Side-by-side distribution
Policy Analyst
$109,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 44.7%
- Live roles
- 38
Public Affairs
$160,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 51.5%
- Live roles
- 33
Highest-paying jobs
Safeguards Policy Analyst, Fraud & Scams
Senior Cyber Excepted Service Workforce Policy Analyst
Sr. Analyst/Manager, Access, Policy and Commercial Operations
International Policy Analyst
1602 - Senior ATGPAC Training Requirements and Policy Analyst
Policy Analyst - Senior
Policy Analyst
Policy & Government Relations Analyst
Policy Analyst - Mid
Science Policy Advisor
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Manager, Global Public Affairs & Policy Narratives
Senior Manager Government Affairs
Senior Manager, Canadian Policy and Public Affairs
Communications Manager, Policy & Public Affairs
Government Affairs Manager
Manager, Government Affairs
Government and Community Affairs Manager
Government Affairs Manager
Government Affairs Manager - East
Manager, Government and Regulatory Affairs - PJM and MISO
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Analytic Services Inc
|
$145,500 | 3 |
| GR GRVTY | $121,250 | 2 |
|
Anthropic
|
$265,000 | 1 |
|
Click Therapeutics
|
$152,500 | 1 |
|
Sigma Defense
|
$150,000 | 1 |
|
Union of Concerned Scientists
|
$109,232 | 1 |
|
Vast
|
$109,000 | 1 |
Delaware Nation Industries
|
$102,500 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Cohere
|
$235,000 | 1 |
|
Waabi
|
$210,000 | 1 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$198,375 | 1 |
|
Coinbase
|
$185,833 | 1 |
|
OpenAI
|
$180,000 | 1 |
|
Harbinger Motors Inc.
|
$180,000 | 1 |
|
Vast
|
$168,000 | 1 |
|
Antares
|
$160,000 | 1 |
Policy Analyst salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $152,500 | 3 |
Policy Analyst vs Public Affairs: which pays more?
The median for Policy Analyst is $109,000 per year (typically $84,000–$145,500), versus $160,000 for Public Affairs ($113,994–$180,000). That puts Public Affairs about 47% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Policy Analyst and Public Affairs are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.