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Program assistant salary
Average program assistant salary
$35,193
Average Program Assistant Salary
The average salary for a Program Assistant is $35,193 per year. This figure can vary based on factors such as experience level, geographic location, and the specific industry in which one works. Entry-level positions typically start at lower salaries, while those with more experience can earn significantly more.
Salary by Experience Level
Program Assistants with 1-3 years of experience can expect to earn around $30,000 to $35,000. With 4-7 years, salaries often rise to approximately $40,000. Those with over 7 years may command salaries exceeding $45,000, reflecting their enhanced skills and responsibilities.
Location Matters
Salary also varies significantly by state. For example, Program Assistants in California often have higher salaries due to the cost of living, while those in Texas may earn less but benefit from a lower cost of living. Major cities like New York and San Francisco typically offer the highest salaries, but it's essential to balance salary with living expenses.
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Where can a Program Assistant earn more?
Program assistant salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level program assistant | $24,400 | $11.74 |
| Mid-level program assistant | $34,700 | $16.67 |
| Senior-level program assistant | $39,800 | $19.13 |
Average program assistant salary by state
The average program assistant salary in Connecticut, California, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average program assistant salary states are Georgia, Alabama, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for program assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $42,124 | $20.25 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $36,270 | $17.44 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $48,181 | $23.16 |
| 4 | Colorado | $37,564 | $18.06 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $36,326 | $17.46 |
| 6 | New York | $38,294 | $18.41 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $34,818 | $16.74 |
| 8 | Ohio | $34,752 | $16.71 |
| 9 | Oregon | $34,955 | $16.81 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $36,510 | $17.55 |
| 11 | Nevada | $34,678 | $16.67 |
| 12 | Texas | $33,975 | $16.33 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $33,224 | $15.97 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $33,140 | $15.93 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $34,412 | $16.54 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $33,529 | $16.12 |
| 17 | Illinois | $34,187 | $16.44 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $32,904 | $15.82 |
| 19 | California | $39,612 | $19.04 |
| 20 | Arizona | $33,046 | $15.89 |
| 21 | Maine | $33,098 | $15.91 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $35,361 | $17.00 |
| 23 | Florida | $33,310 | $16.01 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $32,851 | $15.79 |
| 25 | Idaho | $31,825 | $15.30 |
| 26 | Iowa | $31,963 | $15.37 |
| 27 | Delaware | $33,096 | $15.91 |
| 28 | Kansas | $32,554 | $15.65 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $31,198 | $15.00 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $32,218 | $15.49 |
| 31 | Alaska | $31,189 | $14.99 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $30,147 | $14.49 |
| 33 | Michigan | $30,716 | $14.77 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $32,163 | $15.46 |
| 35 | Washington | $35,064 | $16.86 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $31,168 | $14.98 |
| 37 | Vermont | $32,376 | $15.57 |
| 38 | Indiana | $30,974 | $14.89 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $30,915 | $14.86 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $30,786 | $14.80 |
| 41 | Maryland | $33,461 | $16.09 |
| 42 | Montana | $29,499 | $14.18 |
| 43 | Utah | $29,373 | $14.12 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $30,516 | $14.67 |
| 45 | Missouri | $30,933 | $14.87 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $30,222 | $14.53 |
| 47 | Virginia | $31,899 | $15.34 |
| 48 | Georgia | $30,031 | $14.44 |
| 49 | Alabama | $29,683 | $14.27 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $28,053 | $13.49 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $28,103 | $13.51 |
Highest paying cities for program assistants
The highest-paying cities for program assistants are Washington, DC, San Jose, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $48,184 | $23.17 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $40,302 | $19.38 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $38,405 | $18.46 |
| 4 | Colorado Springs, CO | $37,601 | $18.08 |
| 5 | Toms River, NJ | $36,626 | $17.61 |
| 6 | Madison, WI | $36,217 | $17.41 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $35,354 | $17.00 |
| 8 | Eugene, OR | $35,343 | $16.99 |
| 9 | Olympia, WA | $35,305 | $16.97 |
| 10 | Saint Paul, MN | $34,876 | $16.77 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $34,627 | $16.65 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $34,522 | $16.60 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $34,211 | $16.45 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $34,097 | $16.39 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $33,567 | $16.14 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $33,354 | $16.04 |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | $33,080 | $15.90 |
| 18 | Nashua, NH | $33,023 | $15.88 |
| 19 | Gainesville, FL | $33,008 | $15.87 |
| 20 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $32,865 | $15.80 |
Program Assistants are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Program assistant salary details
A program assistant's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a program assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $35,193 | $2,933 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying program assistant jobs
The highest paying types of program assistants are program advisor, assistant program manager, and program administrator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistance Coordinator | $40,825 | $3,402 | $19.63 | 40,448 |
| Program Coordinator | $45,068 | $3,756 | $21.67 | 102,464 |
| Program Technician | $42,891 | $3,574 | $20.62 | 83,881 |
| Program Instructor | $42,380 | $3,532 | $20.38 | 92,369 |
| Program Facilitator | $40,024 | $3,335 | $19.24 | 103,247 |
| Program Advisor | $55,656 | $4,638 | $26.76 | 109,307 |
Which companies pay program assistants the most?
Program assistant salaries at The Aspen Institute and Champlain College are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average program assistant salary at companies like Brigham and Women's Hospital and University of Massachusetts Boston are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Aspen Institute | $59,258 | $28.49 |
| 2 | Champlain College | $57,670 | $27.73 |
| 3 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $56,554 | $27.19 |
| 4 | University of Massachusetts Boston | $55,912 | $26.88 |
| 5 | Long Beach City College | $55,211 | $26.54 |
| 6 | Social Science Research Council | $55,012 | $26.45 |
| 7 | Zoetis | $54,018 | $25.97 |
| 8 | Medical University of South Carolina | $53,219 | $25.59 |
| 9 | University of Connecticut | $52,970 | $25.47 |
| 10 | Rocky Mountain Institute | $52,771 | $25.37 |
| 11 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $52,358 | $25.17 |
| 12 | Vital Voices | $52,307 | $25.15 |
| 13 | NRDC | $52,157 | $25.08 |
| 14 | National Football League | $51,516 | $24.77 |
| 15 | Kean University | $51,324 | $24.68 |
| 16 | Seattle Cancer Care Alliance | $50,908 | $24.48 |
| 17 | Loyola University Maryland | $50,300 | $24.18 |
| 18 | Atlantic Council | $50,288 | $24.18 |
| 19 | American Society of Civil Engineers | $50,281 | $24.17 |
| 20 | Regis College | $50,164 | $24.12 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Program Assistant salary by industry
The average program assistant salary varies across industries:
- The average program assistant salary in the government industry is $41,993, the highest of any industry.
- The average program assistant salary in the finance industry is $40,495.
- Program assistants in the health care industry earn an average salary of $36,016, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for program assistants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $41,993 | $20.19 |
| 2 | Professional | $40,495 | $19.47 |
| 3 | Education | $36,940 | $17.76 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $36,460 | $17.53 |
| 5 | Health Care | $36,016 | $17.32 |
High paying program assistant jobs
Program assistant salary trends
The average program assistant salary has risen by $7,066 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average program assistant earned $28,127 annually, but today, they earn $35,193 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for program assistants over the last decade.
Compare program assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average program assistant salary over time
Compare program assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Program assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,200 | $16.92 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $34,300 | $16.50 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $33,000 | $15.88 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $32,400 | $15.58 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $31,100 | $14.97 | +3.1% |
Recently added program assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBP Holdings | Manager-Disaster Assistance Program | New Orleans, LA | 06/30/2025 | $62,000 |
| University of Arkansas | Program Assistant | Bono, AR | 06/30/2025 | $33,000 |
| Ford Foundation | Program Assistant (Open Application for Future Openings) | New York, NY | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| North Dakota University System | Summer Camp Programming Assistant | Fargo, ND | 06/30/2025 | $31,305 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Temporary Program Coordinator, Learning Assistant Program | Boulder, CO | 06/30/2025 | $57,393 |
| Catholic Charities | Dvsa Program Shelter Assistant | Council Bluffs, IA | 06/30/2025 | $41,740 |
| Turn Community Services | Sandy Cottages Residential Program Assistant | Sandy, UT | 06/30/2025 | $39,653 |
| Bay Area Discovery Museum | Playful Program Assistant | Sausalito, CA | 06/29/2025 | $45,371 |
| Passaic County Community College | Program Assistant, SSS | Paterson, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Get It-Professional Services | Program Assistant-Remote | WFH | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $50,000 |
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