Side-by-side distribution
Program Officer
$64,836
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50.5%
- Live roles
- 580
Public Affairs
$152,262
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 39.3%
- Live roles
- 89
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Program Officer, Federal Relations (10-month LTE*)
Senior Program Officer
Chief Program Officer, Policy, Research, and Prevention
Chief Program Officer, Exoneration Strategy & Support
Senior Program Officer, Policy and Evidence
Senior Program Officer, Evidence for Systems Improvement (11-month LTE*)
Senior Program Officer, Vaccine Forecasting & Financing
Program Officer, Maternal and Child Survival & Women's Health
Facilities Capital Investments Program Regional Coordinator
Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Lead Coordinator, Pediatric Trauma Program
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Manager, Diagnostics Public Affairs (Public Relations)
Senior Strategy Manager, Government Affairs | Housing
Senior Manager, Government & Regulatory Affairs
Government and Public Affairs: Community Engagement Manager
Senior Manager Government Affairs
Manager, Public Affairs
Sr. Government Affairs Manager (National Security)
Senior Manager, Global Oncology Communications, Bladder Cancer and GU Public Affairs
Senior Public Relations Manager - Corporate Affairs & Public Policy
Government Affairs Manager II, Midwest and Central Region
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$54,500 | 20 |
Penn State University
|
$49,722 | 12 |
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
|
$103,540 | 9 |
University of Pennsylvania
|
$57,990 | 7 |
Georgetown University
|
$54,995 | 7 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $50,034 | 7 |
Esri
|
$125,840 | 6 |
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$61,942 | 6 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
SpaceX
|
$152,500 | 3 |
|
Instacart
|
$196,250 | 2 |
|
Abbott
|
$182,500 | 2 |
|
EliseAI
|
$225,000 | 1 |
|
GEICO
|
$203,463 | 1 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$198,375 | 1 |
|
Higgsfield
|
$195,000 | 1 |
Coinbase
|
$185,833 | 1 |
Program Officer vs Public Affairs: which pays more?
The median for Program Officer is $64,836 per year (typically $52,000–$90,638), versus $152,262 for Public Affairs ($118,835–$184,559). That puts Public Affairs about 135% 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.