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National Geographic salary estimate

$55,015yearly

$26.45 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$26,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding National Geographic Salaries

At National Geographic, employees can expect an average salary of $55,015 annually. The organization offers a variety of roles across multiple departments, each with its own salary structure. For instance, positions in art and design or sports and entertainment can command higher salaries due to their specialized nature.

In addition to competitive pay, National Geographic emphasizes its commitment to fostering a collaborative work environment. Employees benefit from unique opportunities to contribute to impactful projects that resonate with audiences worldwide. As you consider your career options, it's essential to evaluate how your skills and interests align with the roles available at this iconic institution.

By exploring salary data across departments, you can gain insights into potential earnings and job expectations, helping you make informed decisions about your career path.

Highest paying jobs at National Geographic

The highest paying jobs at National Geographic are creative director, finance vice president, art director, and marketing manager. Creative director jobs at National Geographic earn an average yearly salary of $146,096, National Geographic finance vice president jobs average $139,573, and National Geographic art director jobs average $115,015.

The lowest paying National Geographic roles include customer service representative and data entry clerk. National Geographic customer service representative average salary is $30,201 per year. So while the average National Geographic salary is $55,015 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at National Geographic

RankJob titleAverage National Geographic salaryHourly rate
1Creative Director$146,096$70.24
2Finance Vice President$139,573$67.10
3Art Director$115,015$55.30
4Marketing Manager$106,719$51.31
5Senior Editor$91,836$44.15
6Consultant$84,987$40.86
7Project Manager$82,062$39.45
8Researcher$80,570$38.74
9Senior Cost Analyst$77,263$37.15
10Editor, Freelance$73,763$35.46
11Finance Analyst$73,576$35.37
12Photo Editor$68,863$33.11
13Writer/Producer$62,179$29.89
14Brand Specialist$61,002$29.33
15Graphic Designer$59,998$28.85
16Sales Representative$54,008$25.97
17Associate Producer$53,811$25.87
18Human Resources Generalist$53,161$25.56
19Digital Imaging Technician$51,660$24.84
20Production Coordinator$51,069$24.55

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National Geographic salaries by department

Salaries at National Geographic vary depending on the department you work in. National Geographic salaries in the finance department are the highest with an average salary of $92,336. Employees in the it department at National Geographic receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $87,153 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at National Geographic include the customer service and the administrative organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $37,156 and $45,165, respectively.

Average National Geographic salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage National Geographic salaryHourly rate
1Finance$92,336$44.39
2IT$87,153$41.90
3Business Development$86,607$41.64
4Engineering$84,157$40.46
5Plant/Manufacturing$65,870$31.67
6Marketing$61,362$29.50
7Art/Design$60,265$28.97
8Sales$59,447$28.58
9Non Profit/Government$56,868$27.34
10Accounting$54,178$26.05
11Research & Development$53,699$25.82
12Education$51,585$24.80
13Sports/Entertainment$51,392$24.71
14Administrative$45,166$21.71
15Customer Service$37,156$17.86

How much does National Geographic pay by department?

Best paying National Geographic art/design salaries

RankPositionAverage National Geographic salaryHourly rate
1Art Director$115,015$55.30
2Director Of Art Marketing$106,614$51.26
3Senior Designer$102,061$49.07
4Senior Editor$91,836$44.15
5Animator$85,908$41.30
6Motion Graphics Artist$74,071$35.61
7Editor, Freelance$73,763$35.46
8Cinematographer$67,427$32.42
9Assistant Editor$60,847$29.25
10Production Artist$60,808$29.23
11Story Writer$60,518$29.10
12Graphic Designer$59,998$28.85
13Digital Imaging Technician$51,660$24.84
14Design Internship$50,400$24.23
15Staff Writer$46,508$22.36
16Photographer$45,739$21.99
17Editorial Assistant$45,206$21.73
18Camera Operator$41,371$19.89
19Editorial Internship$41,004$19.71

Best paying National Geographic sports/entertainment salaries

RankPositionAverage National Geographic salaryHourly rate
1Director Of Photography$101,929$49.00
2Writer/Producer$62,179$29.89
3Associate Producer$53,811$25.87
4Production Coordinator$51,069$24.55
5Production Assistant$35,487$17.06

Best paying National Geographic marketing salaries

RankPositionAverage National Geographic salaryHourly rate
1Product Manager, Mobile$116,211$55.87
2Digital Director$113,000$54.33
3Marketing Manager$106,719$51.31
4Digital Product Manager$101,950$49.01
5Senior Writer$86,500$41.59
6Business Analyst$85,384$41.05
7Development Associate$75,525$36.31
8User Interface Developer$71,976$34.60
9E-Marketing Specialist$65,899$31.68
10Media Specialist$61,045$29.35
11Content Specialist-Marketing$56,673$27.25
12Event Planner$47,847$23.00
13Media Assistant$41,056$19.74
14Communications Associate$40,761$19.60
15Communications Internship$34,199$16.44
16Visitor Services Representative$29,312$14.09
17Marketing Internship$26,433$12.71

National Geographic competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at National Geographic competitors, like Science Magazine, American Meteorological Society, and CBS Sports Network, vary. Science Magazine employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $81,971. The average salary at American Meteorological Society is $80,588 per year, and the average salary at CBS Sports Network is $75,685 per year.

Highest paying National Geographic competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Science Magazine3.9$81,971
2American Meteorological Society4.1$80,588
3CBS Sports Network4.8$75,685
4A+E Networks4.8$70,962
5KDHX4.1$70,402
6Discovery4.7$66,912
7Oxford University Press4.1$62,497
8ESPN4.6$60,383
9NBCUniversal4.8$57,348
10D Magazine3.8$56,627
11W. W. Norton & Company4.1$52,758
12Marvel Entertainment4.6$51,988
13Complex4.3$49,544
14KMOV3.7$49,139
15Participant4.2$48,152
16NYLON4.6$46,478
17Elle3.8$46,124
18Npr4.8$43,817
19Philadelphia Magazine3.7$43,040
20The Roanoke Times3.9$40,784

Recently added National Geographic salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Creative Content SpecialistWashington, DC06/27/2025$61,700
Customer Service and Ticketing SupervisorWashington, DC06/25/2025$53,385
Senior Manager, Paid MediaWashington, DC06/24/2025$114,000
Coordinator, Media Production (Pristine Seas) Fixed-TermWashington, DC06/18/2025$52,425
Manager, Event AV TechnologyWashington, DC06/18/2025$87,400

Frequently asked questions about National Geographic salaries

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

National Geographic may also be known as or be related to National Geographic, National Geographic Education Foundation, National Geographic Partners LLC, National Geographic Partners, LLC and National Geographic Society.