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Program lead salary
Average program lead salary
$100,727
Understanding the Program Lead Salary
The average annual salary for a Program Lead stands at $100,727. This figure reflects a wide variance across different states and industries. For instance, program leads in high-demand sectors such as technology and healthcare may see salaries exceeding this average, particularly in metropolitan regions.
Factors influencing salary include years of experience, educational background, and specific industry qualifications. For example, a program lead with over five years of experience typically commands a higher salary compared to entry-level positions. Additionally, geographic location plays a vital role; states like California and New York often offer higher compensation due to their cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
Salary by State
Examining average salaries by state provides valuable insights for prospective program leads. States like Washington and Massachusetts tend to offer competitive salaries, while regions with a lower cost of living may offer lower salaries but can balance with a higher quality of life.
In summary, understanding the salary landscape for program leads is crucial for career advancement. By assessing the average salaries, job seekers can make informed decisions regarding their career paths and salary negotiations.
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Where can a Program Lead earn more?
Program lead salary estimates from across the web
Average program lead salary by state
The average program lead salary in New York, Massachusetts, and West Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average program lead salary states are Florida, New Mexico, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for program leads
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $125,240 | $60.21 |
| 2 | Michigan | $99,285 | $47.73 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $112,542 | $54.11 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $95,971 | $46.14 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $106,299 | $51.11 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $103,224 | $49.63 |
| 7 | Delaware | $102,437 | $49.25 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $127,201 | $61.15 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $105,192 | $50.57 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $115,816 | $55.68 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $109,327 | $52.56 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $99,648 | $47.91 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $96,477 | $46.38 |
| 14 | Maine | $96,003 | $46.16 |
| 15 | Vermont | $104,019 | $50.01 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $80,721 | $38.81 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $77,734 | $37.37 |
| 18 | Illinois | $89,815 | $43.18 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $77,411 | $37.22 |
| 20 | Maryland | $102,521 | $49.29 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $82,005 | $39.43 |
| 22 | Ohio | $80,867 | $38.88 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $79,531 | $38.24 |
| 24 | Montana | $64,445 | $30.98 |
| 25 | Missouri | $66,688 | $32.06 |
| 26 | Virginia | $87,942 | $42.28 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $79,213 | $38.08 |
| 28 | Nevada | $63,982 | $30.76 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $76,328 | $36.70 |
| 30 | Oregon | $69,081 | $33.21 |
| 31 | Arizona | $68,372 | $32.87 |
| 32 | Indiana | $74,907 | $36.01 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $71,311 | $34.28 |
| 34 | Georgia | $68,383 | $32.88 |
| 35 | Idaho | $60,358 | $29.02 |
| 36 | Washington | $73,490 | $35.33 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $57,599 | $27.69 |
| 38 | Colorado | $62,227 | $29.92 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $64,455 | $30.99 |
| 40 | Kansas | $54,208 | $26.06 |
| 41 | Iowa | $63,871 | $30.71 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $48,839 | $23.48 |
| 43 | Texas | $61,258 | $29.45 |
| 44 | Alaska | $52,330 | $25.16 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $47,409 | $22.79 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $31,082 | $14.94 |
| 47 | Alabama | $52,491 | $25.24 |
| 48 | Utah | $46,364 | $22.29 |
| 49 | California | $62,419 | $30.01 |
| 50 | Florida | $50,693 | $24.37 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $41,524 | $19.96 |
Highest paying cities for program leads
The highest-paying cities for program leads are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $129,841 | $62.42 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $126,616 | $60.87 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $116,198 | $55.86 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $105,998 | $50.96 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $103,572 | $49.79 |
| 6 | Raleigh, NC | $101,654 | $48.87 |
| 7 | Ann Arbor, MI | $99,308 | $47.74 |
| 8 | Harrisburg, PA | $98,544 | $47.38 |
| 9 | Portland, ME | $97,431 | $46.84 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $91,260 | $43.88 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $90,948 | $43.73 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $80,053 | $38.49 |
| 13 | Saint Paul, MN | $77,585 | $37.30 |
| 14 | Olympia, WA | $74,477 | $35.81 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $74,121 | $35.64 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $69,457 | $33.39 |
| 17 | Richmond, CA | $68,970 | $33.16 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $68,890 | $33.12 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $68,799 | $33.08 |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ | $68,347 | $32.86 |
Program lead salary details
A program lead's salary ranges from $59,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $171,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a program lead's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $171,000 | $14,250 | $82 |
| 75th Percentile | $133,000 | $11,083 | $64 |
| Average | $100,727 | $8,394 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
Highest paying program lead jobs
The highest paying types of program leads are senior counselor, group leader, and senior program associate.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activity Coordinator | $35,309 | $2,942 | $16.98 | 20,364 |
| Activities Director | $44,982 | $3,748 | $21.63 | 6,845 |
| Summer Camp Counselor | $25,618 | $2,135 | $12.32 | 31,954 |
| Camp Counselor | $24,340 | $2,028 | $11.70 | 28,182 |
| Director Of After School Program | $49,648 | $4,137 | $23.87 | 94,858 |
| Activities Leader | $30,329 | $2,527 | $14.58 | 35,544 |
Top companies hiring program leads now:
Which companies pay program leads the most?
Program lead salaries at Netflix and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average program lead salary at companies like The Walt Disney Company and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netflix | $173,036 | $83.19 |
| 2 | Meta | $166,916 | $80.25 |
| 3 | The Walt Disney Company | $162,308 | $78.03 |
| 4 | $157,539 | $75.74 | |
| 5 | Lyft | $157,454 | $75.70 |
| 6 | Airbnb | $157,074 | $75.52 |
| 7 | Apple | $149,542 | $71.90 |
| 8 | Databricks | $144,912 | $69.67 |
| 9 | Hulu | $144,495 | $69.47 |
| 10 | Silicon Valley Bank | $143,670 | $69.07 |
| 11 | Fluke | $143,321 | $68.90 |
| 12 | Control Risks | $142,666 | $68.59 |
| 13 | Koch Industries | $142,120 | $68.33 |
| 14 | Microsoft | $140,957 | $67.77 |
| 15 | J.P. Morgan | $140,718 | $67.65 |
| 16 | Twilio | $138,680 | $66.67 |
| 17 | Citi | $138,522 | $66.60 |
| 18 | Uber Technologies | $136,147 | $65.46 |
| 19 | Stripe | $135,387 | $65.09 |
| 20 | DTCC | $133,693 | $64.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Program lead salary trends
The average program lead salary has risen by $22,349 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average program lead earned $78,378 annually, but today, they earn $100,727 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for program leads over the last decade.
Compare program lead salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average program lead salary over time
Compare program lead salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Program lead salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $101,000 | $48.43 | +7.3% |
| 2024 | $93,300 | $44.87 | +4.9% |
| 2023 | $88,800 | $42.67 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $86,900 | $41.79 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $84,500 | $40.64 | +2.3% |
Recently added program lead salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| at&T | Lead Sales Program Execution II | Columbia, SC | 06/30/2025 | $105,600 |
| Ecolab | Thermal Engineer Program Leader | Naperville, IL | 06/30/2025 | $130,100 |
| Polaris Industries | Global Program Leader-Vehicle Electronics & Software | Wyoming | 06/30/2025 | $91,000 |
| Cushman & Wakefield Inc. | Global Experience Program Lead | Eagan, MN | 06/30/2025 | $110,068 |
| Mdlz | Netsuite ERP/Warehouse Management Program Lead | East Hanover, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $137,300 |
| Ntrs | Third Party Management Program Design Lead | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $114,700 |
| Think Together | Program Leader | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $48,001 |
| Perspecta | Applications Programming, Lead Associate | New Home, TX | 06/29/2025 | $66,000 |
| Neighborhood House | After School Program Leader | Portland, OR | 06/29/2025 | $39,444 |
| Get It-Hospitality | Clinical Development Program Lead-Remote | WFH | Boston, MA | 06/29/2025 | $208,700 |
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