Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Project associate salary
Average project associate salary
$56,523
Average Project Associate Salary
The average salary for a Project Associate stands at $56,523 per year, translating to about $27 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographic location and years of experience. For instance, Project Associates in high-demand areas like California or New York often earn more than their counterparts in less populated regions.
How Experience Influences Salary
Entry-level positions typically pay less, but as you gain experience, your earning potential increases. For example, a Project Associate with five years of experience may see an annual salary rise by as much as 20% compared to entry-level salaries. Additionally, specialized skills or certifications can further boost compensation.
Top-Paying States and Industries
States such as Washington, New York, and Massachusetts are known to offer the highest salaries for Project Associates. Industries like technology, finance, and healthcare also tend to provide more lucrative opportunities, reflecting the demand for skilled associates in these fields. Understanding where to focus your job search can significantly impact your earnings.
Let Zippi find your next project associate job
Let Zippi find your next project associate job
Where can a Project Associate earn more?
Project associate salary estimates from across the web
Average project associate salary by state
The highest-paying states for project associates are Pennsylvania, California, and Rhode Island. The lowest average project associate salary states are South Carolina, Louisiana, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for project associates
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $66,981 | $32.20 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $62,602 | $30.10 |
| 3 | Montana | $59,380 | $28.55 |
| 4 | Oregon | $60,862 | $29.26 |
| 5 | California | $66,755 | $32.09 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $54,593 | $26.25 |
| 7 | Texas | $53,709 | $25.82 |
| 8 | Ohio | $54,245 | $26.08 |
| 9 | Iowa | $56,437 | $27.13 |
| 10 | Nevada | $55,925 | $26.89 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $58,438 | $28.10 |
| 12 | New York | $61,847 | $29.73 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $61,069 | $29.36 |
| 14 | Maryland | $58,871 | $28.30 |
| 15 | Arizona | $56,510 | $27.17 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $51,068 | $24.55 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $55,980 | $26.91 |
| 18 | Idaho | $51,749 | $24.88 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $50,484 | $24.27 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $48,667 | $23.40 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $53,830 | $25.88 |
| 22 | Indiana | $51,669 | $24.84 |
| 23 | Delaware | $54,180 | $26.05 |
| 24 | Washington | $49,952 | $24.02 |
| 25 | Maine | $50,962 | $24.50 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $49,832 | $23.96 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $52,410 | $25.20 |
| 28 | Virginia | $51,919 | $24.96 |
| 29 | Utah | $51,086 | $24.56 |
| 30 | Vermont | $47,735 | $22.95 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $49,882 | $23.98 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $45,496 | $21.87 |
| 33 | Colorado | $53,585 | $25.76 |
| 34 | Michigan | $47,383 | $22.78 |
| 35 | Alaska | $50,352 | $24.21 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $46,713 | $22.46 |
| 37 | Illinois | $50,852 | $24.45 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $45,690 | $21.97 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $43,225 | $20.78 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $50,183 | $24.13 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $45,661 | $21.95 |
| 42 | Georgia | $47,515 | $22.84 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $42,550 | $20.46 |
| 44 | Kansas | $42,565 | $20.46 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $44,803 | $21.54 |
| 46 | Alabama | $43,203 | $20.77 |
| 47 | Missouri | $42,413 | $20.39 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $42,884 | $20.62 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $43,132 | $20.74 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $42,816 | $20.58 |
| 51 | Florida | $41,553 | $19.98 |
Highest paying cities for project associates
The highest-paying cities for project associates are Richmond, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond, CA | $74,154 | $35.65 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $67,385 | $32.40 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $62,210 | $29.91 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $61,014 | $29.33 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $59,073 | $28.40 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $56,737 | $27.28 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $55,968 | $26.91 |
| 8 | Dallas, TX | $54,128 | $26.02 |
| 9 | Newton, MA | $53,659 | $25.80 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $53,559 | $25.75 |
| 11 | Reston, VA | $53,550 | $25.75 |
| 12 | Cincinnati, OH | $51,635 | $24.82 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $51,401 | $24.71 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $51,082 | $24.56 |
| 15 | New Haven, CT | $50,345 | $24.20 |
| 16 | Seattle, WA | $50,330 | $24.20 |
| 17 | Portage, MI | $46,145 | $22.19 |
| 18 | Minneapolis, MN | $45,726 | $21.98 |
| 19 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $45,478 | $21.86 |
| 20 | Omaha, NE | $42,570 | $20.47 |
Project associate salary details
A project associate's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $80,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a project associate's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| Average | $56,523 | $4,710 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
Highest paying project associate jobs
The highest paying types of project associates are project team lead, manager, project management, and program/project manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development Team Member | $27,071 | $2,256 | $13.02 | 389,951 |
| Manager, Project Management | $102,925 | $8,577 | $49.48 | 263,655 |
| Program/Project Manager | $101,850 | $8,488 | $48.97 | 243,017 |
| Project Manager Internship | $38,852 | $3,238 | $18.68 | 178,233 |
| Project Team Lead | $105,306 | $8,775 | $50.63 | 125,539 |
| Project Developer | $89,766 | $7,480 | $43.16 | 303,850 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for project associates, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Matthew Gilbert
Lecturer of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University
Generally speaking, engineering, computer science, and math-related majors have higher starting salaries and perhaps greater potential for earnings. However, marketing salaries remain well above those for students in the arts of humanities.
Certainly, with the present economic predicament in which we find ourselves, these estimates might be irrelevant as companies downsize in the wake of economic shutdowns and changing economic outlooks. Nevertheless, marketing remains a relevant degree with a reasonable return on your investment.
Top companies hiring project associates now:
Which companies pay project associates the most?
Project associate salaries at Meta and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average project associate salary at companies like SAP and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $125,379 | $60.28 |
| 2 | $117,244 | $56.37 | |
| 3 | SAP | $103,001 | $49.52 |
| 4 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $102,026 | $49.05 |
| 5 | MongoDB | $99,780 | $47.97 |
| 6 | Goldman Sachs | $89,410 | $42.99 |
| 7 | Activision Blizzard | $89,283 | $42.92 |
| 8 | ResMed | $87,529 | $42.08 |
| 9 | Uber Technologies | $87,020 | $41.84 |
| 10 | Noblis | $86,948 | $41.80 |
| 11 | Bridgewater Associates | $83,649 | $40.22 |
| 12 | J.P. Morgan | $82,277 | $39.56 |
| 13 | Regeneron | $79,448 | $38.20 |
| 14 | Environmental and Energy Study Institute | $77,993 | $37.50 |
| 15 | Novartis | $77,737 | $37.37 |
| 16 | Zocdoc | $76,929 | $36.99 |
| 17 | Novo Nordisk | $76,881 | $36.96 |
| 18 | RAND | $73,095 | $35.14 |
| 19 | Gilead Sciences | $72,819 | $35.01 |
| 20 | San Jose State University | $71,888 | $34.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Project Associate salary by industry
The average project associate salary varies across industries:
- The average project associate salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $69,142, the highest of any industry.
- The average project associate salary in the finance industry is $61,020.
- Project associates in the health care industry earn an average salary of $57,300, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for project associates
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $69,142 | $33.24 |
| 2 | Technology | $61,020 | $29.34 |
| 3 | Professional | $58,613 | $28.18 |
| 4 | Energy | $57,659 | $27.72 |
| 5 | Health Care | $57,300 | $27.55 |
High paying project associate jobs
Project associate salary trends
The average project associate salary has risen by $6,959 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average project associate earned $49,564 annually, but today, they earn $56,523 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for project associates over the last decade.
Compare project associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average project associate salary over time
Compare project associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Project associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $56,500 | $27.17 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $54,200 | $26.07 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $53,500 | $25.73 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $52,600 | $25.28 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | $52,300 | $25.13 | +0.1% |
Recently added project associate salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Chicago | Project Associate | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $49,300 |
| Ktgy Group, Inc. | Project Associate | Washington, DC | 06/28/2025 | $56,349 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Associate Registrar, Compliance, Ferpa, Special Projects | Baltimore, MD | 06/27/2025 | $64,600 |
| Healthie | Operations & Special Projects Associate | New York, NY | 06/22/2025 | $80,000 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Administrative Projects Associate | Omaha, NE | 06/20/2025 | $41,531 |
| Morgan State University | SR. Project Associate | Baltimore, MD | 06/13/2025 | $52,000 |
| Cvr Associates | Project Associate | Alpharetta, GA | 06/11/2025 | $70,000 |
| LS Solutions | Clinical Project Associate-I-FC | San Mateo, CA | 06/10/2025 | $58,436 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Social Impact Project Associate | Indianapolis, IN | 06/10/2025 | $73,045 |
| Syneos Health, Inc. | Project Contract Associate II | Morrisville, NC | 06/09/2025 | $56,400 |
Project associate salary FAQs
Search for project associate jobs