Administrative Program Director Salary in the United States

How much does an Administrative Program Director make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Administrative Program Director in the United States is $150,772 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $72.

However, an Administrative Program Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $186,660
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $137,562 to $169,557
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $125,535
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI Onboarding
AI-Powered HR
View as table View as graph 25% $137,562 10% $125,535 90% $186,660 75% $169,557 $150,772 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Administrative Program Director Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $169,557 $14,130 $3,261 $82
Average $150,772 $12,564 $2,899 $72
25th Percentile $137,562 $11,464 $2,645 $66
Check out Administrative Program Director Job Openings in the United States
Program Director

Sevita - Columbus, OH

Program Director

ComResource - Columbus, OH

Program Director

CESO, Inc. - Columbus, OH

Director of Nursing Residency Program

Saber Community Support and Development Office - Columbus, OH

Search More Administrative Program Director Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Administrative Program Director Salaries

An Administrative Program Director'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 Administrative Program Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Administrative Program Director'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): $142,115
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $142,684
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $143,633
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $144,961
  • Expert (over 8 years): $146,859
Levels Salary
Entry Level Administrative Program Director$142,115
Intermediate Level Administrative Program Director$142,684
Senior Level Administrative Program Director$143,633
Specialist Level Administrative Program Director$144,961
Expert Level Administrative Program Director$146,859
$142,115 0 yr
$142,684 < 2 yrs
$143,633 2-4 yrs
$144,961 5-8 yrs
$146,859 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Administrative Program Director 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 Administrative Program Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $166,935.
  • California: $166,302.
  • Massachusetts: $164,085.

Top Paying Cities for Administrative Program Directors

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: $190,169
  • San Francisco: $188,087
  • Oakland: $184,123

What Skills Can Increase an Administrative Program Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 9.53% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Scrum (Mentioned in 1.25% Job Postings): Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.01% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 9.53%
Scrum 1.25%
Continuous Improvement 1.01%
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 an Administrative Program Director's salary.
  • Software Development: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Scrum: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Product Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Software Development
$162,834
8%
Scrum
$161,326
7%
Product Development
$161,326
7%
Computer Science
$159,818
6%
Change Management
$158,311
5%
Supply Chain
$158,311
5%
Get Latest Data

Administrative Program Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Administrative Program Director roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 68% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Administrative Program Director positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Administrative Program Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Administrative Program Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$196,004$94.030%
Pharmaceuticals$188,465$91.025%
Financial Services$180,926$87.020%
Internet$174,896$84.016%
Biotechnology$173,388$83.015%

How Education impacts an Administrative Program Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Administrative Program Directors 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 an Administrative Program Director with a Bachelor's Degree is between $143,102 and $154,962).

Administrative Program Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Administrative Program Director
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 4.0%
Associates 3.4%
Bachelors 37.5%
Masters 51.7%
Doctorate 3.1%
view as graph

Administrative Program Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Administrative Program Director'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 August 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Administrative Program Director

Salaries for an Administrative Program Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $123,775 in 2023 to around $122,261 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Administrative Program Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Administrative Program Director Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$123,775
2024
$123,364
2025
$122,261
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $123,775
2024 $123,364
2025 $122,261
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Administrative Program Director

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

Common company salaries for Administrative Program Director

Here are companies hiring for Administrative Program Director and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Administrative Program Director Job

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

United States
  • Blue Star Partners LLC

    Columbus, OH

    Blue Star Partners LLC | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Job Title. Director of Large Program Execution. Location. Columbus, OH (Westerville). Onsite. 4 days/week onsite (must be... more

    6 Days Ago

  • FACCES

    Columbus, OH

    FACCES | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Job. Title. Food Pillar Director. Location. FACCES (The Family Adolescent & Child Community Engagement Service). Position... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Nationwide Children's Hospital

    Columbus, OH

    Nationwide Children's Hospital | Columbus, OH

    Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, seeks a board-certified neonatologist to lead its Neonatal ECMO program. The hospital houses the largest ... more

    4 Days Ago

  • America Votes

    Columbus, OH

    America Votes | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Organization OverviewAmerica Votes works year-round to build a more representative democracy, strengthen every American's... more

    5 Days Ago

  • B &amp; F Healthcare Services

    Columbus, OH

    B &amp; F Healthcare Services | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. About the Role. Join B & F Healthcare Services as a Program Director, where you will contribute to the health and happine... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Trinity Health

    Columbus, OH

    Trinity Health | Columbus, OH

    Mount Carmel, a member of Trinity Health and one of the premier health systems in central Ohio, is seeking a BC/BE Internal Medicine Physician to join our ... more

    6 Days Ago

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.

FAQ about Administrative Program Director

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Administrative Program Director?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Administrative Program Director roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

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 CompAnalyst