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The average salary for a Leadership Development Program stands at $71,543 per year. Candidates in these programs typically undergo comprehensive training designed to prepare them for managerial roles within organizations. Salaries for these positions can vary based on several factors:
Additionally, those in larger, well-established companies may find more lucrative opportunities than in smaller organizations. Understanding these factors can help individuals make informed career decisions and negotiate better salary packages.
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The average leadership development program salary in Washington, Virginia, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average leadership development program salary states are Georgia, Vermont, and Oklahoma.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $77,579 | $37.30 |
| 2 | Michigan | $76,523 | $36.79 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $76,645 | $36.85 |
| 4 | Montana | $79,611 | $38.27 |
| 5 | Kansas | $75,912 | $36.50 |
| 6 | Washington | $112,712 | $54.19 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $69,276 | $33.31 |
| 8 | Virginia | $87,472 | $42.05 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $70,248 | $33.77 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $83,737 | $40.26 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $69,833 | $33.57 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $74,031 | $35.59 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $81,467 | $39.17 |
| 14 | New York | $78,689 | $37.83 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $68,714 | $33.04 |
| 16 | California | $86,201 | $41.44 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $66,967 | $32.20 |
| 18 | Iowa | $73,763 | $35.46 |
| 19 | Oregon | $76,062 | $36.57 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $74,968 | $36.04 |
| 21 | Maryland | $79,350 | $38.15 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $67,365 | $32.39 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $63,370 | $30.47 |
| 24 | Ohio | $65,854 | $31.66 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $71,657 | $34.45 |
| 26 | Utah | $69,170 | $33.25 |
| 27 | Delaware | $70,839 | $34.06 |
| 28 | Illinois | $66,181 | $31.82 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $63,600 | $30.58 |
| 30 | Nevada | $63,525 | $30.54 |
| 31 | Alaska | $65,810 | $31.64 |
| 32 | Indiana | $63,469 | $30.51 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $60,502 | $29.09 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $60,785 | $29.22 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $72,387 | $34.80 |
| 36 | Colorado | $67,912 | $32.65 |
| 37 | Idaho | $65,874 | $31.67 |
| 38 | Arizona | $64,513 | $31.02 |
| 39 | Alabama | $56,126 | $26.98 |
| 40 | Florida | $57,616 | $27.70 |
| 41 | Texas | $62,489 | $30.04 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $45,396 | $21.82 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $59,069 | $28.40 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $35,214 | $16.93 |
| 45 | Georgia | $52,699 | $25.34 |
| 46 | Vermont | $52,084 | $25.04 |
| 47 | Missouri | $57,225 | $27.51 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $46,939 | $22.57 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $56,292 | $27.06 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $48,927 | $23.52 |
| 51 | Maine | $52,892 | $25.43 |
The highest-paying cities for leadership development programs are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Arlington, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $120,127 | $57.75 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $98,226 | $47.22 |
| 3 | Arlington, VA | $89,207 | $42.89 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $83,437 | $40.11 |
| 5 | New Brunswick, NJ | $81,591 | $39.23 |
| 6 | Columbia, MD | $79,354 | $38.15 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $79,009 | $37.99 |
| 8 | Lenexa, KS | $76,369 | $36.72 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids, MI | $76,210 | $36.64 |
| 10 | Saint Paul, MN | $75,090 | $36.10 |
| 11 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $74,669 | $35.90 |
| 12 | Washington, DC | $72,287 | $34.75 |
| 13 | New Haven, CT | $71,883 | $34.56 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $70,335 | $33.81 |
| 15 | Denver, CO | $67,585 | $32.49 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $66,397 | $31.92 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $65,791 | $31.63 |
| 18 | Scottsdale, AZ | $65,169 | $31.33 |
| 19 | Arlington, TX | $64,922 | $31.21 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $63,285 | $30.43 |
A leadership development program's salary ranges from $44,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $71,543 | $5,962 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
The highest paying types of leadership development programs are senior technician specialist, senior training specialist, and development officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training Coordinator | $46,698 | $3,891 | $22.45 | 54,796 |
| Facilitator | $44,851 | $3,738 | $21.56 | 30,474 |
| Trainer | $47,574 | $3,964 | $22.87 | 40,650 |
| Corporate Trainer | $58,803 | $4,900 | $28.27 | 52,090 |
| Team Trainer | $31,576 | $2,631 | $15.18 | 54,150 |
| Trainer Lead | $72,175 | $6,015 | $34.70 | 43,216 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for leadership development programs, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Gregory Zobel Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Educational Technology, Education & Leadership, Western Oregon University
Top companies hiring leadership development programs now:
Leadership development program salaries at Microsoft and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average leadership development program salary at companies like Citrix and American Tower are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $126,025 | $60.59 |
| 2 | Amazon | $114,359 | $54.98 |
| 3 | Citrix | $113,164 | $54.41 |
| 4 | American Tower | $112,876 | $54.27 |
| 5 | Citi | $111,343 | $53.53 |
| 6 | Hillenbrand | $110,427 | $53.09 |
| 7 | Western Alliance Bank | $109,955 | $52.86 |
| 8 | CVS Health | $109,357 | $52.58 |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $107,981 | $51.91 |
| 10 | Entegris | $106,602 | $51.25 |
| 11 | The Vanguard Group | $105,755 | $50.84 |
| 12 | Amgen | $103,327 | $49.68 |
| 13 | Harley-Davidson | $99,767 | $47.96 |
| 14 | Whirlpool | $96,917 | $46.59 |
| 15 | Caterpillar | $95,490 | $45.91 |
| 16 | Arkema | $94,826 | $45.59 |
| 17 | Student Conservation Association | $94,583 | $45.47 |
| 18 | Eaton | $94,545 | $45.45 |
| 19 | Stanley Black & Decker | $93,298 | $44.85 |
| 20 | Celanese | $92,089 | $44.27 |
The average leadership development program salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $89,566 | $43.06 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $81,291 | $39.08 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $78,501 | $37.74 |
| 4 | Technology | $68,109 | $32.74 |
The average leadership development program salary has risen by $8,615 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average leadership development program earned $62,928 annually, but today, they earn $71,543 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for leadership development programs over the last decade.
Compare leadership development program salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare leadership development program salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $71,500 | $34.40 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $69,800 | $33.58 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | $69,500 | $33.39 | +0.8% |
| 2023 | $68,900 | $33.11 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $67,300 | $32.38 | +1.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bae Systems Plc | Contracts Leadership Development Program (2026) External | Nashua, NH | 06/28/2025 | $55,295 |
| New York Life Insurance Company | Accelerated Leadership Program | Frisco, TX | 06/24/2025 | $120,000 |
| Concordia College (Moorhead, Mn | Spanish Language Summer Camp Program Leadership (2025) | Bakersfield, CA | 06/20/2025 | $23,479 |
| RTX Corporation | Leadership Development Program-Global Communications (Starts June 2026) | Arlington, VA | 06/20/2025 | $52,000 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 2026 Finance Leadership Development Program (Fldp) | New Brunswick, NJ | 06/17/2025 | $81,000 |
| Cedar Rapids Community School District | Building Leadership Member (BLT) | Mapleton, IA | 06/12/2025 | $26,088 |
| Techtronic Industries-TTI | Leadership Development Program | Dallas, TX | 06/10/2025 | $50,000 |
| Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply | Nextgen Leadership Program | Baltimore, MD | 06/09/2025 | $50,000 |
| Helios Defense Solutions | Leadership Development SME | Indianapolis, IN | 06/06/2025 | $60,000 |
| Stretchlab | Leadership Development Program | Houston, TX | 06/02/2025 | $31,305 |
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