Side-by-side distribution
Program Officer
$77,726
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 41.4%
- Live roles
- 99
Public Affairs
$160,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 51.5%
- Live roles
- 33
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Program Officer
Chief Program Officer, Exoneration Strategy & Support
Chief Program Officer, Policy, Research, and Prevention
Staff Program Manager, Office of the CEO
Chief Program Officer, The AI Access Initiative
Technical Program Manager, Orion - Reporting to the CTO
Program Officer
Real Estate Program Coordinator
Contractor Program Security Officer (CPSO & AFSO)
Program Manager- Outage Coordinator
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
Sr. Manager, Government Affairs & Policy
Government Affairs Manager
Government Affairs Manager - East
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
|
$77,951 | 3 |
HealthCorps
|
$41,600 | 3 |
|
GiveWell
|
$264,000 | 2 |
|
Innocence Project
|
$263,750 | 2 |
Hopeservices
|
$73,643 | 2 |
Harlem Children's Zone
|
$66,250 | 2 |
Access Services
|
$44,720 | 2 |
|
Evidence Action
|
$230,000 | 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 |
|
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
|
$167,700 | 1 |
Program Officer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $75,000 | 7 |
Program Officer vs Public Affairs: which pays more?
The median for Program Officer is $77,726 per year (typically $56,775–$125,033), versus $160,000 for Public Affairs ($113,994–$180,000). That puts Public Affairs about 106% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Program Officer 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.