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Junior associate salary
Average junior associate salary
$77,094
Average Junior Associate Salary
The Junior Associate position serves as an entry-level role across various industries, offering a salary that reflects the responsibilities and skills required. As of October 2025, the average salary for a Junior Associate is approximately $77,094 per year, translating to around $37 per hour. This role typically demands strong analytical and communication skills, making it an essential part of many teams.
Where Can Junior Associates Earn More?
Salary levels can vary significantly based on location. For instance, states such as California and New York often provide higher salaries for Junior Associates due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. In addition, industries such as finance, technology, and healthcare tend to offer more competitive pay.
Career Advancement Opportunities
Many Junior Associates find opportunities for advancement within their companies, allowing them to transition into higher-paying roles as they gain experience. Networking and continued education can further enhance career prospects in this field.
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Where can a Junior Associate earn more?
Junior associate salary estimates from across the web
Average junior associate salary by state
The average junior associate salary in New York, Minnesota, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average junior associate salary states are Alaska, Georgia, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for junior associates
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $117,963 | $56.71 |
| 2 | Maine | $102,425 | $49.24 |
| 3 | Delaware | $83,952 | $40.36 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $88,630 | $42.61 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $106,522 | $51.21 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $101,604 | $48.85 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $95,201 | $45.77 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $77,864 | $37.43 |
| 9 | Vermont | $75,787 | $36.44 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $81,478 | $39.17 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $78,796 | $37.88 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $73,196 | $35.19 |
| 13 | Illinois | $73,431 | $35.30 |
| 14 | Kansas | $79,112 | $38.03 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $77,486 | $37.25 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $78,304 | $37.65 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $68,821 | $33.09 |
| 18 | Michigan | $69,645 | $33.48 |
| 19 | California | $78,589 | $37.78 |
| 20 | Virginia | $69,672 | $33.50 |
| 21 | Texas | $70,437 | $33.86 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $67,877 | $32.63 |
| 23 | Missouri | $73,118 | $35.15 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $66,165 | $31.81 |
| 25 | Arizona | $65,544 | $31.51 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $63,038 | $30.31 |
| 27 | Washington | $73,227 | $35.21 |
| 28 | Nevada | $67,324 | $32.37 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $66,299 | $31.87 |
| 30 | Colorado | $64,937 | $31.22 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $64,264 | $30.90 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $67,896 | $32.64 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $66,238 | $31.85 |
| 34 | Utah | $60,981 | $29.32 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $61,696 | $29.66 |
| 36 | Oregon | $68,349 | $32.86 |
| 37 | Ohio | $61,560 | $29.60 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $64,591 | $31.05 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $66,163 | $31.81 |
| 40 | Montana | $59,318 | $28.52 |
| 41 | Idaho | $61,432 | $29.53 |
| 42 | Indiana | $62,179 | $29.89 |
| 43 | Maryland | $58,434 | $28.09 |
| 44 | Florida | $58,512 | $28.13 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $59,383 | $28.55 |
| 46 | Georgia | $54,630 | $26.26 |
| 47 | Alabama | $51,607 | $24.81 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $52,688 | $25.33 |
| 49 | Alaska | $56,470 | $27.15 |
| 50 | Iowa | $52,801 | $25.39 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $44,586 | $21.44 |
Highest paying cities for junior associates
The highest-paying cities for junior associates are New York, NY, Cambridge, MA, and Hartford, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $118,272 | $56.86 |
| 2 | Cambridge, MA | $95,268 | $45.80 |
| 3 | Hartford, CT | $89,167 | $42.87 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $81,924 | $39.39 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $80,376 | $38.64 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $78,822 | $37.90 |
| 7 | Wichita, KS | $77,784 | $37.40 |
| 8 | Saint Louis, MO | $74,427 | $35.78 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $73,826 | $35.49 |
| 10 | Bellevue, WA | $73,626 | $35.40 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $71,873 | $34.55 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $69,903 | $33.61 |
| 13 | Lake Oswego, OR | $68,142 | $32.76 |
| 14 | Knoxville, TN | $67,731 | $32.56 |
| 15 | New Orleans, LA | $66,068 | $31.76 |
| 16 | Tempe, AZ | $65,588 | $31.53 |
| 17 | Allentown, PA | $64,924 | $31.21 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | $58,749 | $28.24 |
| 19 | Sunrise, FL | $58,109 | $27.94 |
| 20 | Chamblee, GA | $54,954 | $26.42 |
Junior associate salary details
A junior associate's salary ranges from $44,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $132,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a junior associate's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| Average | $77,094 | $6,425 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 10th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
Highest paying junior associate jobs
The highest paying types of junior associates are finance & sales representative, finance associate, and merchant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Banker | $34,532 | $2,878 | $16.60 | 22,843 |
| Finance Sales Consultant | $45,562 | $3,797 | $21.90 | 101,031 |
| Merchant | $74,999 | $6,250 | $36.06 | 15,395 |
| Relationship Banker | $37,091 | $3,091 | $17.83 | 34,587 |
| Banker | $44,463 | $3,705 | $21.38 | 29,725 |
| Finance Service Advisor | $50,706 | $4,225 | $24.38 | 118,612 |
Top companies hiring junior associates now:
Which companies pay junior associates the most?
Junior associate salaries at Ropes & Gray and Linklaters are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average junior associate salary at companies like DLA Piper and Davis Wright Tremaine are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ropes & Gray | $194,333 | $93.43 |
| 2 | Linklaters | $190,043 | $91.37 |
| 3 | DLA Piper | $160,833 | $77.32 |
| 4 | Davis Wright Tremaine | $147,926 | $71.12 |
| 5 | Goodwin | $129,679 | $62.35 |
| 6 | Morgan Stanley | $112,989 | $54.32 |
| 7 | Goldman Sachs | $105,694 | $50.81 |
| 8 | University of California | $101,954 | $49.02 |
| 9 | HSBC Bank | $99,363 | $47.77 |
| 10 | Wellpath | $98,325 | $47.27 |
| 11 | Royal Bank of Canada | $97,374 | $46.81 |
| 12 | StoneX Group | $90,579 | $43.55 |
| 13 | Fenwick & West | $89,909 | $43.23 |
| 14 | SG Americas Securities Holdings, LLC | $87,134 | $41.89 |
| 15 | SPS Consulting | $86,739 | $41.70 |
| 16 | BKF Engineers | $85,724 | $41.21 |
| 17 | Yieldstreet | $85,084 | $40.91 |
| 18 | WADE WEISSMANN ARCHITECTURE | $85,069 | $40.90 |
| 19 | Argos Holdings Inc. | $85,069 | $40.90 |
| 20 | St James Episcopal Church | $85,069 | $40.90 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Junior Associate salary by industry
The average junior associate salary varies across industries:
- The average junior associate salary in the finance industry is $96,957, the highest of any industry.
- The average junior associate salary in the finance industry is $94,770.
- Junior associates in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $58,906, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for junior associates
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $96,957 | $46.61 |
| 2 | Automotive | $94,770 | $45.56 |
| 3 | Professional | $90,789 | $43.65 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $58,906 | $28.32 |
High paying junior associate jobs
Junior associate salary trends
The average junior associate salary has fallen by $-8,677 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average junior associate earned $85,771 annually, but today, they earn $77,094 a year. That works out to a -4% change in pay for junior associates over the last decade.
Compare junior associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average junior associate salary over time
Compare junior associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Junior associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,100 | $37.06 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $74,100 | $35.63 | -3.0% |
| 2023 | $76,300 | $36.69 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $75,900 | $36.50 | -5.5% |
| 2021 | $80,100 | $38.52 | -6.3% |
Recently added junior associate salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCU Credit Union | Annual Giving Associate (Junior Class Giving Officer) | Santa Clara, CA | 06/25/2025 | $70,478 |
| Premier Performance LLC | WH Associate Junior PA | Export, PA | 06/19/2025 | $37,566 |
| Alamo Intelligence | Junior Associate, Organic Digital & Creative | Washington, DC | 06/19/2025 | $50,000 |
| American Lawyers Group | Junior Associate Attorney | Fairfax, VA | 06/16/2025 | $110,000 |
| Grimmspeed L.L.C | WH Associate Junior PA | Export, PA | 06/16/2025 | $37,566 |
| Holtzbrinck Publishing Group | JR. Contracts Associate | New York, NY | 06/13/2025 | $55,000 |
| Us Default Group Inc. | Junior Associate Attorney | Westbury, NY | 06/12/2025 | $75,000 |
| Santa Clara University | Annual Giving Associate (Junior Class Giving Officer) | Santa Clara, CA | 06/10/2025 | $70,478 |
| Heard & Smith | Junior Associate Disability Attorney | Houston, TX | 06/10/2025 | $50,000 |
| Stoel Rives LLP | Junior Energy Regulatory Associate | San Francisco, CA | 06/09/2025 | $205,000 |
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