Programming Specialist$80,590$38.75
11Supervisor$73,197$35.19
12Registered Nurse$66,269$31.86
13Special Investigation Unit Investigator$65,908$31.69
14Claims Analyst$65,682$31.58
15Recruiter$64,453$30.99
16Utilization Review Nurse$63,088$30.33
17Data Processing Auditor$62,345$29.97
18Executive Assistant$62,029$29.82
19Unit Coordinator$60,680$29.17
20Internal Auditor$60,137$28.91

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Average Centene salary by state

Centene pays the highest salaries in California due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage Centene salaryHourly rate
1California$66,789$32.11
2New York$65,370$31.43
3Washington$64,604$31.06
4Massachusetts$64,505$31.01
5Maryland$60,721$29.19
6Virginia$59,638$28.67
7Illinois$58,944$28.34
8Texas$58,829$28.28
9Nevada$58,362$28.06
10North Carolina$57,769$27.77
11Georgia$57,322$27.56
12Pennsylvania$57,280$27.54
13Michigan$57,270$27.53
14Arizona$56,042$26.94
15Missouri$55,102$26.49
16Ohio$54,926$26.41
17Iowa$54,619$26.26
18Florida$54,494$26.20
19Louisiana$54,387$26.15
20Indiana$53,755$25.84

How much does Centene pay by location?

The average Centene salary varies by location. Centene salaries are the highest in Washington, DC, at $68,636 per year. Centene pays the second highest average salary in Rancho Cordova, CA, at $67,374 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Centene locations

RankLocationAverage Centene salaryHourly rate
1Washington, DC$68,636$33.00
2Rancho Cordova, CA$67,374$32.39
3Tacoma, WA$64,940$31.22
4Newark, NJ$64,838$31.17
5Fairport, NY$64,375$30.95
6Boston, MA$64,370$30.95
7Farmington, CT$63,697$30.62
8Newport, RI$61,251$29.45
9Annapolis, MD$60,728$29.20
10Klamath Falls, OR$60,713$29.19
11Bedford, NH$60,569$29.12
12Juneau, AK$59,859$28.78
13McLean, VA$59,720$28.71
14Denver, CO$59,386$28.55
15Chicago, IL$59,135$28.43
16Carson City, NV$59,073$28.40
17Augusta, ME$59,066$28.40
18Austin, TX$58,861$28.30
19Saint Paul, MN$58,806$28.27
20Montpelier, VT$58,681$28.21

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Centene salaries by department

Salaries at Centene vary depending on the department you work in. Centene salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $97,613. Employees in the business development department at Centene receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $91,494 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Centene include the customer service and the administrative organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $34,669 and $46,606, respectively.

Average Centene salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Centene salaryHourly rate
1Engineering$97,613$46.93
2Business Development$91,494$43.99
3IT$80,744$38.82
4Marketing$80,160$38.54
5Healthcare$64,656$31.08
6Finance$64,212$30.87
7Human Resources$62,326$29.96
8Accounting$60,300$28.99
9Non Profit/Government$58,685$28.21
10Administrative$46,606$22.41
11Customer Service$34,670$16.67

How much does Centene pay by department?

Best paying Centene customer service salaries

RankPositionAverage Centene salaryHourly rate
1Call Center Analyst$54,633$26.27
2Correspondence Coordinator$53,212$25.58
3Provider Relations Specialist$51,363$24.69
4Referral Coordinator$35,368$17.00
5Referral Specialist$34,636$16.65
6Customer Care Professional$34,214$16.45
7Member Service Representative$33,170$15.95
8Customer Service Representative$32,458$15.60

Best paying Centene engineering salaries

RankPositionAverage Centene salaryHourly rate
1Engineering Director$136,253$65.51
2Lead Database Administrator$115,679$55.61
3Oracle Database Administrator$114,522$55.06
4Lead Application Engineer$112,938$54.30
5Senior Applications Engineer$111,680$53.69
6Data Management Specialist$106,717$51.31
7Senior Java Developer$103,905$49.95
8Manager, Configuration Management$103,548$49.78
9Informatica Consultant$99,314$47.75
10Oracle Functional Consultant$95,091$45.72
11Java/J2ee Developer$88,400$42.50
12Data Analyst$72,657$34.93
13Clinical Analyst$69,036$33.19

Best paying Centene finance salaries

RankPositionAverage Centene salaryHourly rate
1Finance Director$110,584$53.17
2Risk Manager$97,487$46.87
3Consultant$97,007$46.64
4Contracts Director$94,038$45.21
5Contract Negotiator$82,748$39.78
6Claims Analyst$65,682$31.58
7Senior Analyst$58,504$28.13
8Contract Coordinator$46,045$22.14
9Claim Specialist$44,493$21.39
10Claim Processor$41,442$19.92
11Claims Representative$32,697$15.72
12Insurance Coordinator$31,994$15.38

Centene competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Centene competitors, like Universal American, Tenet Healthcare, and Aetna, vary. Universal American employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $64,663. The average salary at Tenet Healthcare is $63,998 per year, and the average salary at Aetna is $61,847 per year.

Highest paying Centene competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Universal American4.5$64,663
2Tenet Healthcare4.5$63,998
3Aetna4.5$61,847
4Genworth4.4$61,793
5Prudential Retirement Insurance And Annuity Co3.5$60,890
6Elevance Health4.7$59,054
7WellCare Health Plans4.6$58,745
8HCSC4.5$58,172
9Liberty Mutual Insurance4.5$56,895
10Cigna4.6$55,763
11Community Health Systems4.5$54,553
12AmTrust Financial4.9$53,830
13Medical Mutual4.8$52,478
14Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey4.6$52,155
15UnitedHealth Group4.6$51,208
16Humana4.8$49,397
17Coventry Health Care4.8$47,768
18Express Scripts Holding4.3$40,382
19Primerica4.6$39,645

Recently added Centene salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Care Coordinator IILittle Rock, AR06/30/2025$36,523
Manager, Commercial Products Plan DesignChicago, IL06/30/2025$105,600
Lcsw, Lcpc-Foster Care, Care ManagerChicago, IL06/30/2025$55,100
Resource Mother IAtlanta, GA06/30/2025$47,563
Care ManagerWichita, KS06/30/2025$55,100

What employees say about salary at Centene

Employee reviews
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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023
Pros of working at Centene

Dynamic growing company with several opportunities in Information Technology.

Centene benefits

Work from home.

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023
Pros of working at Centene

Pay

Cons of working at Centene

Very limited advancement in career. No work life balance. Management goals for most is unachievable.

Centene benefits

Health benefits

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2023
Pros of working at Centene

Flexible in most ways. I enjoyed Colorado

Cons of working at Centene

It was the first management position for my manager and she was very poor.

Centene benefits

health insurance

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2023
Pros of working at Centene

Great company with great people! The company cares about each of us and allows us to voice our opinion(s) for which they sometimes will change policy It is because of the workers that got the dress code relaxed and work from home happened.

Cons of working at Centene

Can't think of 1

Centene benefits

Working from home!!

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2021
Pros of working at Centene

I liked working with my peers, we collaborated well on policy improvements, audits and we worked well together with the staff. Very fast pace, lots of work, never a dull moment.

Cons of working at Centene

System issues, slow network.

Centene benefits

Medical and retirement benefits.

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2021
Pros of working at Centene

I work remotely from home so I can flex my schedule as much as needed and the pay is good

Cons of working at Centene

It’s very stressful at times

Centene benefits

Working from home

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2021
Pros of working at Centene

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the organization and the staff i worked with. My job was very interesting and used my medical background and education.

Centene benefits

Salary/Bonus

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2020
Pros of working at Centene

I have been working for Centene for over years. I started out as an Basic Claim Analyst to now an Advanced Claims Analyst. There is potential growth working for Centene Corporation.

Cons of working at Centene

I have no issues working for Centene Corporation.

Centene benefits

Enjoyable quarterly bonuses. You are recognized of what great job task you are accomplishing

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2020
Pros of working at Centene

A very good company, very flexible, had lots of opportunities to learn in different fields

Cons of working at Centene

Not available to work from idaho

Centene benefits

Discount,memberships, 401 k

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020
Pros of working at Centene

What I like most is the pay.

Cons of working at Centene

No work life balance long hours increased work load.

Centene benefits

Yearly Bonuses

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros of working at Centene

The company is growing and has become a larger health care name.

Cons of working at Centene

The larger they grow the more centralized things become and the harder to navigate your resources.

Centene benefits

The offer a lot of personal growth opportunities like tuition reimbursement and leadership trainings.

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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros of working at Centene

Compensation and opportunities to move forward in mycareer.

Cons of working at Centene

I don't have anything negative to say regarding the company. It's been great.

Centene benefits

The ability to work from Home while creating great service to the company.

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros of working at Centene

Opportunity for advancement

Cons of working at Centene

Low chances of working remotely.

Centene benefits

I get to travel within my position and we have a gym in the office.

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1.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros of working at Centene

PCC

Cons of working at Centene

Workplace bullying, hours constantly changing, zero room for growth

Centene benefits

Nothing

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3.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros of working at Centene

Pay is above avergae, benefits are good, location is very close to my home

Cons of working at Centene

Quality is out of control. They have their own internal procedures they say come from Medicare but really don't. They will burn you for any little mistake you make on the call and you immediatley fail. The more you talk to a member, the higher chance you have of failing the call and that is backwards customer service

Centene benefits

The pay

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4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2018
Pros of working at Centene

Good schedule, pretty good pay & benefits, nice co-workers, good schedule.

Cons of working at Centene

Poor work flow, dysfunctional management, no communication.

Centene benefits

Flex start time.

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Frequently asked questions about Centene salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Centene, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Centene. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Centene. 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 Centene. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Centene and its employees or that of Zippia.

Centene may also be known as or be related to CENTENE CORP, Centene and Centene Corporation.