Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The average salary at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is $65,071 annually. This figure reflects the competitive nature of roles within the organization, particularly in engineering and analytical positions. IDA emphasizes fair compensation, which varies significantly based on job function and geographic location.
Salary estimates suggest variations across regions, highlighting the need for prospective employees to consider location when evaluating job offers. In addition, examining department-specific salaries can provide further insights into earning potential.
Among the highest paying jobs at IDA, engineering roles often command salaries above the average, showcasing the demand for specialized skills in the defense sector. Understanding these salary dynamics can aid in making informed career decisions.
The highest paying jobs at IDA are director, direct support professional, owner/manager, and lead technician. Director jobs at IDA earn an average yearly salary of $137,140, IDA direct support professional jobs average $117,170, and IDA owner/manager jobs average $99,839.
The lowest paying IDA roles include waitress and summer camp counselor. IDA waitress average salary is $26,011 per year. So while the average IDA salary is $65,071 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
| Rank | Job title | Average IDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Director | $137,140 | $65.93 |
| 2 | Direct Support Professional | $117,170 | $56.33 |
| 3 | Owner/Manager | $99,839 | $48.00 |
| 4 | Lead Technician | $99,682 | $47.92 |
| 5 | Oracle Database Administrator | $99,056 | $47.62 |
| 6 | Information Management Specialist | $93,575 | $44.99 |
| 7 | Data Engineer | $92,303 | $44.38 |
| 8 | Research Staff Member | $91,848 | $44.16 |
| 9 | Software Engineer | $88,338 | $42.47 |
| 10 | Job Developer | $84,756 | $40.75 |
| 11 | Software Developer | $78,075 | $37.54 |
| 12 | Consultant | $72,958 | $35.08 |
| 13 | Personal Assistant | $72,029 | $34.63 |
| 14 | Programmer Analyst | $71,822 | $34.53 |
| 15 | Computer Systems Analyst | $70,873 | $34.07 |
| 16 | Computer Systems Administrator | $68,310 | $32.84 |
| 17 | Network Technician | $64,456 | $30.99 |
| 18 | Teacher | $63,051 | $30.31 |
| 19 | Senior Administrative Specialist | $62,702 | $30.15 |
| 20 | Office Manager | $58,636 | $28.19 |
Rate IDA's promotion and raise policies.
| Rank | Location | Average IDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foster City, CA | $72,924 | $35.06 |
| 2 | Port Washington, NY | $71,979 | $34.61 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $71,082 | $34.17 |
| 4 | Bloomfield, CT | $70,397 | $33.84 |
| 5 | Redmond, WA | $69,643 | $33.48 |
| 6 | Iselin, NJ | $69,623 | $33.47 |
| 7 | Woonsocket, RI | $68,028 | $32.71 |
| 8 | Catonsville, MD | $67,367 | $32.39 |
| 9 | Newport News, VA | $64,660 | $31.09 |
| 10 | Schaumburg, IL | $64,641 | $31.08 |
| 11 | King of Prussia, PA | $64,367 | $30.95 |
| 12 | Richfield, MN | $64,010 | $30.77 |
| 13 | Broomfield, CO | $62,096 | $29.85 |
| 14 | Auburn Hills, MI | $61,982 | $29.80 |
| 15 | Charlotte, NC | $61,919 | $29.77 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $60,840 | $29.25 |
| 17 | Cincinnati, OH | $60,544 | $29.11 |
| 18 | Plano, TX | $60,535 | $29.10 |
| 19 | Fargo, ND | $60,027 | $28.86 |
| 20 | Maryland Heights, MO | $58,956 | $28.34 |
Do you work at IDA?
Were you satisfied with IDA's salary and benefits?
Salaries at IDA vary depending on the department you work in. IDA salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $119,094. Employees in the engineering department at IDA receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $85,585 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at IDA include the hospitality/service and the retail organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $34,807 and $42,715, respectively.
| Rank | Department | Average IDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corporate Management | $119,094 | $57.26 |
| 2 | Engineering | $85,585 | $41.15 |
| 3 | Sales | $83,904 | $40.34 |
| 4 | Marketing | $73,093 | $35.14 |
| 5 | Finance | $73,017 | $35.10 |
| 6 | IT | $71,853 | $34.54 |
| 7 | Research & Development | $67,951 | $32.67 |
| 8 | Human Resources | $66,865 | $32.15 |
| 9 | Art/Design | $59,635 | $28.67 |
| 10 | Plant/Manufacturing | $59,241 | $28.48 |
| 11 | Non Profit/Government | $57,668 | $27.73 |
| 12 | Facilities | $50,120 | $24.10 |
| 13 | Administrative | $46,963 | $22.58 |
| 14 | Education | $44,527 | $21.41 |
| 15 | Customer Service | $43,830 | $21.07 |
| 16 | Healthcare | $43,700 | $21.01 |
| 17 | Retail | $42,716 | $20.54 |
| 18 | Hospitality/Service | $34,807 | $16.73 |
| Rank | Position | Average IDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SAP Basis Consultant | $102,616 | $49.33 |
| 2 | Oracle Database Administrator | $99,056 | $47.62 |
| 3 | Data Engineer | $92,303 | $44.38 |
| 4 | Scrum Master | $90,492 | $43.51 |
| 5 | Computer Scientist | $88,471 | $42.53 |
| 6 | Software Engineer | $88,338 | $42.47 |
| 7 | Project Leader | $86,017 | $41.35 |
| 8 | Java Developer | $84,818 | $40.78 |
| 9 | SAP Consultant | $82,124 | $39.48 |
| 10 | Computer Systems Architect | $81,975 | $39.41 |
| 11 | Software Developer | $78,075 | $37.54 |
| 12 | Plant Engineering Manager | $77,313 | $37.17 |
| 13 | Validation Analyst | $75,030 | $36.07 |
| 14 | Programmer Analyst | $71,822 | $34.53 |
| 15 | Electrical Designer | $67,182 | $32.30 |
| 16 | Mechanical Designer | $65,394 | $31.44 |
| 17 | Engineering Trainee | $49,605 | $23.85 |
| Rank | Position | Average IDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Security Manager | $106,250 | $51.08 |
| 2 | Lead Data Technician | $99,429 | $47.80 |
| 3 | Information Management Specialist | $93,575 | $44.99 |
| 4 | Scrum Master | $90,492 | $43.51 |
| 5 | Project Leader | $86,017 | $41.35 |
| 6 | Security Administrator | $82,809 | $39.81 |
| 7 | Network Engineer | $79,994 | $38.46 |
| 8 | Consultant/Project Manager | $78,735 | $37.85 |
| 9 | Programmer Analyst | $71,822 | $34.53 |
| 10 | Computer Systems Analyst | $70,873 | $34.07 |
| 11 | Computer Systems Administrator | $68,310 | $32.84 |
| 12 | Network Technician | $64,456 | $30.99 |
| 13 | Information Technology Assistant | $51,605 | $24.81 |
| 14 | Numerical Control Operator | $44,366 | $21.33 |
| 15 | Support Specialist | $44,339 | $21.32 |
| 16 | Technical Support Coordinator | $41,650 | $20.02 |
| Rank | Position | Average IDA salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Facilities Administrator | $90,522 | $43.52 |
| 2 | Director Of First Impression | $81,931 | $39.39 |
| 3 | Personal Assistant | $72,029 | $34.63 |
| 4 | Senior Administrative Specialist | $62,702 | $30.15 |
| 5 | Office Manager | $58,636 | $28.19 |
| 6 | Bookkeeper | $47,820 | $22.99 |
| 7 | Medical Transcriptionist | $43,751 | $21.03 |
| 8 | Office Administrator | $42,273 | $20.32 |
| 9 | Filer | $41,930 | $20.16 |
| 10 | Front Desk Manager | $41,118 | $19.77 |
| 11 | Terminal Clerk | $39,942 | $19.20 |
| 12 | Administrative Assistant | $39,912 | $19.19 |
| 13 | Secretary | $39,697 | $19.09 |
| 14 | Front Desk Coordinator | $35,342 | $16.99 |
| 15 | Receptionist | $33,336 | $16.03 |
| 16 | Mail Clerk | $33,041 | $15.89 |
Average salaries at IDA competitors, like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Stanford University, vary. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $90,055. The average salary at Los Alamos National Laboratory is $80,211 per year, and the average salary at Stanford University is $78,439 per year.
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | 4.4 | $90,055 |
| 2 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | 4.2 | $80,211 |
| 3 | Stanford University | 4.5 | $78,439 |
| 4 | Nh | 4.2 | $75,150 |
| 5 | Sdc | 4.1 | $75,096 |
| 6 | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | 4.4 | $74,328 |
| 7 | VisionCorp Rep | 4.0 | $74,317 |
| 8 | APA Services | 4.2 | $73,858 |
| 9 | S3 International, Llc | 4.4 | $73,298 |
| 10 | University of California-Berkeley | 4.4 | $68,472 |
| 11 | Harvard University | 4.2 | $62,600 |
| 12 | Carnegie Mellon University | 4.5 | $59,061 |
| 13 | National Science Foundation | 4.5 | $56,854 |
| 14 | Aas | 4.0 | $56,813 |
| 15 | Odessa | 4.5 | $54,967 |
| 16 | Beta | 4.2 | $53,167 |
| 17 | Naval War College | 4.0 | $51,654 |
| 18 | SER Solutions, Inc. | 4.3 | $46,437 |
| 19 | Johns Hopkins University | 4.4 | $46,060 |
| 20 | Alpha Omega Technologies | 4.1 | $43,801 |
| Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Systems Engineer | Princeton, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $118,000 |
| Supervisor, Computer Systems Administration | Princeton, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $131,000 |
| Cyber Security Analyst II | Princeton, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $89,000 |
| Network Engineer | Alexandria, VA | 06/18/2025 | $95,930 |
| (Ptoc) Security Force Lieutenant I | Princeton, NJ | 06/04/2025 | $41,000 |
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of IDA, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about IDA. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at IDA. 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 IDA. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of IDA and its employees or that of Zippia.
IDA may also be known as or be related to IDA, INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES, Institute For Defense Analyses, Institute For Defense Analyses Inc, Institute For Defense Analyses, Inc. and Institute for Defense Analyses.