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Social Security Administration salary estimate

$44,991yearly

$21.63 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$27,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Salaries at the Social Security Administration

The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers a variety of salaries that reflect the diverse roles and responsibilities across its departments. On average, employees earn $44,991 per year; however, this figure can vary significantly depending on the position held.

Highest Paying Positions

Roles such as technical experts and general counsels are among the highest paying, with average annual salaries of $122,509 and $122,381, respectively. In contrast, entry-level positions like student employees earn approximately $26,126, highlighting the salary disparities based on roles.

Impact of Location

Location also influences salary levels. For instance, SSA employees in New York tend to receive higher compensation due to the city's elevated cost of living. The engineering department stands out with an average salary of $84,517, while customer service roles offer lower compensation, averaging $39,742.

Comparison with Competitors

When compared to competitors in the sector, like the Federal Housing Finance Agency and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, SSA salaries are competitive. Understanding these factors can assist potential candidates in making informed career decisions.

Highest paying jobs at Social Security Administration

The highest paying jobs at Social Security Administration are technical expert, general counsel, attorney, and security administrator. Technical expert jobs at Social Security Administration earn an average yearly salary of $122,509, Social Security Administration general counsel jobs average $122,381, and Social Security Administration attorney jobs average $94,474.

The lowest paying Social Security Administration roles include student employee and clerical aide. Social Security Administration student employee average salary is $26,126 per year. So while the average Social Security Administration salary is $44,991 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Social Security Administration

RankJob titleAverage Social Security Administration salaryHourly rate
1Technical Expert$122,509$58.90
2General Counsel$122,381$58.84
3Attorney$94,474$45.42
4Security Administrator$90,989$43.74
5Court Reporter$85,878$41.29
6Management Analyst$84,006$40.39
7Program Analyst$83,831$40.30
8Project Manager$79,145$38.05
9Hearings Reporter$75,600$36.35
10Benefit Authorizer$64,822$31.16
11Operation Supervisor$60,147$28.92
12Senior Technologist$56,745$27.28
13Secretary$56,279$27.06
14Claim Specialist$55,597$26.73
15Legal Administrator$54,266$26.09
16Disability Examiner$52,887$25.43
17Claim Processor$48,514$23.32
18Case Manager$47,147$22.67
19Claims Representative$46,486$22.35
20Legal Assistant$45,809$22.02

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Average Social Security Administration salary by state

Social Security Administration pays the highest salaries in New York due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage Social Security Administration salaryHourly rate
1New York$51,397$24.71
2Massachusetts$50,533$24.29
3Maryland$48,349$23.24
4Washington$48,167$23.16
5California$47,484$22.83
6Colorado$46,837$22.52
7Pennsylvania$46,670$22.44
8Illinois$46,402$22.31
9Virginia$44,977$21.62
10Missouri$43,318$20.83
11Georgia$42,969$20.66
12Kentucky$42,203$20.29
13Idaho$41,843$20.12
14Texas$41,762$20.08
15Tennessee$41,147$19.78
16New Mexico$39,547$19.01
17South Carolina$39,497$18.99

How much does Social Security Administration pay by location?

The average Social Security Administration salary varies by location. Social Security Administration salaries are the highest in New York, NY, at $51,450 per year. Social Security Administration pays the second highest average salary in Woodlawn, MD, at $48,394 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Social Security Administration locations

RankLocationAverage Social Security Administration salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$51,450$24.74
2Woodlawn, MD$48,394$23.27
3Auburn, WA$48,176$23.16
4Richmond, CA$47,714$22.94
5Minneapolis, MN$47,624$22.90
6Aurora, CO$46,835$22.52
7Chicago, IL$46,604$22.41
8Sterling Heights, MI$46,601$22.40
9Anchorage, AK$45,446$21.85
10Cincinnati, OH$43,648$20.98
11Waterloo, IA$43,575$20.95
12Kansas City, MO$43,136$20.74
13Atlanta, GA$43,088$20.72
14Hutchinson, KS$42,979$20.66
15Lubbock, TX$42,513$20.44
16Indianapolis, IN$41,781$20.09
17Salt Lake City, UT$41,069$19.74
18Birmingham, AL$40,476$19.46
19Fayetteville, AR$40,165$19.31
20Orlando, FL$40,060$19.26

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Social Security Administration salaries by department

Salaries at Social Security Administration vary depending on the department you work in. Social Security Administration salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $84,517. Employees in the it department at Social Security Administration receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $66,736 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Social Security Administration include the administrative and the customer service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $38,884 and $39,742, respectively.

Average Social Security Administration salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Social Security Administration salaryHourly rate
1Engineering$84,517$40.63
2IT$66,736$32.08
3Legal$59,758$28.73
4Non Profit/Government$55,610$26.74
5Human Resources$54,044$25.98
6Finance$46,456$22.33
7Sales$44,453$21.37
8Customer Service$39,743$19.11
9Administrative$38,885$18.69

How much does Social Security Administration pay by department?

Best paying Social Security Administration customer service salaries

RankPositionAverage Social Security Administration salaryHourly rate
1Disability Examiner$52,887$25.43
2Customer Service Technician$45,206$21.73
3Contact Representative$42,381$20.38
4Claims Assistant$40,717$19.58
5Service Representative$40,538$19.49
6Claims Clerk$39,089$18.79

Best paying Social Security Administration administrative salaries

RankPositionAverage Social Security Administration salaryHourly rate
1Records Analyst$56,351$27.09
2Secretary$56,279$27.06
3Data Entry Associate$49,986$24.03
4Intake Specialist$48,075$23.11
5Administrative Assistant$41,978$20.18
6Recording Technician$41,535$19.97
7Data Entry Operator$40,132$19.29
8Administrative Internship$40,011$19.24
9Student Internship$38,502$18.51
10Office Assistant$37,904$18.22
11File Clerk$35,926$17.27
12Receptionist$35,679$17.15
13Office Clerk$33,138$15.93
14Typist$32,886$15.81
15Clerical Aide$30,800$14.81
16Student Employee$26,126$12.56

Best paying Social Security Administration finance salaries

RankPositionAverage Social Security Administration salaryHourly rate
1Program Management Analyst$89,166$42.87
2Program Analyst$83,831$40.30
3Consultant$74,361$35.75
4Claim Specialist$55,597$26.73
5Claim Processor$48,514$23.32
6Claims Representative$46,486$22.35
7Insurance Specialist$38,585$18.55

Social Security Administration competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Social Security Administration competitors, like Federal Housing Finance Agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Keystone Collections Group, vary. Federal Housing Finance Agency employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $69,098. The average salary at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is $62,012 per year, and the average salary at Keystone Collections Group is $60,005 per year.

Highest paying Social Security Administration competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Federal Housing Finance Agency4.2$69,098
2U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement4.5$62,012
3Keystone Collections Group3.7$60,005
4Levy County Supervisor of Elections - Tammy Jones4.0$58,336
5Federal Communications Commission4.7$58,042
6Texas Municipal League3.5$57,691
7Tennessee Farm Bureau3.9$56,895
8Early Learning Coalition of Lake County4.1$56,275
9Will County Center for Community Concerns4.2$50,939
10County of Ocean3.8$49,558
11Aloha Care4.2$46,764
12Internal Revenue Service4.5$44,887
13Oklahoma Farm Bureau3.2$42,778
14Us Railroad Retirement Board3.9$42,153
15Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority3.8$39,454
16Georgia Farm Bureau4.5$39,195
17Social Security Corporation3.9$38,577
18Louisiana Workforce Commission4.1$37,750
19U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs4.1$35,284
20Kansas Farm Bureau3.7$32,432

What employees say about salary at Social Security Administration

Employee reviews
profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros of working at Social Security Administration

Great work life balance.

Cons of working at Social Security Administration

Bureaucracy, and lots of it.

Social Security Administration benefits

Flexible schedule, good benefits.

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Frequently asked questions about Social Security Administration salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Social Security Administration, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Social Security Administration. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Social Security Administration. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Social Security Administration. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Social Security Administration and its employees or that of Zippia.

Social Security Administration may also be known as or be related to Social Security Administration.