Side-by-side distribution
Program Officer
$62,400
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 52.1%
- Live roles
- 549
Public Affairs
$157,995
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 40%
- Live roles
- 80
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Program Officer, Earned Media and Leadership Voice
Senior Program Officer, Gynecology
Senior Program Officer, Integrated Surveillance for NTDs
Senior Program Officer
Chief Program Officer, Policy, Research, and Prevention
Chief Program Officer, Exoneration Strategy & Support
Technical Program Manager, Orion - Reporting to the CTO
Program Officer
Trauma Program Coordinator
RN Coordinator (VAD) - Mech Circulatory Program - Full Time 8 Hour Days (Non-Exempt) (Non-Union)
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Lead Government Affairs Manager - Federal
Senior Manager, Diagnostics Public Affairs (Public Relations)
Senior Strategy Manager, Government Affairs | Housing
Senior Manager, Government & Regulatory Affairs
Manager of Public Affairs and Media Operations
Senior Manager Government Affairs
Manager, Public Affairs
Media & Public Affairs Manager
Senior Manager, Established Products and Cross-TA Communications & Public Affairs
Senior Manager, Global Oncology Communications, Bladder Cancer and GU Public Affairs
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$55,000 | 18 |
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$61,942 | 12 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $50,034 | 9 |
Penn State University
|
$49,722 | 9 |
University of Pennsylvania
|
$57,418 | 7 |
CLEAResult
|
$44,512 | 7 |
CACI
|
$86,900 | 5 |
Texas A&M University System
|
$48,000 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Abbott
|
$182,500 | 2 |
|
Johnson & Johnson
|
$167,375 | 2 |
Samsara
|
$137,267 | 2 |
|
EliseAI
|
$225,000 | 1 |
| DE Dexcom | $208,500 | 1 |
|
GEICO
|
$203,463 | 1 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$199,400 | 1 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$198,375 | 1 |
Program Officer vs Public Affairs: which pays more?
The median for Program Officer is $62,400 per year (typically $53,518–$83,200), versus $157,995 for Public Affairs ($124,475–$174,425). That puts Public Affairs about 153% 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.