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Program administrator salary
Average program administrator salary
$50,715
Understanding Program Administrator Salaries
In the role of a Program Administrator, professionals typically earn an average salary of $50,715 per year. Salaries can differ based on location, experience, and the specific industry. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher compensation due to the higher cost of living and demand for skilled administrators.
Program Administrators are vital in organizations, overseeing program implementation and ensuring compliance with regulations. They are often found in sectors like education, healthcare, and non-profits, where their expertise in managing resources and programs is essential.
To maximize earning potential, candidates should consider gaining relevant experience and pursuing advanced certifications. Understanding the job market trends, such as the demand for skilled administrators in various industries, can also influence salary expectations. By leveraging this knowledge, you can position yourself effectively in a competitive job market.
Salary Variations by Industry
Industries such as healthcare and technology often pay more due to the complexities involved in program management. For example, healthcare program administrators may earn significantly above the average due to the specialized knowledge required.
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Where can a Program Administrator earn more?
Program administrator salary estimates from across the web
Average program administrator salary by state
The average program administrator salary in Hawaii, California, and Oregon are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average program administrator salary states are Wyoming, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for program administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $68,343 | $32.86 |
| 2 | Arizona | $63,494 | $30.53 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $66,230 | $31.84 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $65,737 | $31.60 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $60,994 | $29.32 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $120,316 | $57.84 |
| 7 | Alaska | $61,765 | $29.69 |
| 8 | Nevada | $59,164 | $28.44 |
| 9 | Washington | $63,976 | $30.76 |
| 10 | California | $72,826 | $35.01 |
| 11 | New York | $57,208 | $27.50 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $54,255 | $26.08 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $58,099 | $27.93 |
| 14 | Iowa | $54,384 | $26.15 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $58,433 | $28.09 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $54,087 | $26.00 |
| 17 | Ohio | $52,348 | $25.17 |
| 18 | Texas | $50,163 | $24.12 |
| 19 | Florida | $50,477 | $24.27 |
| 20 | Georgia | $51,003 | $24.52 |
| 21 | Delaware | $50,044 | $24.06 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $48,854 | $23.49 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $48,629 | $23.38 |
| 24 | Utah | $46,927 | $22.56 |
| 25 | Maine | $48,843 | $23.48 |
| 26 | Maryland | $51,241 | $24.64 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $48,242 | $23.19 |
| 28 | Idaho | $46,878 | $22.54 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $49,018 | $23.57 |
| 30 | Virginia | $50,354 | $24.21 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $49,873 | $23.98 |
| 32 | Colorado | $47,622 | $22.90 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $46,032 | $22.13 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $46,637 | $22.42 |
| 35 | Montana | $45,518 | $21.88 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $45,110 | $21.69 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $42,931 | $20.64 |
| 38 | Illinois | $45,760 | $22.00 |
| 39 | Kansas | $45,236 | $21.75 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $44,121 | $21.21 |
| 41 | Vermont | $46,845 | $22.52 |
| 42 | Michigan | $43,067 | $20.71 |
| 43 | Indiana | $43,964 | $21.14 |
| 44 | Missouri | $44,700 | $21.49 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $44,299 | $21.30 |
| 46 | Alabama | $40,744 | $19.59 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $41,822 | $20.11 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $42,968 | $20.66 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $42,267 | $20.32 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $41,889 | $20.14 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $41,524 | $19.96 |
Highest paying cities for program administrators
The highest-paying cities for program administrators are Urban Honolulu, HI, Richmond, CA, and Eugene, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $120,546 | $57.95 |
| 2 | Richmond, CA | $81,198 | $39.04 |
| 3 | Eugene, OR | $70,466 | $33.88 |
| 4 | Olympia, WA | $65,937 | $31.70 |
| 5 | Camden, NJ | $64,521 | $31.02 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $63,595 | $30.57 |
| 7 | Fairbanks, AK | $62,784 | $30.18 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $61,035 | $29.34 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $58,058 | $27.91 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $57,514 | $27.65 |
| 11 | Memphis, TN | $54,236 | $26.07 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $52,139 | $25.07 |
| 13 | Arlington, VA | $51,759 | $24.88 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | $51,581 | $24.80 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $50,938 | $24.49 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $50,754 | $24.40 |
| 17 | Oklahoma City, OK | $50,060 | $24.07 |
| 18 | Philadelphia, PA | $49,732 | $23.91 |
| 19 | Tallahassee, FL | $49,235 | $23.67 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $48,740 | $23.43 |
Program administrator salary details
A program administrator's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $73,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a program administrator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| Average | $50,715 | $4,226 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying program administrator jobs
The highest paying types of program administrators are senior administrator, lead administrator, and program officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Officer | $79,553 | $6,629 | $38.25 | 118,383 |
| Business Administrator | $72,503 | $6,042 | $34.86 | 103,025 |
| Facilities Administrator | $70,272 | $5,856 | $33.78 | 64,826 |
| Clinic Administrator | $71,242 | $5,937 | $34.25 | 70,844 |
| Office Administrator | $37,423 | $3,119 | $17.99 | 118,096 |
| Managing Administrator | $75,025 | $6,252 | $36.07 | 64,677 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for program 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 program administrators now:
Which companies pay program administrators the most?
Program administrator salaries at Meta and Amdocs are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average program administrator salary at companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and City and County of Denver Government are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $132,375 | $63.64 |
| 2 | Amdocs | $94,201 | $45.29 |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $88,134 | $42.37 |
| 4 | City and County of Denver Government | $86,352 | $41.52 |
| 5 | Amazon | $85,475 | $41.09 |
| 6 | TALENT Software Services | $83,002 | $39.90 |
| 7 | Santa Clara Valley Water District | $82,965 | $39.89 |
| 8 | Maryland Department Of Business & Economic Development | $79,230 | $38.09 |
| 9 | Cubic | $78,555 | $37.77 |
| 10 | Northrop Grumman | $77,232 | $37.13 |
| 11 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $74,277 | $35.71 |
| 12 | City of Pasadena | $74,223 | $35.68 |
| 13 | Loyola Marymount University | $73,597 | $35.38 |
| 14 | Health Research, Inc. | $72,276 | $34.75 |
| 15 | Keysight Technologies | $71,769 | $34.50 |
| 16 | Blackbaud | $71,388 | $34.32 |
| 17 | Curry College | $71,071 | $34.17 |
| 18 | Elevance Health | $70,731 | $34.01 |
| 19 | Solectron Corp | $69,689 | $33.50 |
| 20 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $69,594 | $33.46 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Program Administrator salary by industry
The average program administrator salary varies across industries:
- The average program administrator salary in the government industry is $60,280, the highest of any industry.
- The average program administrator salary in the finance industry is $58,412.
- Program administrators in the retail industry earn an average salary of $47,903, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for program administrators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $60,280 | $28.98 |
| 2 | Technology | $58,412 | $28.08 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $58,391 | $28.07 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $56,816 | $27.32 |
| 5 | Professional | $53,380 | $25.66 |
| 6 | Health Care | $51,439 | $24.73 |
| 7 | Education | $48,862 | $23.49 |
| 8 | Retail | $47,903 | $23.03 |
High paying program administrator jobs
Program administrator salary trends
The average program administrator salary has risen by $9,255 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average program administrator earned $41,460 annually, but today, they earn $50,715 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for program administrators over the last decade.
Compare program administrator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average program administrator salary over time
Compare program administrator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Program administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,700 | $24.38 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $49,000 | $23.58 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $47,900 | $23.04 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $47,400 | $22.78 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $46,600 | $22.38 | +2.4% |
Recently added program administrator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Research Program Administration Officer II, Steward Observatory | Tucson, AZ | 06/30/2025 | $59,404 |
| University of Colorado | Program Administrator-Cwssp | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/30/2025 | $38,964 |
| State of Florida | Revenue Program Administrator I-SES | Tallahassee, FL | 06/29/2025 | $83,620 |
| State of Ohio | Program Administrator 3 (QIC) | Lancaster, OH | 06/29/2025 | $78,325 |
| Medimpact Healthcare Systems | Specialty Drug Program Administrator | Tempe, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $34,265 |
| Global | Program Administrator | Beachwood, OH | 06/29/2025 | $48,000 |
| Get It-Hospitality | Business Line Program Administrator-Remote | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $65,000 |
| Massachusetts Clean Energy Center | Program Administrator-Student and Young Adult Programming | Boston, MA | 06/29/2025 | $50,000 |
| Bankeasy | Program Oversight Administrator | Sioux Falls, SD | 06/29/2025 | $50,835 |
| Alliant Insurance Services | Wrap-Up Program Administrator | Chicago, IL | 06/28/2025 | $70,000 |
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