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As of October 2025, the average annual salary for a Senior Program Associate stands at $56,190. This position is critical in many sectors, primarily focusing on project management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning. Typically, Senior Program Associates work in non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and private firms.
Geographic location plays a significant role in salary differences. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. The top-paying states for this role include:
Additionally, industry choice impacts earnings. Sectors like healthcare, technology, and finance frequently provide competitive compensation packages. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers make informed decisions about their career paths.
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The average senior program associate salary in California, New York, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior program associate salary states are North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $72,637 | $34.92 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $62,538 | $30.07 |
| 3 | Oregon | $65,392 | $31.44 |
| 4 | Washington | $68,214 | $32.80 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $67,502 | $32.45 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $69,107 | $33.22 |
| 7 | Delaware | $55,149 | $26.51 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $60,511 | $29.09 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $55,287 | $26.58 |
| 10 | California | $78,356 | $37.67 |
| 11 | Nevada | $61,458 | $29.55 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $52,144 | $25.07 |
| 13 | Idaho | $53,119 | $25.54 |
| 14 | Illinois | $54,853 | $26.37 |
| 15 | Utah | $50,046 | $24.06 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $52,197 | $25.09 |
| 17 | Maryland | $59,475 | $28.59 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $46,797 | $22.50 |
| 19 | Michigan | $50,026 | $24.05 |
| 20 | Georgia | $50,053 | $24.06 |
| 21 | Virginia | $55,550 | $26.71 |
| 22 | Montana | $46,562 | $22.39 |
| 23 | Maine | $47,466 | $22.82 |
| 24 | Texas | $49,299 | $23.70 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $47,190 | $22.69 |
| 26 | Florida | $49,344 | $23.72 |
| 27 | Vermont | $52,028 | $25.01 |
| 28 | Arizona | $46,204 | $22.21 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $44,395 | $21.34 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $44,448 | $21.37 |
| 31 | Ohio | $46,746 | $22.47 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $41,306 | $19.86 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $45,055 | $21.66 |
| 34 | Colorado | $43,042 | $20.69 |
| 35 | Alabama | $43,370 | $20.85 |
| 36 | Alaska | $47,016 | $22.60 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $49,333 | $23.72 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $42,308 | $20.34 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $42,153 | $20.27 |
| 40 | Indiana | $42,255 | $20.31 |
| 41 | Kansas | $41,075 | $19.75 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $40,216 | $19.33 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $39,728 | $19.10 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $38,653 | $18.58 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $37,035 | $17.81 |
| 46 | Iowa | $38,291 | $18.41 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $34,172 | $16.43 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $37,069 | $17.82 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $37,937 | $18.24 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $35,640 | $17.13 |
| 51 | Missouri | $36,407 | $17.50 |
The highest-paying cities for senior program associates are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $88,479 | $42.54 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $72,912 | $35.05 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $69,043 | $33.19 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $68,484 | $32.92 |
| 5 | Mount Laurel, NJ | $66,880 | $32.15 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $60,540 | $29.11 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $59,884 | $28.79 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $58,376 | $28.07 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $55,422 | $26.65 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $52,680 | $25.33 |
| 11 | Providence, RI | $52,102 | $25.05 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $50,045 | $24.06 |
| 13 | Austin, TX | $49,668 | $23.88 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $46,100 | $22.16 |
| 15 | Saint Paul, MN | $45,173 | $21.72 |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $43,049 | $20.70 |
| 17 | Durham, NC | $38,664 | $18.59 |
| 18 | Columbus, MS | $38,207 | $18.37 |
| 19 | Omaha, NE | $37,141 | $17.86 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $36,637 | $17.61 |
A senior program associate's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $84,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| Average | $56,190 | $4,683 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
The highest paying types of senior program associates are director, program lead, and senior program officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | $113,489 | $9,457 | $54.56 | 230,711 |
| Sports Director | $61,211 | $5,101 | $29.43 | 13,106 |
| Director Of After School Program | $49,648 | $4,137 | $23.87 | 94,858 |
| Program Director | $80,664 | $6,722 | $38.78 | 82,810 |
| Program Supervisor | $45,460 | $3,788 | $21.86 | 65,551 |
| Program Lead | $100,727 | $8,394 | $48.43 | 61,632 |
Top companies hiring senior program associates now:
Senior program associate salaries at Google and Neuberger Berman are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior program associate salary at companies like VMware and Citi are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $142,193 | $68.36 | |
| 2 | Neuberger Berman | $132,282 | $63.60 |
| 3 | VMware | $130,219 | $62.61 |
| 4 | Citi | $126,183 | $60.66 |
| 5 | J.P. Morgan | $122,223 | $58.76 |
| 6 | Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group | $120,727 | $58.04 |
| 7 | Merrill Lynch | $119,550 | $57.48 |
| 8 | AARP | $119,413 | $57.41 |
| 9 | Guild Education | $115,925 | $55.73 |
| 10 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $114,032 | $54.82 |
| 11 | Pacific Gas and Electric | $113,692 | $54.66 |
| 12 | Amazon | $112,674 | $54.17 |
| 13 | AIG | $110,594 | $53.17 |
| 14 | Celanese | $108,481 | $52.15 |
| 15 | Fidelity Investments | $105,972 | $50.95 |
| 16 | Wells Fargo | $105,615 | $50.78 |
| 17 | Sears Holdings | $102,344 | $49.20 |
| 18 | Grant Thornton | $102,243 | $49.16 |
| 19 | The Aspen Institute | $100,951 | $48.53 |
| 20 | U.S. Pharmacopeia | $100,403 | $48.27 |
The average senior program associate salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $68,402 | $32.89 |
| 2 | Professional | $58,779 | $28.26 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $55,154 | $26.52 |
| 4 | Education | $48,384 | $23.26 |
The average senior program associate salary has risen by $4,221 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior program associate earned $51,969 annually, but today, they earn $56,190 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for senior program associates over the last decade.
Compare senior program associate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare senior program associate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $56,200 | $27.01 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $54,700 | $26.31 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $52,700 | $25.35 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | $52,700 | $25.32 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $52,200 | $25.09 | +3.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Madison House | Program Associate | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $52,905 |
| IREX | Program Associate | Washington, DC | 06/27/2025 | $52,000 |
| Neuberger Berman | Program Associate | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $150,000 |
| Chippewachamber | Day Program Associate | Willingboro, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $43,514 |
| Repair The World | Senior Program Associate | Boston, MA | 06/27/2025 | $52,000 |
| State of Kansas | Program Associate | Shawnee, KS | 06/27/2025 | $39,987 |
| Careers In Nonprofits | Program Associate | Arlington, VA | 06/25/2025 | $54,262 |
| Aspen Institute | Program Associate | Washington, DC | 06/16/2025 | $58,000 |
| Dakota County | Senior Program Associate | West Saint Paul, MN | 06/13/2025 | $50,194 |
| Summer Search | Program Associate | Boston, MA | 06/13/2025 | $53,633 |
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