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Cognizant salaries
Cognizant salary estimate
$84,395yearly
Cognizant Salary Insights
The salary structure at Cognizant reflects a competitive landscape, with an average yearly salary of $84,395. This figure is influenced by various roles and departments within the company. For instance, Senior Managers earn about $106,504, making it one of the highest-paying positions. Application Software Developers also enjoy attractive compensation, averaging $99,416. Conversely, roles like Associate and Senior Systems Analyst offer lower salaries, averaging $77,216.
Departmental Salary Breakdown
Salary ranges vary significantly across departments. The marketing department stands out with an average salary of $88,091, while finance professionals earn around $86,488. In contrast, positions in accounting and manufacturing see lower averages of $75,628 and $79,422, respectively. Understanding these differences can guide employees in their career paths.
Comparative Analysis
When compared to competitors like Microsoft and Cisco, Cognizant offers competitive salaries. Microsoft leads with an average salary of $131,100, while Cisco follows at $123,536. This context provides a benchmark for evaluating Cognizant’s compensation strategies.
Highest paying jobs at Cognizant
The highest paying jobs at Cognizant are senior manager, application software developer, requirements manager, and lead technician. Senior manager jobs at Cognizant earn an average yearly salary of $106,504, Cognizant application software developer jobs average $99,416, and Cognizant requirements manager jobs average $94,030.
The lowest paying Cognizant roles include associate and senior systems analyst. Cognizant associate average salary is $77,216 per year. So while the average Cognizant salary is $84,395 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
Highest paying jobs at Cognizant
| Rank | Job title | Average Cognizant salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senior Manager | $106,504 | $51.20 |
| 2 | Application Software Developer | $99,416 | $47.80 |
| 3 | Requirements Manager | $94,030 | $45.21 |
| 4 | Lead Technician | $93,029 | $44.73 |
| 5 | Computer Systems Analyst | $90,976 | $43.74 |
| 6 | Quality Assurance Lead | $77,992 | $37.50 |
| 7 | Senior Systems Analyst | $77,984 | $37.49 |
| 8 | Associate | $77,216 | $37.12 |
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Average Cognizant salary by state
Cognizant pays the highest salaries in California due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.
| Rank | State | Average Cognizant salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $97,255 | $46.76 |
| 2 | New York | $92,806 | $44.62 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $91,767 | $44.12 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $90,909 | $43.71 |
| 5 | Maryland | $87,015 | $41.83 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $86,395 | $41.54 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $86,285 | $41.48 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $85,764 | $41.23 |
| 9 | Virginia | $85,483 | $41.10 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $80,922 | $38.90 |
| 11 | Arizona | $80,627 | $38.76 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $80,483 | $38.69 |
| 13 | Texas | $79,061 | $38.01 |
| 14 | Ohio | $78,456 | $37.72 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $77,132 | $37.08 |
| 16 | Illinois | $76,990 | $37.01 |
| 17 | Colorado | $76,989 | $37.01 |
| 18 | Michigan | $76,750 | $36.90 |
| 19 | Georgia | $75,801 | $36.44 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $73,756 | $35.46 |
How much does Cognizant pay by location?
Highest paying Cognizant locations
| Rank | Location | Average Cognizant salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $95,922 | $46.12 |
| 2 | Bellevue, WA | $93,426 | $44.92 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $93,150 | $44.78 |
| 4 | Teaneck, NJ | $91,478 | $43.98 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $90,898 | $43.70 |
| 6 | Wilmington, DE | $88,571 | $42.58 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,068 | $41.86 |
| 8 | Owings Mills, MD | $87,048 | $41.85 |
| 9 | Hartford, CT | $85,676 | $41.19 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $85,668 | $41.19 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $85,210 | $40.97 |
| 12 | Woonsocket, RI | $85,072 | $40.90 |
| 13 | Beaverton, OR | $84,355 | $40.56 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $82,439 | $39.63 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $80,849 | $38.87 |
| 16 | Dover, NH | $80,093 | $38.51 |
| 17 | College Station, TX | $79,284 | $38.12 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NC | $78,708 | $37.84 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $78,018 | $37.51 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $77,253 | $37.14 |
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Cognizant salaries by department
Salaries at Cognizant vary depending on the department you work in. Cognizant salaries in the marketing department are the highest with an average salary of $88,091. Employees in the finance department at Cognizant receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $86,488 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Cognizant include the accounting and the plant/manufacturing organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $75,628 and $79,422, respectively.
Average Cognizant salary by department
| Rank | Department | Average Cognizant salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marketing | $88,091 | $42.35 |
| 2 | Finance | $86,488 | $41.58 |
| 3 | Engineering | $80,949 | $38.92 |
| 4 | IT | $80,842 | $38.87 |
| 5 | Plant/Manufacturing | $79,423 | $38.18 |
| 6 | Accounting | $75,628 | $36.36 |
How much does Cognizant pay by department?
Best paying Cognizant IT salaries
| Rank | Position | Average Cognizant salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Systems Analyst | $90,976 | $43.74 |
| 2 | Senior Systems Analyst | $77,984 | $37.49 |
Best paying Cognizant marketing salaries
| Rank | Position | Average Cognizant salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Requirements Manager | $94,030 | $45.21 |
| 2 | Senior Systems Analyst | $77,984 | $37.49 |
| 3 | Business Analyst | $71,041 | $34.15 |
Best paying Cognizant engineering salaries
| Rank | Position | Average Cognizant salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Database Administration Manager | $100,826 | $48.47 |
| 2 | Application Software Developer | $99,416 | $47.80 |
| 3 | Project Leader | $97,200 | $46.73 |
| 4 | ETL Lead | $92,044 | $44.25 |
| 5 | Database Architect | $88,583 | $42.59 |
| 6 | System Software Developer | $84,921 | $40.83 |
| 7 | Technical Specialist | $82,447 | $39.64 |
| 8 | Senior Computer Systems Engineer | $82,306 | $39.57 |
| 9 | Senior Systems Analyst | $77,984 | $37.49 |
| 10 | Associate Mechanical Engineer | $71,768 | $34.50 |
| 11 | ERP Consultant | $71,258 | $34.26 |
| 12 | Programmer Analyst | $69,091 | $33.22 |
Cognizant competitors’ average salaries
Average salaries at Cognizant competitors, like Microsoft, Cisco, and KBACE Sales Ops, vary. Microsoft employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $131,100. The average salary at Cisco is $123,536 per year, and the average salary at KBACE Sales Ops is $101,540 per year.
Highest paying Cognizant competitors
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | 4.8 | $131,100 |
| 2 | Cisco | 4.8 | $123,536 |
| 3 | KBACE Sales Ops | 4.3 | $101,540 |
| 4 | Oracle | 4.6 | $101,392 |
| 5 | IBM | 4.7 | $86,845 |
| 6 | Zensar Technologies | 4.3 | $85,340 |
| 7 | Infosys Public Service | 4.4 | $83,656 |
| 8 | Hexaware Technologies | 4.2 | $81,971 |
| 9 | HCL Technologies | 4.4 | $81,538 |
| 10 | NIIT Technologies | 4.3 | $80,529 |
| 11 | Tech Mahindra | 4.3 | $79,545 |
| 12 | Lockheed Martin | 4.8 | $75,771 |
| 13 | Computer Science Corporation | 4.6 | $73,824 |
| 14 | Birlasoft | 3.7 | $72,083 |
| 15 | iGATE Global Solutions | 3.9 | $71,650 |
| 16 | UST Global | 4.6 | $71,414 |
Recently added Cognizant salaries
| Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claims Processor-Remote | Nashville, TN | 06/28/2025 | $31,722 |
| Claims Processor-Remote | Montgomery, AL | 06/28/2025 | $31,722 |
| Healthcare Provider Client Relationship Manager (Associate Director) | Chicago, IL | 06/28/2025 | $150,000 |
| Claims Processor-Remote | Urban Honolulu, HI | 06/28/2025 | $31,722 |
| Claims Processor-Remote | Harrisburg, PA | 06/28/2025 | $31,722 |
What employees say about salary at Cognizant
Well known company--pay is very good--decent benefits. It's nice to be able to work from home as well.
Your boss will take credit for all of your work. Highly discriminatory company against white people. Class action lawsuit against Cognizant was successful (but Cognizant will appeal)--Cognizant fires white people, preferring to hire Indians. Highly toxic environment
Perks at Work and Vacation Benefits. I really can't say anything else positive about the company at all.
An advantage working in the organization getting knowledge about USA rules and more because project is going on Waymo cc which is US project.
A disadvantage in the organization is about hike and promotion
Favorite is that employee are very good and the benefits are working from home
CEO is leading with good employees
By increasing the quality on work
I had an experience in cognizant which i had strong interview plans
high
feel about the representation of diverse demographics within your organization good
my PL and team members are very positive in work
work life balance is extremely good.. the company policies are good and they make sure employee do not stress out during work so they try to make atmosphere friendly.
Corporate Politics
Work from home and double pay
Immediate Manager and team of EAs. Remote work opportunity.
Upper management is clueless of what Executive Assistants do or how to manage them. Employee programs boasted about never reach the middle management level.
Company pays partial insurance benefits when meeting certain criteria
Working from home is a benifit were i can balance my work life and a friendly manager
I love the experience i got in Cognizant but would like to grow based on my salary in life, because of commitments towards the family
If the company offers hybrid or permanent work from home is considered to me as a benefit
Work-life balanace
Nothing to mention
Life insurance for family members and decent salary
No pressure to work over 40 hours
There is absolutely no communication and pay rates do NOT compare to other similar companies.
None are applicable.
Team dynamics great.The knowledge sharing sessions are helpful.
Awards and career growth
None
The salary is slightly higher than industry standard.
There is no significant effort put into ensuring work/life balance for associates. There is an inordinate lack of solid process.
The salary is slightly higher than industry standard.
Opportunities, Team, Technologies, Customers
Travel, relocation
401K match, compensation
Work culture and environment
None
Work life balance, salary increment, exposure to different project
A great work life balance and we can gain lot of knowledge
none
American Company, Good projects and work life balance.
Bit low pays
Health benefits
Frequently asked questions about Cognizant salaries
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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Cognizant, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Cognizant. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Cognizant. 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 Cognizant. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Cognizant and its employees or that of Zippia.
Cognizant may also be known as or be related to COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP, Cognizant, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, Cognizant Technology Solutions U.S. Corporation, Cognizant Worldwide Ltd., cognizant technology solutions, india and cognizant technology solutions, usa.