How much does an associate make?

The average associate salary in the United States is $69,556. Associate salaries typically range between $34,000 and $140,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for associates is $33.44 per hour. Associate salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Associates earn the highest average salary in New York.

Associate salary

Q: What state pays Associates the most?

New York pays Associates the most in the United States, with an average salary of $92,361 per year, or $44.40 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as an associate?

You know if you are being paid fairly as an associate if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New York you should be paid close to $89,570 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for an Associate?

A good starting salary for an associate is $36,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for an associate in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for associates is $70,289, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for an associate can vary by state.

Q: What does an associate earn at JP Morgan?

The average associate at JP Morgan earns about $85,000 per year. Although the title of associate indicates a low rank, at a successful company, an associate can earn a high salary. An associate at a company like JP Morgan may also anticipate the chance to gain experience and earn a more senior position.

Q: What is a good entry-level salary for a data entry clerk?

A good entry-level salary for a data entry clerk is between $14 to $15 an hour. This is about $30,000 a year in annual salary for the position. Salaries for data entry clerks are often determined by the candidate's level of education, experience, relevant certifications, and skill set, as well as the position's specific job responsibilities. This is why entry-level data entry clerks are typically paid less.

Average associate salary

$69,556

$33.44 hourly rate

Entry-level associate salary

$34,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Associate Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for an associate is approximately $69,556 per year or $33 per hour. Associates play a pivotal role in various sectors, with responsibilities ranging from customer service to administrative support. The salary can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry.

Where Do Associates Earn the Most?

Salary estimates indicate that associates in states like California and New York enjoy higher compensation, often due to the cost of living and industry demands. By analyzing average associate salaries by state, job seekers can pinpoint lucrative job markets.

Salary Trends Over Time

Historically, associate salaries have shown steady growth, reflecting the evolving job landscape. Understanding these trends is crucial for prospective employees to make informed career decisions.

Explore salary ranges across different sectors.
Consider factors influencing earnings and job opportunities.
Utilize this information for strategic career planning.

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Associate salary by:

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Where can an Associate earn more?

Compare salary by location

118k

98k

78k

58k

38k

18k

Columbus, OH$93,302

Chicago, IL$48,425

Compare salary by company

289k

269k

249k

229k

209k

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett$267,834

Skadden$238,600

Associate salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for an associate typically falls between $34,435 and $98,620.

zippia

$69,556yearly

indeed[1]

$34,435yearly

comparably[2]

$98,620yearly

ZipRecruiter[3]

$41,468yearly

Average associate salary by state

The average associate salary in New York, California, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average associate salary states are Wyoming, Kansas, and Arkansas.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for associates

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$89,570	$43.06
2	Connecticut	$75,022	$36.07
3	New Jersey	$69,901	$33.61
4	Massachusetts	$73,855	$35.51
5	Pennsylvania	$57,790	$27.78
6	Delaware	$63,939	$30.74
7	California	$79,213	$38.08
8	New Hampshire	$56,483	$27.16
9	District of Columbia	$92,361	$44.40
10	Rhode Island	$65,297	$31.39
11	Maine	$51,794	$24.90
12	Michigan	$51,515	$24.77
13	Virginia	$56,720	$27.27
14	Vermont	$54,953	$26.42
15	Nevada	$57,615	$27.70
16	Maryland	$58,149	$27.96
17	Arizona	$56,052	$26.95
18	North Carolina	$49,152	$23.63
19	Ohio	$48,561	$23.35
20	West Virginia	$46,042	$22.14
21	Texas	$49,002	$23.56
22	Illinois	$47,860	$23.01
23	Oregon	$54,157	$26.04
24	Florida	$45,798	$22.02
25	Washington	$53,104	$25.53
26	Indiana	$42,793	$20.57
27	Utah	$46,242	$22.23
28	Wisconsin	$44,622	$21.45
29	New Mexico	$48,884	$23.50
30	Louisiana	$42,369	$20.37
31	Tennessee	$40,034	$19.25
32	South Carolina	$40,403	$19.42
33	Colorado	$45,634	$21.94
34	Idaho	$45,201	$21.73
35	Kentucky	$40,041	$19.25
36	North Dakota	$42,603	$20.48
37	Iowa	$42,730	$20.54
38	Minnesota	$44,031	$21.17
39	Hawaii	$47,222	$22.70
40	Oklahoma	$40,053	$19.26
41	Mississippi	$38,306	$18.42
42	Missouri	$39,956	$19.21
43	Arkansas	$38,595	$18.56
44	South Dakota	$39,954	$19.21
45	Georgia	$38,259	$18.39
46	Alabama	$38,154	$18.34
47	Alaska	$41,024	$19.72
48	Wyoming	$39,407	$18.95
49	Montana	$39,521	$19.00
50	Kansas	$39,292	$18.89
51	Nebraska	$39,466	$18.97

Top associate jobs near you

Highest paying cities for associates

The highest-paying cities for associates are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Menlo Park, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington, DC	$93,302	$44.86
2	New York, NY	$90,902	$43.70
3	Menlo Park, CA	$82,294	$39.56
4	Greenwich, CT	$75,612	$36.35
5	Boston, MA	$73,450	$35.31
6	Jersey City, NJ	$69,759	$33.54
7	Wilmington, DE	$63,988	$30.76
8	McLean, VA	$59,042	$28.39
9	Philadelphia, PA	$58,711	$28.23
10	Baltimore, MD	$58,397	$28.08
11	Phoenix, AZ	$56,108	$26.98
12	Seattle, WA	$53,411	$25.68
13	Portland, ME	$53,231	$25.59
14	Jacksonville, NC	$52,847	$25.41
15	Portland, OR	$52,695	$25.33
16	Cleveland, OH	$52,512	$25.25
17	Detroit, MI	$52,287	$25.14
18	Austin, TX	$51,079	$24.56
19	Miami, FL	$48,779	$23.45
20	Chicago, IL	$48,425	$23.28

Associates are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Associate salary details

An associate's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $140,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average associate salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an associate's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$140,000	$11,667	$67
75th Percentile	$100,000	$8,333	$48
Average	$69,556	$5,796	$33
25th Percentile	$48,000	$4,000	$23
10th Percentile	$34,000	$2,833	$16

Top companies hiring associates now:

Which companies pay associates the most?

Associate salaries at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Reed Smith are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate salary at companies like Latham & Watkins and Hughes Hubbard & Reed are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett	$267,834	$128.77
2	Reed Smith	$255,348	$122.76
3	Latham & Watkins	$247,914	$119.19
4	Hughes Hubbard & Reed	$246,455	$118.49
5	Sidley Austin	$246,445	$118.48
6	Mayer Brown	$246,388	$118.46
7	Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman	$244,531	$117.56
8	Fried Frank	$243,628	$117.13
9	Kramer Levin	$243,449	$117.04
10	Nixon Peabody	$242,958	$116.81
11	Ropes & Gray	$242,592	$116.63
12	K&L Gates	$242,368	$116.52
13	Paul Hastings	$242,342	$116.51
14	Boies Schiller Flexner	$241,241	$115.98
15	Munger, Tolles & Olson	$240,546	$115.65
16	Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton	$240,234	$115.50
17	Cooley	$239,709	$115.24
18	Alston & Bird	$239,654	$115.22
19	Kirkland & Ellis	$239,030	$114.92
20	Skadden	$238,600	$114.71

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$77,000$75,200$73,400$71,600$69,800$68,000

MaleFemale

Associate salary trends

The average associate salary has risen by $15,591 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate earned $53,965 annually, but today, they earn $69,556 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for associates over the last decade.

Compare associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average associate salary over time

Compare associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Associate salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$69,600	$33.44	+6.8%
2024	$64,900	$31.18	+4.2%
2023	$62,200	$29.88	+4.1%
2022	$59,600	$28.66	+2.3%
2021	$58,300	$28.01	+4.0%

Recently added associate salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Axos Bank	Leveraged Lending Associate	San Diego, CA	06/30/2025	$75,000
Cengage	Learning Associate, Northern Cali/Wa/or (Remote)	Portland, OR	06/30/2025	$41,500
Jeppesen	Avionics Associate-F)	San Antonio, TX	06/30/2025	$70,800
Sanford Health	Associate Carpenter-Af1851	Bemidji, MN	06/30/2025	$46,665
Spencer Stuart	Associate, Healthcare Practice (Healthcare Services)	Chicago, IL	06/30/2025	$100,000
United Talent Agency	Associate, Content Analytics-UTA IQ	Los Angeles, CA	06/30/2025	$72,000
Wawa	Fuel Associate	Elizabeth, NJ	06/30/2025	$33,392
Franklin Templeton	Associate	Boston, MA	06/30/2025	$146,775
Franklin Templeton	Retirements Relationship Associate	Saint Petersburg, FL	06/30/2025	$65,000
Bain Capital	Bain Capital Credit Associate	Boston, MA	06/30/2025	$150,000