Metadata Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Metadata Manager make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Metadata Manager in the United States is $129,845 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $62.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $138,952
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $118,490 to $134,612
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $108,152

Key Factors That Influence Metadata Manager Salaries

A Metadata Manager'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 Metadata Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Metadata Manager'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): $147,903
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $110,786
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $129,494
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $157,886
  • Expert (over 8 years): $192,729
Levels Salary
Quality A... Level Metadata Manager$147,903
Quality A... Level Metadata Manager$110,786
Metadata ... Level Metadata Manager$129,494
Quality A... Level Metadata Manager$157,886
Quality A... Level Metadata Manager$192,729

How Do Metadata Manager 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 Metadata Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $143,764.
  • California: $143,219.
  • Massachusetts: $141,310.

Top Paying Cities for Metadata Managers

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: $163,773
  • San Francisco: $161,980
  • Oakland: $158,567

What Skills Can Increase a Metadata Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 8.15% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 2.81% 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.
  • Quality Management System (Mentioned in 1.47% Job Postings): Enforcing a set of policies and procedures in coordinating and directing an organization to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 8.15%
Continuous Improvement 2.81%
Quality Management System 1.47%

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 Metadata Manager's salary.

  • Partnering: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Standard Operating Procedures: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Operations Support: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Partnering $140,233
8%
Standard Operating Procedures $136,337
5%
Operations Support $136,337
5%

Metadata Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Metadata Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Metadata Manager positions in Retail & Wholesale or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Metadata Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Metadata Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$194,768$94.050%

How Education impacts a Metadata Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Metadata Managers 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 Metadata Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $129,842 and $137,262).

Metadata Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Metadata Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.7%
High School 9.5%
Associates 9.0%
Bachelors 40.2%
Masters 36.5%
Doctorate 1.1%

Metadata Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Metadata Manager'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
$118,490
Average $129,845/year
$134,612
$9,874
Average $10,820/month
$11,218
$2,279
Average $2,497/week
$2,589
$57
Average $62/hour
$65
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $134,612 $11,218 $2,589 $65
Average $129,845 $10,820 $2,497 $62
25th Percentile $118,490 $9,874 $2,279 $57

Most common benefits for Metadata Manager

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

Common company salaries for Metadata Manager

Here are companies hiring for Metadata Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Metadata Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Metadata Manager?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Metadata Manager roles, with salaries approximately 50% 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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