Post job

IDEO salary estimate

$78,342yearly

$37.66 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$53,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding IDEO Salaries

In 2025, IDEO offers an average salary of $78,342, reflecting its commitment to competitive compensation. Salaries vary significantly based on factors such as location and department. For instance, roles in design and technology often command higher salaries, showcasing the value placed on specialized skills. Locations also play a crucial role; for example, positions in metropolitan areas tend to offer enhanced compensation due to higher living costs.

Highest Paying Positions

Key positions at IDEO include roles in design leadership and user experience, which typically offer higher pay. Additionally, IDEO values innovation, rewarding employees who contribute to groundbreaking projects. By understanding these dynamics, prospective employees can gauge the earning potential within various roles and departments.

Highest paying jobs at IDEO

The highest paying jobs at IDEO are senior director, partner, business leader, and design director. Senior director jobs at IDEO earn an average yearly salary of $158,612, IDEO partner jobs average $130,579, and IDEO business leader jobs average $116,073.

The lowest paying IDEO roles include accounts payable clerk and administrative technician. IDEO accounts payable clerk average salary is $40,966 per year. So while the average IDEO salary is $78,342 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at IDEO

RankJob titleAverage IDEO salaryHourly rate
1Senior Director$158,612$76.26
2Partner$130,579$62.78
3Business Leader$116,073$55.80
4Design Director$111,522$53.62
5Senior Leader$103,360$49.69
6Network Manager$97,136$46.70
7Lead Technician$88,916$42.75
8Job Developer$86,139$41.41
9Data Scientist$84,647$40.70
10Researcher$83,548$40.17
11Mechanical Engineer$83,031$39.92
12Robotic Toy Inventor$81,022$38.95
13Human Factors Specialist$80,896$38.89
14Brand Strategist$80,652$38.78
15Product Developer$79,993$38.46
16Human Factors Scientist$79,247$38.10
17Industrial Engineer$77,831$37.42
18Interactive Designer$75,417$36.26
19Industrial Designer$73,432$35.30
20Project Coordinator$68,516$32.94

Rate the fairness of IDEO's compensation policies.

Zippia waving zebra

Average IDEO salary by state

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

RankStateAverage IDEO salaryHourly rate
1California$90,613$43.56
2New York$79,887$38.41
3Illinois$73,972$35.56

How much does IDEO pay by location?

The average IDEO salary varies by location. IDEO salaries are the highest in Palo Alto, CA, at $94,861 per year. IDEO pays the second highest average salary in Cambridge, MA, at $83,723 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying IDEO locations

RankLocationAverage IDEO salaryHourly rate
1Palo Alto, CA$94,861$45.61
2Cambridge, MA$83,723$40.25
3New York, NY$80,038$38.48
4Incline Village, NV$76,455$36.76
5Chicago, IL$74,113$35.63

Do you work at IDEO?

Did IDEO's compensation package meet your expectations?

IDEO salaries by department

Salaries at IDEO vary depending on the department you work in. IDEO salaries in the business development department are the highest with an average salary of $111,464. Employees in the it department at IDEO receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $100,181 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at IDEO include the administrative and the accounting organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $51,499 and $52,583, respectively.

Average IDEO salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage IDEO salaryHourly rate
1Business Development$111,464$53.59
2IT$100,181$48.16
3Engineering$85,324$41.02
4Research & Development$78,269$37.63
5Art/Design$77,478$37.25
6Human Resources$75,346$36.22
7Marketing$74,440$35.79
8Accounting$52,584$25.28
9Administrative$51,499$24.76

How much does IDEO pay by department?

Best paying IDEO art/design salaries

RankPositionAverage IDEO salaryHourly rate
1Robotic Toy Inventor$81,022$38.95
2Interactive Designer$75,417$36.26
3Industrial Designer$73,432$35.30
4Design Internship$58,492$28.12

Best paying IDEO engineering salaries

RankPositionAverage IDEO salaryHourly rate
1Design Director$111,522$53.62
2Senior Leader$103,360$49.69
3Project Manager & Leader$87,195$41.92
4Data Scientist$84,647$40.70
5Mechanical Engineer$83,031$39.92
6Web Developer$81,496$39.18
7Design Engineer$80,547$38.72
8Product Developer$79,993$38.46
9Human Factors Scientist$79,247$38.10
10Electronics Engineering Technician$77,339$37.18

Best paying IDEO human resources salaries

RankPositionAverage IDEO salaryHourly rate
1Human Resources Team Leader$93,259$44.84
2Job Developer$86,139$41.41
3Human Factors Specialist$80,896$38.89
4Labour Relations Specialist$71,478$34.36
5Recruiting Coordinator$50,566$24.31

IDEO competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at IDEO competitors, like R/GA, Huge, and Forrester, vary. R/GA employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $96,786. The average salary at Huge is $89,194 per year, and the average salary at Forrester is $82,705 per year.

Highest paying IDEO competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1R/GA4.9$96,786
2Huge4.5$89,194
3Forrester4.9$82,705
4LPK4.1$68,936
5Perkins&Will4.5$65,522
6CallisonRTKL4.5$64,665
7frog4.4$64,531
8Diller Scofidio + Renfro3.6$57,010
9Baker Barrios Architects2.8$52,091
10Chute Gerdeman3.7$51,656
11fuseproject3.6$51,351
12Ziba Design4.0$51,113
13User Research International4.1$50,866

Recently added IDEO salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Enterprise LeaderCambridge, MA03/26/2025$180,000
Enterprise LeaderCambridge, MA02/17/2025$180,000
Business Development AssociateBoston, MA02/13/2025$60,000
Senior Industrial DesignerChicago, IL01/26/2025$70,000

Frequently asked questions about IDEO salaries

Search for jobs

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

IDEO may also be known as or be related to IDEO, IDEO LP, Ideo and Ideo LP.