What are the main factors that influence a Lead's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Lead's salary?

A Lead's salary grows with experience: starting around $64,921 for beginners, reaching about $66,428 at mid-level, and approach $72,752 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Lead?

Lead salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead roles are District of Columbia $76,308, California $76,018, Massachusetts $75,005. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead roles make?

Salaries for Lead level roles vary by specialization: Lead Architect: $177,320; Technology Lead: $134,036; Lead Nurse: $116,290; Lead Buyer: $114,490; Lead Pastor: $109,090.

How do different companies affect a Lead's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Lead Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead in the United States is $68,920 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.

However, a Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $86,699
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59,047 to $78,226
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $50,058

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

AI Onboarding

AI-Powered Talent

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Lead Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$78,226	$6,519	$1,504	$38
Average	$68,920	$5,743	$1,325	$33
25th Percentile	$59,047	$4,921	$1,136	$28

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Lead Job Openings in the United States

Lead Dentist

Roligo Dental - WEBSTER, NY

Lead Teacher

First Care Health Center - PARK RIVER, ND

Clinical Lead

Ascension - HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL

Technical Lead B

Primo Brands - SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY

Search More Lead Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Lead Salaries

A Lead'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.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead'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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $64,921
Early Career (1-2 years): $65,223
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $66,428
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $69,878
Expert (over 8 years): $72,752

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Lead	$64,921
Intermediate Level Lead	$65,223
Senior Level Lead	$66,428
Specialist Level Lead	$69,878
Expert Level Lead	$72,752

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead Salaries Vary from State to State?

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 Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $76,308.
California: $76,018.
Massachusetts: $75,005.

District of Columbia $76,308 California $76,018 Massachusetts $75,005 Washington $74,729 New Jersey $74,702 Alaska $74,605 Connecticut $73,654 New York $73,268

Hawaii $72,035 Rhode Island $71,456 Maryland $71,063 Minnesota $70,525 Colorado $70,319 Illinois $70,250 Oregon $69,988 Delaware $69,795

New Hampshire $69,673 Virginia $69,402 Pennsylvania $68,609 Nevada $68,210 North Dakota $68,079 Michigan $67,872 Wisconsin $67,796 Vermont $67,644

Texas $67,224 Maine $67,197 Arizona $67,155 Ohio $67,107 Georgia $66,473 Indiana $66,156 Wyoming $66,094 Utah $65,997

Iowa $65,956 Kansas $65,625 Louisiana $65,529 North Carolina $65,494 Missouri $65,480 Florida $65,212 Montana $65,067 Nebraska $64,929

Kentucky $64,853 South Carolina $64,578 Tennessee $64,405 Idaho $64,336 New Mexico $63,833 Oklahoma $63,723 Alabama $63,316 South Dakota $62,634

Arkansas $62,262 West Virginia $62,062 Mississippi $61,462

Top Paying Cities for Leads

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $86,928
San Francisco: $86,074
Oakland: $84,164

San Jose, CA $86,928

San Francisco, CA $86,074

Oakland, CA $84,164

New York, NY $79,871

Queens Village, NY $79,354

Paramus, NJ $78,803

Passaic, NJ $78,734

Bergenfield, NJ $78,665

Stamford, CT $78,561

Huntington, NY $78,492

Newark, NJ $78,044

Bridgeport, CT $77,907

New Brunswick, NJ $77,679

Vallejo, CA $77,534

Middlesex, NJ $77,493

Somerset, NJ $77,431

Petaluma, CA $77,273

Santa Cruz, CA $77,004

Boston, MA $76,866

Monterey, CA $76,521

Fairbanks, AK $76,473

Los Angeles, CA $76,342

Washington, DC $76,308

Seattle, WA $76,184

Santa Rosa, CA $76,170

Juneau, AK $75,970

Orange, CA $75,743

Anchorage, AK $75,618

Anaheim, CA $75,570

Santa Ana, CA $75,467

Nassau, NY $75,426

Long Beach, CA $75,398

Danbury, CT $75,377

Santa Maria, CA $75,143

Everett, WA $75,129

Bremerton, WA $74,791

Trenton, NJ $74,660

Sacramento, CA $74,633

San Diego, CA $74,598

Brockton, MA $74,571

Tacoma, WA $74,543

Santa Barbara, CA $74,447

Lowell, MA $74,171

New Suffolk, NY $74,144

Nashua, NH $74,061

Lompoc, CA $73,951

Ventura, CA $73,882

Stockton, CA $73,861

New Haven, CT $73,723

Atlantic City, NJ $73,544

Hartford, CT $73,392

Modesto, CA $73,358

Poughkeepsie, NY $73,206

New Britain, CT $73,172

Olympia, WA $73,075

Kennewick, WA $73,075

New London, CT $73,062

Norwich, CT $73,041

Lawrence, MA $73,006

Bakersfield, CA $72,813

Riverside, CA $72,717

New Bedford, MA $72,717

Richland, WA $72,648

Portsmouth, NH $72,593

Vineland, NJ $72,579

San Bernardino, CA $72,524

Boulder, CO $72,331

Worcester, MA $72,276

Portland, OR $72,214

Saint Paul, MN $72,131

Minneapolis, MN $72,131

Philadelphia, PA $72,035

Honolulu, HI $71,669

Springfield, MA $71,428

Providence, RI $71,421

Chicago, IL $71,221

Bellingham, WA $71,139

Baltimore, MD $71,063

Chico, CA $70,891

Wilmington, DE $70,773

Pittsfield, MA $70,705

Manchester, NH $70,574

Spokane, WA $70,270

Denver, CO $70,263

Albany, NY $69,940

Troy, NY $69,912

Schenectady, NY $69,767

Burlington, VT $69,616

Portland, ME $69,374

Salem, OR $69,319

Yakima, WA $69,305

Ann Arbor, MI $69,285

Rochester, MN $69,092

Fresno, CA $69,057

Reno, NV $69,057

Milwaukee, WI $68,995

Detroit, MI $68,926

Allentown, PA $68,906

Carson City, NV $68,899

Houston, TX $68,795

Colorado Springs, CO $68,789

Syracuse, NY $68,754

Eugene, OR $68,623

Bismarck, ND $68,540

Gary, IN $68,540

Galveston, TX $68,540

Springfield, OR $68,485

Medford, OR $68,320

Fort Collins, CO $68,292

Austin, TX $68,237

Mesa, AZ $68,092

Phoenix, AZ $68,079

Dallas, TX $68,058

Reading, PA $68,017

Saint Cloud, MN $67,989

Concord, NH $67,927

Madison, WI $67,899

Utica, NY $67,713

Raleigh, NC $67,658

Las Vegas, NV $67,651

Rochester, NY $67,603

Des Moines, IA $67,596

Atlanta, GA $67,486

Battle Creek, MI $67,465

Salt Lake City, UT $67,445

Lancaster, PA $67,341

Champaign, IL $67,327

Harrisburg, PA $67,245

Durham, NC $67,183

Kansas City, MO $67,176

Kansas City, KS $67,162

Fort Worth, TX $67,155

Boca Raton, FL $67,128

Cleveland, OH $67,121

Columbus, OH $67,107

Pittsburgh, PA $67,100

Richmond, VA $67,072

Indianapolis, IN $67,059

Cincinnati, OH $66,969

Petersburg, VA $66,866

Billings, MT $66,714

Lansing, MI $66,714

Huntsville, AL $66,714

Lebanon, PA $66,707

Dayton, OH $66,700

Pueblo, CO $66,700

Appleton, WI $66,680

Buffalo, NY $66,652

Racine, WI $66,618

Charlotte, NC $66,611

Saint Louis, MO $66,590

Springfield, IL $66,562

Elkhart, IN $66,549

York, PA $66,549

Gastonia, NC $66,542

Benton Harbor, MI $66,542

Beaumont, TX $66,500

Lorain, OH $66,487

Toledo, OH $66,459

Binghamton, NY $66,425

Rock Hill, SC $66,418

Rockford, IL $66,383

Fargo, ND $66,349

Elyria, OH $66,349

Flagstaff, AZ $66,301

Fort Lauderdale, FL $66,259

Miami, FL $66,218

Duluth, MN $66,108

Bangor, ME $66,018

Cedar Rapids, IA $65,942

Louisville, KY $65,908

Grand Rapids, MI $65,894

Hialeah, FL $65,887

Casper, WY $65,791

Scranton, PA $65,708

New Orleans, LA $65,687

Virginia Beach, VA $65,680

Akron, OH $65,646

Peoria, IL $65,556

Sarasota, FL $65,542

Green Bay, WI $65,494

Baton Rouge, LA $65,460

Charleston, SC $65,446

Nashville, TN $65,425

Jamestown, NY $65,411

Davenport, IA $65,411

Tucson, AZ $65,377

Cheyenne, WY $65,356

Saint Petersburg, FL $65,336

Tampa, FL $65,322

Omaha, NE $65,308

Port Arthur, TX $65,281

Evansville, IN $65,281

Bradenton, FL $65,253

Santa Fe, NM $65,129

Orlando, FL $65,060

Clearwater, FL $64,984

Canton, OH $64,839

La Crosse, WI $64,839

Grand Forks, ND $64,819

Albuquerque, NM $64,798

Tulsa, OK $64,798

Newport News, VA $64,791

High Point, NC $64,771

Ogden, UT $64,743

Corpus Christi, TX $64,688

Laramie, WY $64,646

Norfolk, VA $64,646

Rock Island, IL $64,605

Saginaw, MI $64,591

Jacksonville, FL $64,584

Salisbury, NC $64,571

Memphis, TN $64,557

Moline, IL $64,522

Fort Myers, FL $64,502

Waterloo, IA $64,412

Spartanburg, SC $64,343

Lincoln, NE $64,309

Fort Wayne, IN $64,295

Birmingham, AL $64,219

Cedar Falls, IA $64,205

Provo, UT $64,199

Springfield, OH $64,192

San Antonio, TX $64,178

Greensboro, NC $64,150

South Bend, IN $64,143

Winston Salem, NC $64,136

Boise, ID $64,116

Savannah, GA $64,068

Muskegon, MI $63,944

Lima, OH $63,861

Lake Charles, LA $63,833

Anderson, IN $63,819

Lexington, KY $63,799

Augusta, GA $63,778

Greenville, SC $63,778

Wichita, KS $63,716

Tuscaloosa, AL $63,716

Columbia, SC $63,654

Bloomington, IN $63,482

Roanoke, VA $63,440

Asheville, NC $63,351

Knoxville, TN $63,234

Shreveport, LA $63,227

Wilmington, NC $63,137

Frankfort, KY $63,006

Oklahoma City, OK $62,958

Chillicothe, OH $62,930

Longview, TX $62,924

Topeka, KS $62,903

Mobile, AL $62,799

Terre Haute, IN $62,772

Erie, PA $62,765

Altoona, PA $62,731

Melbourne, FL $62,710

Amarillo, TX $62,682

Killeen, TX $62,662

Fayetteville, AR $62,606

Sioux Falls, SD $62,558

Chattanooga, TN $62,517

Idaho Falls, ID $62,510

Gainesville, FL $62,365

Portsmouth, OH $62,331

Little Rock, AR $62,317

Lynchburg, VA $62,317

Lafayette, LA $62,289

Youngstown, OH $62,289

Temple, TX $62,262

Daytona Beach, FL $62,248

Clarksville, TN $62,241

Pensacola, FL $62,234

Hopkinsville, KY $62,028

Charleston, WV $62,021

Florence, SC $61,986

Sioux City, IA $61,945

Macon, GA $61,745

Tallahassee, FL $61,738

Fayetteville, NC $61,724

Waco, TX $61,711

Wichita Falls, TX $61,711

Pine Bluff, AR $61,683

Vincennes, IN $61,552

Lubbock, TX $61,524

Great Falls, MT $61,483

Alamogordo, NM $61,476

Abilene, TX $61,421

Rapid City, SD $61,331

Monroe, LA $61,331

Albany, GA $61,290

Huntington, WV $61,283

Jackson, MS $61,276

Greenville, MS $61,269

Parkersburg, WV $61,201

Montgomery, AL $61,187

Johnstown, PA $61,173

Springfield, MO $61,118

Biloxi, MS $61,083

Sumter, SC $60,939

Columbus, GA $60,932

Twin Falls, ID $60,890

Pascagoula, MS $60,801

Kingsport, TN $60,622

Gulfport, MS $60,601

Alexandria, LA $60,373

Fort Smith, AR $60,201

El Paso, TX $60,015

Helena, MT $59,926

Las Cruces, NM $59,705

Harlingen, TX $59,512

Pocatello, ID $59,450

Florence, AL $59,429

Brownsville, TX $59,416

Dothan, AL $59,305

Mcallen, TX $59,271

Columbus, MS $58,761

Altus, OK $58,444

Lawton, OK $58,313

Pierre, SD $58,065

What Skills Can Increase a Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 4.25% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
First Aid (Mentioned in 3.34% Job Postings): First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.
Child Development (Mentioned in 1.28% Job Postings): Child development refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	4.25%
First Aid	3.34%
Child Development	1.28%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead's salary.

Hard Working: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Hard Working	$78,568	14%
Initiative	$77,879	13%
Flexibility	$77,879	13%
Written Communication	$75,811	10%
Communicates Effectively	$75,122	9%
Collaborating	$74,433	8%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Leads 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 Lead with a Bachelor's Degree is between $65,706 and $73,530).

Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead

No Diploma 9.1%

High School 9.1%

Associates 18.2%

Bachelors 13.6%

Masters 13.6%

Doctorate 45.5%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	9.1%
High School	9.1%
Associates	18.2%
Bachelors	13.6%
Masters	13.6%
Doctorate	45.5%

view as graph

Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead'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 January 01, 2026

$59,047

Average $68,920/year

$78,226

$4,921

Average $5,743/month

$6,519

$1,136

Average $1,325/week

$1,504

$28

Average $33/hour

$38

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$78,226	$6,519	$1,504	$38
Average	$68,920	$5,743	$1,325	$33
25th Percentile	$59,047	$4,921	$1,136	$28

Salaries of jobs related to Lead

Salary Trends for Lead

Salaries for a Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $55,950 in 2023 to around $54,043 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$55,950

2024

$55,235

2025

$54,043

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$55,950
2024	$55,235
2025	$54,043
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit

the United States

Find Your Next Lead Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Lead job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about