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Principal associate salary
Average principal associate salary
$112,879
Understanding Principal Associate Salaries
The salary for a Principal Associate averages $112,879 per year. This figure reflects a blend of factors, including years of experience, geographical location, and the specific industry sector. For instance, Principal Associates in high-demand areas or industries may earn considerably more than the average.
In states like California and New York, salaries can exceed $130,000, reflecting the cost of living and competitive market conditions. Furthermore, the role's responsibilities, which often include overseeing project teams and driving strategic initiatives, influence salary levels.
For those considering a career as a Principal Associate, understanding the salary landscape is crucial. Use resources like Zippia to compare salaries across states and industries, helping you make informed career choices. Whether you're just starting or looking to advance, knowing where to find the best opportunities can significantly impact your earning potential.
Let Zippia find your next principal associate job
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Where can a Principal Associate earn more?
Principal associate salary estimates from across the web
Average principal associate salary by state
The average principal associate salary in California, Oregon, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average principal associate salary states are South Carolina, Alabama, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for principal associates
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $139,941 | $67.28 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $123,260 | $59.26 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $124,824 | $60.01 |
| 4 | Nevada | $113,810 | $54.72 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $111,466 | $53.59 |
| 6 | Delaware | $121,449 | $58.39 |
| 7 | California | $148,895 | $71.58 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $119,593 | $57.50 |
| 9 | Washington | $137,036 | $65.88 |
| 10 | Colorado | $115,300 | $55.43 |
| 11 | Alaska | $122,767 | $59.02 |
| 12 | Maryland | $120,060 | $57.72 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $111,539 | $53.62 |
| 14 | Illinois | $111,251 | $53.49 |
| 15 | Idaho | $107,536 | $51.70 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $106,570 | $51.24 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $107,717 | $51.79 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $121,384 | $58.36 |
| 19 | New York | $111,740 | $53.72 |
| 20 | Vermont | $119,162 | $57.29 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $109,469 | $52.63 |
| 22 | Georgia | $109,533 | $52.66 |
| 23 | Ohio | $103,452 | $49.74 |
| 24 | Michigan | $107,588 | $51.73 |
| 25 | Montana | $101,206 | $48.66 |
| 26 | Arizona | $101,748 | $48.92 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $107,332 | $51.60 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $100,419 | $48.28 |
| 29 | Indiana | $100,957 | $48.54 |
| 30 | Utah | $106,759 | $51.33 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $95,165 | $45.75 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $100,174 | $48.16 |
| 33 | Virginia | $95,287 | $45.81 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $94,415 | $45.39 |
| 35 | Florida | $95,668 | $45.99 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $93,569 | $44.99 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $91,020 | $43.76 |
| 38 | Texas | $90,583 | $43.55 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $93,958 | $45.17 |
| 40 | Maine | $92,545 | $44.49 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $94,335 | $45.35 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $85,462 | $41.09 |
| 43 | Kansas | $84,136 | $40.45 |
| 44 | Missouri | $85,599 | $41.15 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $81,616 | $39.24 |
| 46 | Alabama | $82,614 | $39.72 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $79,335 | $38.14 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $82,745 | $39.78 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $86,092 | $41.39 |
| 50 | Iowa | $81,062 | $38.97 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $81,015 | $38.95 |
Highest paying cities for principal associates
The highest-paying cities for principal associates are San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $163,250 | $78.49 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $140,161 | $67.39 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $123,690 | $59.47 |
| 4 | Wilmington, DE | $121,754 | $58.54 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $121,712 | $58.52 |
| 6 | Rockville, MD | $119,783 | $57.59 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $119,617 | $57.51 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $115,171 | $55.37 |
| 9 | North Chicago, IL | $112,152 | $53.92 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $111,822 | $53.76 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $109,361 | $52.58 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $107,141 | $51.51 |
| 13 | Cleveland, OH | $105,269 | $50.61 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $102,497 | $49.28 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $100,622 | $48.38 |
| 16 | Arlington, VA | $97,147 | $46.71 |
| 17 | Tampa, FL | $96,370 | $46.33 |
| 18 | Saint Cloud, MN | $95,592 | $45.96 |
| 19 | Irving, TX | $90,802 | $43.65 |
Principal associate salary details
A principal associate's salary ranges from $78,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $162,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a principal associate's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $162,000 | $13,500 | $78 |
| 75th Percentile | $136,000 | $11,333 | $65 |
| Average | $112,879 | $9,407 | $54 |
| 25th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| 10th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
Highest paying principal associate jobs
The highest paying types of principal associates are principal, school principal, and high school principal.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Director | $68,563 | $5,714 | $32.96 | 37,761 |
| After School Program Coordinator | $34,475 | $2,873 | $16.57 | 86,881 |
| School Superintendent | $93,341 | $7,778 | $44.88 | 30,220 |
| School Business Manager | $62,224 | $5,185 | $29.92 | 87,493 |
| Superintendent | $82,458 | $6,871 | $39.64 | 22,580 |
| Elementary School Principal | $92,372 | $7,698 | $44.41 | 61,347 |
Top companies hiring principal associates now:
Which companies pay principal associates the most?
Principal associate salaries at McKinsey & Company Inc and ZS are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average principal associate salary at companies like Airbnb and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $223,605 | $107.50 |
| 2 | ZS | $203,818 | $97.99 |
| 3 | Airbnb | $173,140 | $83.24 |
| 4 | $151,458 | $72.82 | |
| 5 | OCC | $148,557 | $71.42 |
| 6 | Charles River Associates | $143,858 | $69.16 |
| 7 | Incyte | $138,062 | $66.38 |
| 8 | Abt Associates | $138,036 | $66.36 |
| 9 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $134,971 | $64.89 |
| 10 | Opera Colorado | $133,727 | $64.29 |
| 11 | Deutsche Bank | $133,490 | $64.18 |
| 12 | AbbVie | $131,773 | $63.35 |
| 13 | Amazon | $131,530 | $63.24 |
| 14 | Cytokinetics | $128,225 | $61.65 |
| 15 | Korn Ferry | $127,839 | $61.46 |
| 16 | Nomura Securities | $127,159 | $61.13 |
| 17 | Eli Lilly and Company | $127,118 | $61.11 |
| 18 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $123,848 | $59.54 |
| 19 | Schrödinger Inc | $120,087 | $57.73 |
| 20 | Technip USA Corporation | $117,981 | $56.72 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Principal associate salary trends
The average principal associate salary has risen by $12,630 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average principal associate earned $100,249 annually, but today, they earn $112,879 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for principal associates over the last decade.
Compare principal associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average principal associate salary over time
Compare principal associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Principal associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $113,000 | $54.27 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $110,000 | $53.12 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $109,000 | $52.52 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $108,000 | $52.01 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $106,000 | $50.97 | +2.3% |
Recently added principal associate salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pew Charitable Trusts | Principal Associate, State Policy, Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals | Ione, WA | 06/30/2025 | $100,300 |
| Arcadis | Associate Principal | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $92,530 |
| Capital One | Principal Associate, Strategic Change Risk Assessments-International | Richmond, VA | 06/28/2025 | $139,100 |
| Capital One | Principal Risk Associate, Capital Markets Regulatory Onboarding | Plano, TX | 06/27/2025 | $106,700 |
| Capital One | Principal Risk Associate, Capital Markets Regulatory Onboarding | Charlotte, NC | 06/27/2025 | $106,700 |
| Hirenow Medical Solutions | Associate Principal | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $138,320 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | Principal Associate-Global HSE Systems and Data Manager | Indianapolis, IN | 06/25/2025 | $63,000 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | Senior Principal Associate, Quality Systems, Foundry | Lebanon, TN | 06/25/2025 | $63,000 |
| Nordson Corporation | Principal Associate, Accounts Payable | Loveland, CO | 06/25/2025 | $54,262 |
| Lilly | Senior Principal Associate, Quality Systems, Foundry | Indianapolis, IN | 06/25/2025 | $63,000 |
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