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Senior economist salary
Average senior economist salary
$108,720
Understanding Senior Economist Salaries
The average salary for a Senior Economist in the United States stands at $108,720 annually, translating to approximately $52 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment. For example, economists working in finance or government roles often command higher salaries compared to those in academia.
In states like California and New York, Senior Economists can expect some of the highest earnings, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled economic analysis. As businesses increasingly rely on data-driven insights, the demand for experienced economists continues to grow, creating numerous job opportunities in diverse industries.
Key Factors Influencing Salary
- Experience: Economists with more years in the field tend to earn significantly more.
- Industry: Positions in finance, healthcare, and government typically offer higher compensation.
- Location: Urban areas with a high cost of living often provide better salary packages.
Career advancement opportunities are also prevalent, with many Senior Economists moving into managerial roles, further increasing their earning potential.
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Where can a Senior Economist earn more?
Senior economist salary estimates from across the web
Average senior economist salary by state
The average senior economist salary in California, Montana, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior economist salary states are Arizona, Wisconsin, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior economists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $127,662 | $61.38 |
| 2 | Alaska | $116,282 | $55.90 |
| 3 | Washington | $113,250 | $54.45 |
| 4 | Vermont | $110,327 | $53.04 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | $112,786 | $54.22 |
| 6 | Virginia | $113,461 | $54.55 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $113,474 | $54.55 |
| 8 | Montana | $117,397 | $56.44 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $109,873 | $52.82 |
| 10 | California | $118,123 | $56.79 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $103,636 | $49.83 |
| 12 | Illinois | $108,342 | $52.09 |
| 13 | Texas | $103,469 | $49.74 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $102,065 | $49.07 |
| 15 | Nevada | $101,092 | $48.60 |
| 16 | Maryland | $103,042 | $49.54 |
| 17 | Delaware | $101,797 | $48.94 |
| 18 | New York | $103,313 | $49.67 |
| 19 | Iowa | $103,992 | $50.00 |
| 20 | Missouri | $98,192 | $47.21 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $94,120 | $45.25 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $98,446 | $47.33 |
| 23 | Maine | $102,570 | $49.31 |
| 24 | Kansas | $99,246 | $47.71 |
| 25 | Utah | $97,115 | $46.69 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $93,865 | $45.13 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $96,260 | $46.28 |
| 28 | Colorado | $93,306 | $44.86 |
| 29 | Oregon | $93,862 | $45.13 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $97,634 | $46.94 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $89,256 | $42.91 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $88,803 | $42.69 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $93,114 | $44.77 |
| 34 | Michigan | $90,160 | $43.35 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $85,885 | $41.29 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $96,006 | $46.16 |
| 37 | Ohio | $84,452 | $40.60 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $91,731 | $44.10 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $83,997 | $40.38 |
| 40 | New Jersey | $83,671 | $40.23 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $83,035 | $39.92 |
| 42 | Indiana | $84,555 | $40.65 |
| 43 | Georgia | $84,489 | $40.62 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $59,387 | $28.55 |
| 45 | Idaho | $64,314 | $30.92 |
| 46 | Florida | $72,180 | $34.70 |
| 47 | Alabama | $75,954 | $36.52 |
| 48 | Arizona | $69,686 | $33.50 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $65,671 | $31.57 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $61,873 | $29.75 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $59,667 | $28.69 |
Highest paying cities for senior economists
The highest-paying cities for senior economists are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and McLean, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $129,145 | $62.09 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $123,904 | $59.57 |
| 3 | McLean, VA | $115,611 | $55.58 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $114,449 | $55.02 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $110,332 | $53.04 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $109,411 | $52.60 |
| 7 | Arlington, TX | $104,398 | $50.19 |
| 8 | White Plains, NY | $103,688 | $49.85 |
| 9 | Rockville, MD | $103,144 | $49.59 |
| 10 | Albuquerque, NM | $94,456 | $45.41 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $93,420 | $44.91 |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $93,318 | $44.86 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $91,906 | $44.19 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $85,922 | $41.31 |
| 15 | Durham, NC | $84,640 | $40.69 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $84,416 | $40.58 |
| 17 | Hoboken, NJ | $83,722 | $40.25 |
| 18 | Dania Beach, FL | $69,922 | $33.62 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $69,911 | $33.61 |
| 20 | Murfreesboro, TN | $61,774 | $29.70 |
Senior economist salary details
A senior economist's salary ranges from $61,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $191,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior economist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $191,000 | $15,917 | $92 |
| 75th Percentile | $146,000 | $12,167 | $70 |
| Average | $108,720 | $9,060 | $52 |
| 25th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
Highest paying senior economist jobs
The highest paying types of senior economists are economist research assistant, economist, and econometrician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Development Internship | $37,977 | $3,165 | $18.26 | 92,622 |
| Economic Developer | $51,285 | $4,274 | $24.66 | 72,804 |
| Agricultural Economist | $71,697 | $5,975 | $34.47 | 1,119 |
| Economist | $109,102 | $9,092 | $52.45 | 1,029 |
| Energy Economist | $58,368 | $4,864 | $28.06 | 3,512 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior economists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Pattabiraman Neelakantan Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Top companies hiring senior economists now:
Which companies pay senior economists the most?
Senior economist salaries at Cornerstone Research and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior economist salary at companies like Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and Federal Reserve Bank Services are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornerstone Research | $191,990 | $92.30 |
| 2 | Federal Reserve Bank of Boston | $187,427 | $90.11 |
| 3 | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis | $187,409 | $90.10 |
| 4 | Federal Reserve Bank Services | $186,675 | $89.75 |
| 5 | Federal Reserve Bank of New York | $180,625 | $86.84 |
| 6 | Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco | $180,292 | $86.68 |
| 7 | Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas | $175,504 | $84.38 |
| 8 | Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond | $157,770 | $75.85 |
| 9 | Baker McKenzie | $156,759 | $75.36 |
| 10 | Hess | $150,217 | $72.22 |
| 11 | Federal Reserve Bank | $149,771 | $72.01 |
| 12 | Ginnie Mae | $146,214 | $70.30 |
| 13 | Expedia Group | $144,554 | $69.50 |
| 14 | Genentech | $143,358 | $68.92 |
| 15 | Compass Lexecon | $142,587 | $68.55 |
| 16 | LECG Corp | $142,069 | $68.30 |
| 17 | Econ One Research | $140,096 | $67.35 |
| 18 | Navigant Consulting | $139,043 | $66.85 |
| 19 | FTI Consulting | $138,570 | $66.62 |
| 20 | Economists Incorporated | $137,440 | $66.08 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior economist salary trends
The average senior economist salary has risen by $17,861 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior economist earned $90,859 annually, but today, they earn $108,720 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for senior economists over the last decade.
Compare senior economist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior economist salary over time
Compare senior economist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior economist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $109,000 | $52.27 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.66 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | $105,000 | $50.33 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $103,000 | $49.44 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $101,000 | $48.75 | +1.9% |
Recently added senior economist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costello Medical | Senior Health Economist | Boston, MA | 06/14/2025 | $95,000 |
| Amazon | SR Economist, Selling Partner Growth | Seattle, WA | 06/12/2025 | $143,300 |
| Amazon | SR. Economist, Marketing Measurement and Performance Science (Maps) | New York, NY | 06/06/2025 | $143,300 |
| Citigroup Inc. | VP, Senior Economist/Senior Scenario Design Expert-C13 (Hybrid) | Irving, TX | 05/29/2025 | $125,760 |
| Berkeley Research Group | Senior Antitrust Economist | Washington, DC | 05/26/2025 | $125,000 |
| Jpmorgan Chase | Senior Economist, Retail-Executive Director | New York, NY | 05/19/2025 | $175,750 |
| Jpmorgan Chase & Co | Senior Economist, Retail-Executive Director | New York, NY | 05/18/2025 | $175,750 |
| Aon Corporation | Senior Labor Economist | Washington, DC | 05/17/2025 | $125,000 |
| State of New York | Senior Economist, Economic Analysis & Research | Albany, NY | 05/16/2025 | $100,000 |
| Akraya Inc. | Senior Economist | Washington, DC | 05/15/2025 | $117,394 |
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