Associate Fellow Salary in the United States

How much does an Associate Fellow make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Associate Fellow in the United States is $84,177 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $108,265
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,368 to $96,785
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,170

Key Factors That Influence Associate Fellow Salaries

An Associate Fellow'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 Associate Fellow Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Associate Fellow'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): $57,727
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $76,976
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $84,650
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $103,865
  • Expert (over 8 years): $81,956
Levels Salary
Grant Adm... Level Associate Fellow$57,727
Grant Adm... Level Associate Fellow$76,976
Associate... Level Associate Fellow$84,650
Grant Adm... Level Associate Fellow$103,865
Grant Adm... Level Associate Fellow$81,956

How Do Associate Fellow 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 Associate Fellows. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $93,201.
  • California: $92,847.
  • Massachusetts: $91,610.

Top Paying Cities for Associate Fellows

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: $106,172
  • San Francisco: $105,010
  • Oakland: $102,797

What Skills Can Increase an Associate Fellow's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 4.67% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Public Administration (Mentioned in 2.97% Job Postings): Public administration is a field in which leaders serve communities to advance the common good and effect positive change.
  • Community Development (Mentioned in 1.67% Job Postings): The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens, and professionals to improve various aspects of communities, typically aiming to build stronger and more resilient local communities. Community development is also understood as a professional discipline, and is defined by the International Association for Community Development (www.iacdglobal.org), the global network of community development practitioners and scholars, as "a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes participative democracy, sustainable development, rights, economic opportunity, equality and social justice, through the organisation, education and empowerment of people within their communities, whether these be of locality, identity or interest, in urban and rural settings".
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 4.67%
Public Administration 2.97%
Community Development 1.67%

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 Associate Fellow's salary.

  • Billing: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Salesforce: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Stewardship: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Billing $87,544
4%
Salesforce $87,544
4%
Stewardship $86,702
3%

Associate Fellow Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Associate Fellow roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Business Services and Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 15% above the average. In contrast, Associate Fellow positions in Biotechnology or Healthcare typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Associate Fellow as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Associate Fellow

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Business Services$96,803$47.015%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$88,386$42.05%

How Education impacts an Associate Fellow's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Associate Fellows 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 Associate Fellow with a Bachelor's Degree is between $89,668 and $97,914).

Associate Fellow Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Associate Fellow
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.4%
High School 2.8%
Associates 3.6%
Bachelors 45.2%
Masters 44.4%
Doctorate 3.6%

Associate Fellow Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Associate Fellow'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 September 01, 2026
$77,368
Average $84,177/year
$96,785
$6,447
Average $7,015/month
$8,065
$1,488
Average $1,619/week
$1,861
$37
Average $40/hour
$47
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $96,785 $8,065 $1,861 $47
Average $84,177 $7,015 $1,619 $40
25th Percentile $77,368 $6,447 $1,488 $37

Most common benefits for Associate Fellow

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Associate Fellow

Here are companies hiring for Associate Fellow and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Associate Fellow

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Associate Fellow?

The Business Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Associate Fellow roles, with salaries approximately 15% 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.

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