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The average salary for an Administrative and Program Specialist is currently $53,567 annually, translating to approximately $26 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment.
Entry-level positions often start at lower pay scales, while experienced professionals can command significantly higher salaries. For example, those with five or more years in the field can expect to earn upwards of $60,000 annually. This trend emphasizes the value of experience in negotiating better compensation.
Administrative and Program Specialists tend to earn more in metropolitan areas and states with a high cost of living. Cities such as San Francisco and New York often offer the highest salaries, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in these regions. Understanding these dynamics can assist job seekers in targeting locations that maximize their earning potential.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level administrative and program specialist | $38,500 | $18.50 |
| Mid-level administrative and program specialist | $54,500 | $26.20 |
| Senior-level administrative and program specialist | $63,400 | $30.47 |
The average administrative and program specialist salary in Hawaii, California, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average administrative and program specialist salary states are Mississippi, Vermont, and West Virginia.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $100,176 | $48.16 |
| 2 | New York | $70,774 | $34.03 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $67,555 | $32.48 |
| 4 | Arizona | $59,987 | $28.84 |
| 5 | Nevada | $65,835 | $31.65 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $65,476 | $31.48 |
| 7 | Delaware | $57,501 | $27.64 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $55,127 | $26.50 |
| 9 | California | $84,855 | $40.80 |
| 10 | Georgia | $61,312 | $29.48 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $53,446 | $25.70 |
| 12 | Virginia | $63,811 | $30.68 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $54,045 | $25.98 |
| 14 | Colorado | $52,663 | $25.32 |
| 15 | Washington | $59,439 | $28.58 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $51,040 | $24.54 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $50,911 | $24.48 |
| 18 | Maryland | $61,617 | $29.62 |
| 19 | Texas | $51,538 | $24.78 |
| 20 | Ohio | $50,262 | $24.16 |
| 21 | Florida | $49,439 | $23.77 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $49,030 | $23.57 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $53,489 | $25.72 |
| 24 | Alabama | $50,679 | $24.36 |
| 25 | Michigan | $48,940 | $23.53 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $47,388 | $22.78 |
| 27 | Illinois | $50,540 | $24.30 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $47,121 | $22.65 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $49,475 | $23.79 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $48,553 | $23.34 |
| 31 | Utah | $46,169 | $22.20 |
| 32 | Oregon | $45,788 | $22.01 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $46,970 | $22.58 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $42,504 | $20.43 |
| 35 | Alaska | $41,681 | $20.04 |
| 36 | Indiana | $45,866 | $22.05 |
| 37 | Montana | $41,772 | $20.08 |
| 38 | Iowa | $42,847 | $20.60 |
| 39 | Missouri | $47,062 | $22.63 |
| 40 | Idaho | $41,550 | $19.98 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $43,162 | $20.75 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | $48,827 | $23.47 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $38,023 | $18.28 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $41,126 | $19.77 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $42,877 | $20.61 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $39,676 | $19.07 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $41,985 | $20.19 |
| 48 | Maine | $35,855 | $17.24 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $40,108 | $19.28 |
| 50 | Kansas | $39,282 | $18.89 |
| 51 | Vermont | $39,865 | $19.17 |
The highest-paying cities for administrative and program specialists are San Ramon, CA, Washington, DC, and Suffolk, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Ramon, CA | $85,820 | $41.26 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $65,490 | $31.49 |
| 3 | Suffolk, VA | $64,040 | $30.79 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $61,881 | $29.75 |
| 5 | Vancouver, WA | $61,838 | $29.73 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | $60,834 | $29.25 |
| 7 | North Charleston, SC | $54,581 | $26.24 |
| 8 | San Antonio, TX | $53,195 | $25.57 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $52,506 | $25.24 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $51,567 | $24.79 |
| 11 | Madison, WI | $50,837 | $24.44 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $50,556 | $24.31 |
| 13 | Lake Charles, LA | $50,305 | $24.19 |
| 14 | Birmingham, AL | $50,111 | $24.09 |
| 15 | Boston, MA | $48,597 | $23.36 |
| 16 | Mankato, MN | $47,251 | $22.72 |
| 17 | Eugene, OR | $46,730 | $22.47 |
| 18 | West Lafayette, IN | $45,752 | $22.00 |
An administrative and program specialist's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $83,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| Average | $53,567 | $4,464 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
The highest paying types of administrative and program specialists are assistant to vice president, staff specialist, and administrative staff.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Administrator | $50,715 | $4,226 | $24.38 | 119,898 |
| Administrative Coordinator | $40,599 | $3,383 | $19.52 | 70,663 |
| Administrative Officer | $64,338 | $5,361 | $30.93 | 98,238 |
| Administrative Staff | $77,101 | $6,425 | $37.07 | 119,030 |
| Administrative Support | $37,692 | $3,141 | $18.12 | 114,480 |
| Administrative Technician | $41,290 | $3,441 | $19.85 | 73,101 |
Top companies hiring administrative and program specialists now:
Administrative and program specialist salaries at University of California, Berkeley and Portland State University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average administrative and program specialist salary at companies like MetroStar and National Park Foundation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | $70,302 | $33.80 |
| 2 | Portland State University | $69,634 | $33.48 |
| 3 | MetroStar | $65,438 | $31.46 |
| 4 | National Park Foundation | $64,000 | $30.77 |
| 5 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $63,029 | $30.30 |
| 6 | Water Mission | $62,954 | $30.27 |
| 7 | Washington State University | $59,943 | $28.82 |
| 8 | Federal Reserve Bank | $58,908 | $28.32 |
| 9 | Boston College | $58,693 | $28.22 |
| 10 | The University System of Maryland Foundation | $58,680 | $28.21 |
| 11 | University of Tennessee | $58,535 | $28.14 |
| 12 | Minnesota State Fair | $58,068 | $27.92 |
| 13 | Georgia State University | $56,591 | $27.21 |
| 14 | Virginia.gov | $55,935 | $26.89 |
| 15 | Colorado State Express | $55,404 | $26.64 |
| 16 | UNC Health Care | $54,255 | $26.08 |
| 17 | NC.gov | $51,730 | $24.87 |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin System | $50,102 | $24.09 |
| 19 | Federal Reserve | $49,062 | $23.59 |
| 20 | The State of Oregon | $46,619 | $22.41 |
The average administrative and program specialist salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $53,303 | $25.63 |
| 2 | Professional | $52,323 | $25.16 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $51,541 | $24.78 |
| 4 | Education | $50,768 | $24.41 |
| 5 | Transportation | $50,279 | $24.17 |
| 6 | Health Care | $46,192 | $22.21 |
| 7 | Manufacturing | $45,994 | $22.11 |
The average administrative and program specialist salary has risen by $14,879 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average administrative and program specialist earned $38,688 annually, but today, they earn $53,567 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for administrative and program specialists over the last decade.
Compare administrative and program specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare administrative and program specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $53,600 | $25.75 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $51,700 | $24.85 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $50,400 | $24.21 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $48,700 | $23.43 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $47,400 | $22.79 | +4.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Valley College | Administrative Specialist-Special Grant Programs | Victorville, CA | 06/28/2025 | $75,636 |
| Weber State University | Honors Program Administrative Specialist | Ogden, UT | 06/25/2025 | $35,420 |
| State of Louisiana | Administrative Program Specialist A | Noble, LA | 06/21/2025 | $37,524 |
| Oregon State University | Administrative Program Specialist | Corvallis, OR | 06/14/2025 | $46,269 |
| Neheadstart | Youth Programs Administrative Specialist | Lincoln, NE | 05/27/2025 | $39,256 |
| UMS Group | Administrative Specialist CL2 for Architecture and Education Programs | Augusta, ME | 05/26/2025 | $39,361 |
| Tri-Cap | Admin Program Specialist | Waite Park, MN | 05/24/2025 | $36,731 |
| State of Nebraska | Youth Programs Administrative Specialist | Lincoln, NE | 05/24/2025 | $39,256 |
| University of Maine | Administrative Specialist CL2 for Architecture and Education Programs | Augusta, ME | 05/21/2025 | $39,361 |
| University of Arkansas | Administrative Specialist III-Apex Accelerator Program | Little Rock, AR | 04/29/2025 | $36,920 |
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