Communication Associate Salary in the United States

How much does a Communication Associate make in the United States?

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Communication Associate in the United States is $78,790 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $92,641
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $70,140 to $86,040
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $62,265

Key Factors That Influence Communication Associate Salaries

A Communication Associate'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 Communication Associate Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Communication Associate'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): $60,235
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $79,390
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $92,582
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $116,011
  • Expert (over 8 years): $151,271
Levels Salary
Communica... Level Communication Associate$60,235
Communica... Level Communication Associate$79,390
Communica... Level Communication Associate$92,582
Communica... Level Communication Associate$116,011
Communica... Level Communication Associate$151,271

How Do Communication Associate 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 Communication Associates. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $87,236.
  • California: $86,905.
  • Massachusetts: $85,747.

Top Paying Cities for Communication Associates

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: $99,378
  • San Francisco: $98,289
  • Oakland: $96,218

What Skills Can Increase a Communication Associate's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Initiative (Mentioned in 6.32% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
  • Strategic Communication (Mentioned in 3.21% Job Postings): Strategic communication refers to policy-making and guidance for consistent information activity within an organization and between organizations.
  • Photography (Mentioned in 1.43% Job Postings): Photography is the art, application and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed in many fields of science, manufacturing (e.g., photolithography), and business, as well as its more direct uses for art, film and video production, recreational purposes, hobby, and mass communication. Typically, a lens is used to focus the light reflected or emitted from objects into a real image on the light-sensitive surface inside a camera during a timed exposure. With an electronic image sensor, this produces an electrical charge at each pixel, which is electronically processed and stored in a digital image file for subsequent display or processing. The result with photographic emulsion is an invisible latent image, which is later chemically "developed" into a visible image, either negative or positive depending on the purpose of the photographic material and the method of processing. A negative image on film is traditionally used to photographically create a positive image on a paper base, known as a print, either by using an enlarger or by contact printing.
Skills Demand Percentage
Initiative 6.32%
Strategic Communication 3.21%
Photography 1.43%

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 Communication Associate's salary.

  • Corporate Communications: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Corporate Communications $85,093
8%
Insight $84,305
7%
Consulting $83,517
6%

Communication Associate Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Communication Associate roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 19% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, Communication Associate positions in Insurance or Internet typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Communication Associate as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Communication Associate

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$86,669$42.010%
Biotechnology$85,093$41.08%
Business Services$83,517$40.06%
Chemicals$82,729$40.05%
Construction$81,941$39.04%

How Education impacts a Communication Associate's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Communication Associates 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 Communication Associate with a Bachelor's Degree is between $74,722 and $79,027).

Communication Associate Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Communication Associate
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.2%
High School 3.2%
Associates 1.1%
Bachelors 64.9%
Masters 29.8%
Doctorate 1.1%

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

Understanding how a Communication Associate'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 October 01, 2026
$70,140
Average $78,790/year
$86,040
$5,845
Average $6,566/month
$7,170
$1,349
Average $1,515/week
$1,655
$34
Average $38/hour
$41
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $86,040 $7,170 $1,655 $41
Average $78,790 $6,566 $1,515 $38
25th Percentile $70,140 $5,845 $1,349 $34

Most common benefits for Communication Associate

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

Common company salaries for Communication Associate

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

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FAQ about Communication Associate

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

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Communication Associate 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.

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