As of April 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Bursar in the United States is $38, which translates to an annual salary of about $78,240.
However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:
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A Bursar's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Bursar's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Bursar | $71,803 |
| Intermediate Level Bursar | $72,876 |
| Senior Level Bursar | $75,022 |
| Specialist Level Bursar | $78,240 |
| Expert Level Bursar | $80,902 |
What Am I Worth?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Bursars. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Demanded Skills for the Role:
| Skills | Demand Percentage |
|---|---|
| Customer Service | 7.28% |
| Microsoft Office | 2.3% |
| PeopleSoft | 1.53% |
| Skill | Salary | Salary % Increase |
|---|---|---|
|
Data-Driven Decision-Making
|
$109,536 |
40%
|
|
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
|
$89,194 |
14%
|
|
Auditing
|
$87,629 |
12%
|
|
ERP
|
$87,629 |
12%
|
|
Microsoft Excel
|
$86,064 |
10%
|
|
Internal Control
|
$85,282 |
9%
|
Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Bursars enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Bursar with a Bachelor's Degree is between $79,196 and $88,452).
Bursar Salaries by Degree Level
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 14.7% |
| High School | 14.7% |
| Associates | 14.7% |
| Bachelors | 38.2% |
| Masters | 32.4% |
| Doctorate | 0.0% |
Understanding how a Bursar's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Last Updated on April 01, 2026Salaries for a Bursar can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $78,014 in 2023 to around $78,143 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Bursar salary trends, .
| Year | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
View More
|
| 2023 | $78,014 |
| 2024 | $78,539 |
| 2025 | $78,143 |
| 2026 |
View More
|
| 2027 |
View More
|
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Compensation PlanningHere are companies hiring for Bursar and their salaries, click below for more details.
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Manages the process of billing students for tuition and fees and overseeing the collection of payments. Maintains accurate records of all financial transactions related to students and the institution. Monitors and approves account reconciliation. Ensures compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and institutional policies. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a director. Typically manages through subordinate managers and professionals in larger groups of moderate complexity. Provides input to strategic decisions that affect the functional area of responsibility. May give input into developing the budget. Typically requires 3+ years of managerial experience. Capable of resolving escalated issues arising from operations and requiring coordination with other departments.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Customer Service: Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
PeopleSoft: PeopleSoft is an e-business software product line owned by Oracle. PeopleSoft originally offered human resources and finance applications.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
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