Post job

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salary estimate

$81,261yearly

$39.07 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$39,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Salaries

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offers competitive salaries, with an average of $81,261 annually. This figure reflects the diverse roles available, from legal positions to regulatory analysts. Top-paying jobs can be found in various departments, emphasizing the importance of specialization and location in determining salary levels.

Salary Variations by State

For those considering relocation, it's essential to note that salaries can vary significantly by state. In some locations, SEC employees may earn considerably more due to cost of living adjustments and demand for specialized skills.

Departmental Salary Insights

Legal departments tend to offer higher salaries, particularly for roles such as attorneys and compliance officers. Understanding departmental differences can help job seekers align their expectations and career goals with potential opportunities at the SEC.

Highest paying jobs at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

The highest paying jobs at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are senior counselor, branch chief, economist, and general counsel. Senior counselor jobs at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earn an average yearly salary of $170,200, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission branch chief jobs average $162,424, and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission economist jobs average $161,907.

The lowest paying U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission roles include office automation clerk and internship. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission office automation clerk average salary is $31,626 per year. So while the average U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salary is $81,261 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

RankJob titleAverage U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaryHourly rate
1Senior Counselor$170,200$81.83
2Branch Chief$162,424$78.09
3Economist$161,907$77.84
4General Counsel$160,215$77.03
5Law Clerk$151,152$72.67
6Staff Attorney$131,224$63.09
7Legal Extern$124,804$60.00
8Attorney General$122,128$58.72
9Information Technology Team Leader$121,194$58.27
10Sharepoint Developer$103,331$49.68
11Senior Business Analyst$101,145$48.63
12Systems Engineer$100,365$48.25
13Finance Compliance Examiner$95,467$45.90
14Database Administrator$94,733$45.54
15Java Developer$94,320$45.35
16Project Manager$93,854$45.12
17Network Engineer$89,576$43.07
18Information Technology Specialist$88,227$42.42
19Finance Analyst$66,292$31.87
20Legal Technician$58,608$28.18

Rate U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's promotion and raise policies.

Zippia waving zebra

Average U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salary by state

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pays the highest salaries in District of Columbia due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaryHourly rate
1District of Columbia$103,400$49.71
2California$100,985$48.55
3New York$97,296$46.78
4Colorado$92,776$44.60
5Massachusetts$89,426$42.99
6Illinois$89,344$42.95
7Texas$82,102$39.47
8Pennsylvania$81,708$39.28
9Georgia$81,174$39.03
10Florida$74,598$35.86

How much does U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pay by location?

The average U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salary varies by location. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaries are the highest in Washington, DC, at $104,132 per year. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pays the second highest average salary in San Francisco, CA, at $103,235 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission locations

RankLocationAverage U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaryHourly rate
1Washington, DC$104,132$50.06
2San Francisco, CA$103,235$49.63
3New York, NY$97,855$47.05
4Denver, CO$93,014$44.72
5Chicago, IL$89,740$43.14
6Boston, MA$89,594$43.07
7Austin, TX$81,855$39.35
8Atlanta, GA$81,451$39.16

Do you work at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission?

Did U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's compensation package meet your expectations?

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaries by department

Salaries at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission vary depending on the department you work in. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $154,113. Employees in the healthcare department at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $151,441 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission include the administrative and the human resources organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $34,796 and $41,816, respectively.

Average U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaryHourly rate
1Corporate Management$154,113$74.09
2Healthcare$151,441$72.81
3Legal$111,511$53.61
4Engineering$103,596$49.81
5IT$90,846$43.68
6Finance$86,262$41.47
7Marketing$63,553$30.55
8Non Profit/Government$60,618$29.14
9Accounting$55,539$26.70
10Research & Development$48,995$23.56
11Education$46,869$22.53
12Human Resources$41,816$20.10
13Administrative$34,797$16.73

How much does U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pay by department?

Best paying U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission legal salaries

RankPositionAverage U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaryHourly rate
1Law Internship$165,628$79.63
2General Counsel$160,215$77.03
3Law Clerk$151,152$72.67
4Staff Attorney$131,224$63.09
5Legal Extern$124,803$60.00
6Attorney General$122,128$58.72
7Expert Witness$77,105$37.07
8Litigation Support Specialist$73,157$35.17
9Legal Technician$58,608$28.18
10Paralegal$49,665$23.88
11Summer Associate$42,810$20.58

Best paying U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission administrative salaries

RankPositionAverage U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaryHourly rate
1Transcriptionist$48,989$23.55
2Document Analyst$44,521$21.40
3Records Administrator$44,371$21.33
4Document Specialist$39,835$19.15
5District Administrator$38,757$18.63
6Secretary$34,173$16.43
7Administrative Support$34,151$16.42
8Library Technician$33,920$16.31
9Administrative Assistant$33,826$16.26
10Office Automation Assistant$32,602$15.67
11Clerk Typist$32,388$15.57
12Office Automation Clerk$31,626$15.20
13Programming Internship$30,432$14.63
14Student Internship$30,024$14.43
15Receptionist$29,248$14.06

Best paying U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission IT salaries

RankPositionAverage U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaryHourly rate
1Senior Officer$174,584$83.93
2Senior Solutions Architect$149,687$71.96
3Enterprise Architect$148,497$71.39
4Data Processing Supervisor$147,773$71.04
5Assistant Director Of Security$146,619$70.49
6PMO Manager$130,071$62.53
7Linux Systems Engineer$122,471$58.88
8Information Technology Project Manager$119,221$57.32
9Desktop Support Team Lead$109,072$52.44
10Database Analyst$100,294$48.22
11Systems Analyst$94,806$45.58
12Network Engineer$89,576$43.07
13Information Technology Specialist$88,227$42.42
14Network Technician$61,174$29.41
15Help Desk Supervisor$59,256$28.49
16Technical Support Specialist$40,996$19.71
17Computer Operator$38,652$18.58
18NOC Technician$37,605$18.08
19Personnel Security Assistant$30,494$14.66

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission competitors, like Morgan Stanley, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Citi, vary. Morgan Stanley employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $103,933. The average salary at Federal Reserve Bank of New York is $92,408 per year, and the average salary at Citi is $75,483 per year.

Highest paying U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Morgan Stanley4.6$103,933
2Federal Reserve Bank of New York4.7$92,408
3Citi4.6$75,483
4Federal Deposit Insurance4.8$71,995
5The Vanguard Group4.6$71,689
6Federal Housing Finance Agency4.2$69,098
7Commodity Futures Trading Commission4.8$65,721
8Federal Trade Commission4.6$65,260
9National Labor Relations Board4.5$61,457
10Prudential Retirement Insurance And Annuity Co3.5$60,890
11U.S. Department of Labor4.4$60,643
12Manhattan District Attorney's Office4.3$60,447
13United States Department of Justice4.6$59,882
14Jacksonville Area Legal Aid4.1$58,752
15Attorney General's Office, Maryland4.3$58,448
16Federal Communications Commission4.7$58,042
17Georgia CASA3.7$57,040
18United States Courts4.7$54,859
19State Bar of Michigan4.2$51,256
20NASAA3.9$44,042

What employees say about salary at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Employee reviews
profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023
Pros of working at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

I had a tremendously wonderful working experience. The more I focused in and worked hard the more I was rewarded and the more friends I got. I knew that my work mattered and that was very satisfying.

Cons of working at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

The place was fair and attempts were made to keep it balanced. However the jobs the agency requires are only elite jobs - attorneys, certified accountants, compliance examiners. So job opportunities were limited.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission benefits

I took a 26 week Securities Law Course top by Georgetown University law instructors and a collage of other Securities instructors. It was terrific! Like all agencies, they offer you more instruction than you can take.

Is this useful?
Work at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission? Share your experience

Frequently asked questions about U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission salaries

Search for jobs

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and its employees or that of Zippia.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may also be known as or be related to Derivatives Policy and Trading Practices, Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.s. Securities And Exchange Commission.