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IDA salary estimate

$65,071yearly

$31.28 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$39,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding IDA Salaries

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 by 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.

Highest Paying Positions

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.

Highest paying jobs at IDA

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.

Highest paying jobs at IDA

RankJob titleAverage IDA salaryHourly rate
1Director$137,140$65.93
2Direct Support Professional$117,170$56.33
3Owner/Manager$99,839$48.00
4Lead Technician$99,682$47.92
5Oracle Database Administrator$99,056$47.62
6Information Management Specialist$93,575$44.99
7Data Engineer$92,303$44.38
8Research Staff Member$91,848$44.16
9Software Engineer$88,338$42.47
10Job Developer$84,756$40.75
11Software Developer$78,075$37.54
12Consultant$72,958$35.08
13Personal Assistant$72,029$34.63
14Programmer Analyst$71,822$34.53
15Computer Systems Analyst$70,873$34.07
16Computer Systems Administrator$68,310$32.84
17Network Technician$64,456$30.99
18Teacher$63,051$30.31
19Senior Administrative Specialist$62,702$30.15
20Office Manager$58,636$28.19

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How much does IDA pay by location?

The average IDA salary varies by location. IDA salaries are the highest in Foster City, CA, at $72,924 per year. IDA pays the second highest average salary in Port Washington, NY, at $71,979 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying IDA locations

RankLocationAverage IDA salaryHourly rate
1Foster City, CA$72,924$35.06
2Port Washington, NY$71,979$34.61
3Boston, MA$71,082$34.17
4Bloomfield, CT$70,397$33.84
5Redmond, WA$69,643$33.48
6Iselin, NJ$69,623$33.47
7Woonsocket, RI$68,028$32.71
8Catonsville, MD$67,367$32.39
9Newport News, VA$64,660$31.09
10Schaumburg, IL$64,641$31.08
11King of Prussia, PA$64,367$30.95
12Richfield, MN$64,010$30.77
13Broomfield, CO$62,096$29.85
14Auburn Hills, MI$61,982$29.80
15Charlotte, NC$61,919$29.77
16Atlanta, GA$60,840$29.25
17Cincinnati, OH$60,544$29.11
18Plano, TX$60,535$29.10
19Fargo, ND$60,027$28.86
20Maryland Heights, MO$58,956$28.34

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IDA salaries by department

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.

Average IDA salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage IDA salaryHourly rate
1Corporate Management$119,094$57.26
2Engineering$85,585$41.15
3Sales$83,904$40.34
4Marketing$73,093$35.14
5Finance$73,017$35.10
6IT$71,853$34.54
7Research & Development$67,951$32.67
8Human Resources$66,865$32.15
9Art/Design$59,635$28.67
10Plant/Manufacturing$59,241$28.48
11Non Profit/Government$57,668$27.73
12Facilities$50,120$24.10
13Administrative$46,963$22.58
14Education$44,527$21.41
15Customer Service$43,830$21.07
16Healthcare$43,700$21.01
17Retail$42,716$20.54
18Hospitality/Service$34,807$16.73

How much does IDA pay by department?

Best paying IDA engineering salaries

RankPositionAverage IDA salaryHourly rate
1SAP Basis Consultant$102,616$49.33
2Oracle Database Administrator$99,056$47.62
3Data Engineer$92,303$44.38
4Scrum Master$90,492$43.51
5Computer Scientist$88,471$42.53
6Software Engineer$88,338$42.47
7Project Leader$86,017$41.35
8Java Developer$84,818$40.78
9SAP Consultant$82,124$39.48
10Computer Systems Architect$81,975$39.41
11Software Developer$78,075$37.54
12Plant Engineering Manager$77,313$37.17
13Validation Analyst$75,030$36.07
14Programmer Analyst$71,822$34.53
15Electrical Designer$67,182$32.30
16Mechanical Designer$65,394$31.44
17Engineering Trainee$49,605$23.85

Best paying IDA IT salaries

RankPositionAverage IDA salaryHourly rate
1Security Manager$106,250$51.08
2Lead Data Technician$99,429$47.80
3Information Management Specialist$93,575$44.99
4Scrum Master$90,492$43.51
5Project Leader$86,017$41.35
6Security Administrator$82,809$39.81
7Network Engineer$79,994$38.46
8Consultant/Project Manager$78,735$37.85
9Programmer Analyst$71,822$34.53
10Computer Systems Analyst$70,873$34.07
11Computer Systems Administrator$68,310$32.84
12Network Technician$64,456$30.99
13Information Technology Assistant$51,605$24.81
14Numerical Control Operator$44,366$21.33
15Support Specialist$44,339$21.32
16Technical Support Coordinator$41,650$20.02

Best paying IDA administrative salaries

RankPositionAverage IDA salaryHourly rate
1Facilities Administrator$90,522$43.52
2Director Of First Impression$81,931$39.39
3Personal Assistant$72,029$34.63
4Senior Administrative Specialist$62,702$30.15
5Office Manager$58,636$28.19
6Bookkeeper$47,820$22.99
7Medical Transcriptionist$43,751$21.03
8Office Administrator$42,273$20.32
9Filer$41,930$20.16
10Front Desk Manager$41,118$19.77
11Terminal Clerk$39,942$19.20
12Administrative Assistant$39,912$19.19
13Secretary$39,697$19.09
14Front Desk Coordinator$35,342$16.99
15Receptionist$33,336$16.03
16Mail Clerk$33,041$15.89

IDA competitors’ average salaries

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.

Highest paying IDA competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory4.4$90,055
2Los Alamos National Laboratory4.2$80,211
3Stanford University4.5$78,439
4Nh4.2$75,150
5Sdc4.1$75,096
6Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency4.4$74,328
7VisionCorp Rep4.0$74,317
8APA Services4.2$73,858
9S3 International, Llc4.4$73,298
10University of California-Berkeley4.4$68,472
11Harvard University4.2$62,600
12Carnegie Mellon University4.5$59,061
13National Science Foundation4.5$56,854
14Aas4.0$56,813
15Odessa4.5$54,967
16Beta4.2$53,167
17Naval War College4.0$51,654
18SER Solutions, Inc.4.3$46,437
19Johns Hopkins University4.4$46,060
20Alpha Omega Technologies4.1$43,801

Recently added IDA salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Lead Systems EngineerPrinceton, NJ06/26/2025$118,000
Supervisor, Computer Systems AdministrationPrinceton, NJ06/26/2025$131,000
Cyber Security Analyst IIPrinceton, NJ06/26/2025$89,000
Network EngineerAlexandria, VA06/18/2025$95,930
(Ptoc) Security Force Lieutenant IPrinceton, NJ06/04/2025$41,000

Frequently asked questions about IDA salaries

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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.