DEI Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a DEI Specialist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a DEI Specialist in the United States is $88,170 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $106,796
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $80,879 to $97,919
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $74,241
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered HR
Smart Recruiting
View as table View as graph 25% $80,879 10% $74,241 90% $106,796 75% $97,919 $88,170 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

DEI Specialist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $97,919 $8,160 $1,883 $47
Average $88,170 $7,348 $1,696 $42
25th Percentile $80,879 $6,740 $1,555 $39
Check out DEI Specialist Job Openings in the United States
Physician Oncology Ohio Permanent Associate Medical Director

eviCore healthcare - Columbus, OH

Physician Neurology Ohio Locum Tenens Locums Physician

MD Staff, LLC - Columbus, OH

Local CDL

C.R. England - Columbus, OH

Search More DEI Specialist Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence DEI Specialist Salaries

A DEI Specialist'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects DEI Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a DEI Specialist'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): $86,139
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $96,179
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $122,059
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $141,785
  • Expert (over 8 years): $165,447
Levels Salary
DEI Speci... Level DEI Specialist$86,139
Storage M... Level DEI Specialist$96,179
Storage M... Level DEI Specialist$122,059
Storage M... Level DEI Specialist$141,785
Storage M... Level DEI Specialist$165,447
$86,139 0 yr
$96,179 < 2 yrs
$122,059 2-4 yrs
$141,785 5-8 yrs
$165,447 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for DEI Specialists

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: $111,209
  • San Francisco: $109,991
  • Oakland: $107,673

What Skills Can Increase a DEI Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Project Management (Mentioned in 26.3% Job Postings): Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.
  • Procurement (Mentioned in 1.38% Job Postings): Procurement is the process of finding and agreeing to terms, and acquiring goods, services, or works from an external source, often via a tendering or competitive bidding process. Procurement is used to ensure the buyer receives goods, services, or works at the best possible price when aspects such as quality, quantity, time, and location are compared. Corporations and public bodies often define processes intended to promote fair and open competition for their business while minimizing risks such as exposure to fraud and collusion. Almost all purchasing decisions include factors such as delivery and handling, marginal benefit, and price fluctuations. Procurement generally involves making buying decisions under conditions of scarcity. If sound data is available, it is good practice to make use of economic analysis methods such as cost-benefit analysis or cost-utility analysis.
  • Linux (Mentioned in 0.8% Job Postings): Managing a system's hardware and resources using a Unix-like open-source operating system.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Project Management 26.3%
Procurement 1.38%
Linux 0.8%
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 DEI Specialist's salary.
  • Facilitation: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • Continuous Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Facilitation
$101,396
15%
Collaboration
$101,396
15%
Continuous Improvement
$98,750
12%
Networking
$98,750
12%
Operating System
$97,869
11%
Agile
$97,869
11%
Get Latest Data

DEI Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For DEI Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Business Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, DEI Specialist positions in Transportation or Software & Networking typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view DEI Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a DEI Specialist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$96,987$47.010%
Business Services$96,987$47.010%
Construction$96,987$47.010%
Energy & Utilities$96,987$47.010%
Healthcare$96,987$47.010%

DEI Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a DEI Specialist'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 DEI Specialist

Salaries for a DEI Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $70,395 in 2023 to around $70,313 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of DEI Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of DEI Specialist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$70,395
2024
$70,686
2025
$70,313
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $70,395
2024 $70,686
2025 $70,313
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for DEI Specialist

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 DEI Specialist

Here are companies hiring for DEI Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next DEI Specialist Job

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

United States
  • Maxim Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    Maxim Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Private duty nursing (PDN) allows medically fragile patients to receive quality, skilled nursing care in the comfort of their home: a setting preferred by ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • XPO

    Columbus, OH

    CDL

    XPO | Columbus, OH

    XPO is Hiring Driver Teams. XPO Teams. As an XPO Team, you’ll run dedicated routes between XPO facilities in. new sleeper. trucks equipped with microwaves ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • Schneider

    Columbus, OH

    Schneider | Columbus, OH

    CDL-A - Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Average pay. $1,200-$1,450 weekly. Home time. Daily. Experience. Al... more

    14 Days Ago

  • Summit Recruiting Group

    Columbus, OH

    Summit Recruiting Group | Columbus, OH

    NP/PA Dermatology job opening in Columbus, OHPosition Details. Full-time, permanent opening. Experience required. Well-Established Practice. Seeking a NP/P... more

    15 Days Ago

  • Family Dollar

    Columbus, OH

    Family Dollar | Columbus, OH

    Customer Service Associate. We're seeking a Customer Service Associate to join our team and deliver a great shopping experience for every customer. Duties ... more

    16 Days Ago

  • GO Staffing

    Columbus, OH

    GO Staffing | Columbus, OH

    Locums - A well respected group has a Trauma Surgery APP opportunity available in Columbus, Ohio. Certified Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. 1/1/... more

    16 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 DEI Specialist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for DEI Specialist?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for DEI Specialist roles, with salaries approximately 10% 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