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Business administrator salary
Average business administrator salary
$72,503
Understanding Business Administrator Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Business Administrator stands at $72,503 per year, or approximately $35 per hour. Salaries vary significantly depending on several factors, including geographical location, industry, and level of experience. For instance, Business Administrators in states like California and New York typically earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled professionals.
Salary Breakdown
Entry-level positions may start below the average, while those with extensive experience or specialized skills can command higher salaries. Industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology often offer competitive compensation packages, reflecting the critical nature of administrative roles in their operations.
Regional Salary Variations
- California: Average salary around $80,000
- New York: Average salary near $78,000
- Texas: Average salary approximately $70,000
Understanding these salary dynamics can assist aspiring Business Administrators in making informed career choices and negotiating better compensation packages.
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Where can a Business Administrator earn more?
Business administrator salary estimates from across the web
Average business administrator salary by state
The highest-paying states for business administrators are Washington, Alaska, and California. The lowest average business administrator salary states are Colorado, Georgia, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for business administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $95,909 | $46.11 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $87,699 | $42.16 |
| 3 | Nevada | $83,931 | $40.35 |
| 4 | Michigan | $85,039 | $40.88 |
| 5 | Washington | $98,220 | $47.22 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $85,233 | $40.98 |
| 7 | Maryland | $92,395 | $44.42 |
| 8 | Utah | $85,831 | $41.26 |
| 9 | Virginia | $86,686 | $41.68 |
| 10 | Oregon | $87,235 | $41.94 |
| 11 | California | $95,174 | $45.76 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $89,949 | $43.24 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $78,791 | $37.88 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $84,216 | $40.49 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $82,469 | $39.65 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $85,528 | $41.12 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $83,132 | $39.97 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $89,246 | $42.91 |
| 19 | New York | $89,296 | $42.93 |
| 20 | Kansas | $74,761 | $35.94 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $74,957 | $36.04 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $76,098 | $36.59 |
| 23 | Montana | $74,935 | $36.03 |
| 24 | Iowa | $74,755 | $35.94 |
| 25 | Idaho | $81,264 | $39.07 |
| 26 | Indiana | $74,207 | $35.68 |
| 27 | Maine | $82,178 | $39.51 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $71,544 | $34.40 |
| 29 | Missouri | $72,631 | $34.92 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $77,875 | $37.44 |
| 31 | Ohio | $68,920 | $33.13 |
| 32 | Arizona | $75,065 | $36.09 |
| 33 | Texas | $75,305 | $36.20 |
| 34 | Vermont | $77,237 | $37.13 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $69,737 | $33.53 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $69,499 | $33.41 |
| 37 | Illinois | $77,671 | $37.34 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $67,220 | $32.32 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $66,205 | $31.83 |
| 40 | Delaware | $74,467 | $35.80 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $66,488 | $31.97 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $68,645 | $33.00 |
| 43 | Alabama | $61,510 | $29.57 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $69,134 | $33.24 |
| 45 | Colorado | $66,078 | $31.77 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $59,824 | $28.76 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $66,575 | $32.01 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $66,107 | $31.78 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $56,496 | $27.16 |
| 50 | Florida | $60,469 | $29.07 |
| 51 | Georgia | $64,871 | $31.19 |
Highest paying cities for business administrators
The highest-paying cities for business administrators are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $103,920 | $49.96 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $99,170 | $47.68 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $89,333 | $42.95 |
| 4 | Paramus, NJ | $89,284 | $42.92 |
| 5 | Arlington, VA | $88,686 | $42.64 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $87,815 | $42.22 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | $85,853 | $41.28 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City, UT | $85,556 | $41.13 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $85,476 | $41.09 |
| 10 | Ann Arbor, MI | $84,804 | $40.77 |
| 11 | Greenville, SC | $79,979 | $38.45 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $77,982 | $37.49 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | $77,932 | $37.47 |
| 14 | Saint Paul, MN | $76,196 | $36.63 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $75,643 | $36.37 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $75,486 | $36.29 |
| 17 | West Des Moines, IA | $74,065 | $35.61 |
| 18 | Indianapolis, IN | $74,018 | $35.59 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $73,287 | $35.23 |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $69,421 | $33.38 |
Business administrator salary details
A business administrator's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a business administrator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $72,503 | $6,042 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying business administrator jobs
The highest paying types of business administrators are senior administrator, lead administrator, and managing administrator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Analyst | $55,444 | $4,620 | $26.66 | 91,598 |
| Program Administrator | $50,715 | $4,226 | $24.38 | 119,898 |
| Department Administrator | $49,768 | $4,147 | $23.93 | 84,441 |
| Project Administrator | $52,862 | $4,405 | $25.41 | 141,253 |
| LAN Administrator | $60,942 | $5,079 | $29.30 | 92,931 |
| Managing Administrator | $75,025 | $6,252 | $36.07 | 64,677 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for business administrators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Richard Huff Ph.D.
Assistant professor, assistant chair, Virginia Commonwealth University
These groups likely present varying degrees of salary requirements and qualifications. In the federal service, an MPA qualifies as one at the GS-9 entry-level. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publishes salary tables at Link The beginning salary varies by location from $53K to $61K, with the higher amount near large metropolitan areas. Higher salaries are common in overseas areas. Progression is based on performance with opportunities to achieve salaries of $150K and over at the executive levels. Overall, beginning salaries for the MPA considering nonprofits and government agencies is estimated at $53K.
Top companies hiring business administrators now:
Which companies pay business administrators the most?
Business administrator salaries at Novartis and Medline are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average business administrator salary at companies like Pacifi and Western Alliance Bank are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novartis | $119,264 | $57.34 |
| 2 | Medline | $117,910 | $56.69 |
| 3 | Pacifi | $115,020 | $55.30 |
| 4 | Western Alliance Bank | $112,150 | $53.92 |
| 5 | Microsoft | $109,762 | $52.77 |
| 6 | Cisco | $108,408 | $52.12 |
| 7 | HSBC Bank | $108,276 | $52.06 |
| 8 | General Motors | $107,092 | $51.49 |
| 9 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $103,721 | $49.87 |
| 10 | Hubbell | $102,782 | $49.41 |
| 11 | Fusion LLC | $102,623 | $49.34 |
| 12 | Stripe | $97,778 | $47.01 |
| 13 | HCSC | $97,157 | $46.71 |
| 14 | Qualcomm | $96,642 | $46.46 |
| 15 | Northern Trust | $96,452 | $46.37 |
| 16 | Mutual of Omaha | $94,977 | $45.66 |
| 17 | Mitsubishi Electric Power Products | $94,940 | $45.64 |
| 18 | L.A. Care Health Plan | $94,551 | $45.46 |
| 19 | Terex | $93,351 | $44.88 |
| 20 | Siemens | $92,770 | $44.60 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Business Administrator salary by industry
The average business administrator salary varies across industries:
- The average business administrator salary in the finance industry is $94,044, the highest of any industry.
- The average business administrator salary in the finance industry is $89,444.
- Business administrators in the government industry earn an average salary of $54,116, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for business administrators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $94,044 | $45.21 |
| 2 | Technology | $89,444 | $43.00 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $84,332 | $40.54 |
| 4 | Health Care | $62,799 | $30.19 |
| 5 | Education | $62,297 | $29.95 |
| 6 | Professional | $60,520 | $29.10 |
| 7 | Government | $54,116 | $26.02 |
High paying business administrator jobs
Business administrator salary trends
The average business administrator salary has risen by $13,230 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average business administrator earned $59,273 annually, but today, they earn $72,503 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for business administrators over the last decade.
Compare business administrator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average business administrator salary over time
Compare business administrator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Business administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $72,500 | $34.86 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $70,100 | $33.71 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $68,500 | $32.95 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $67,700 | $32.56 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $66,600 | $32.00 | +2.4% |
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