Foreign Service Salary
$26.5K - $31.5K
9% of jobs
$36.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$31.5K - $36.5K
17% of jobs
$36.5K - $41.5K
12% of jobs
The median wage is $46.3K / yr.
$41.5K - $46.5K
13% of jobs
$46.5K - $51.5K
12% of jobs
$51.5K - $56.5K
12% of jobs
$56.9K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$56.5K - $61.5K
11% of jobs
$61.5K - $66.5K
6% of jobs
$66.5K - $71.5K
4% of jobs
$71.5K - $76.5K
2% of jobs
$76.5K - $81.5K
3% of jobs
$26.5K
$47.5K
$83K
$50,214
/year
$24.14
/hour
Foreign Service Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$50,214
Columbus
Ohio
$48,501
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How much does a Foreign Service make?
As of Aug 31, 2026, the average annual pay for a Foreign Service in the United States is $50,214 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.14 an hour. This is the equivalent of $965/week or $4,184/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $83,000 and as low as $26,500, the majority of Foreign Service salaries currently range between $36,500 (25th percentile) to $60,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $71,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Foreign Service varies greatly (by as much as 23500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Foreign Service in your area makes on average $48,501 per year, or $1,713 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $50,214. Ohio ranks number 43 out of 50 states nationwide for Foreign Service salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Foreign Service jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Foreign Service on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Foreign Service Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Foreign Service job is above the national average. Topping the list is Napa, CA, , with Severn, MD, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $12,076 (24.0%), and Napa, CA, furthers that trend with another $15,111 (30.1%) above the $50,214 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Foreign Service appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 10% between Napa, CA, and Santa Clara, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Foreign Service role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Napa, CA | $65,325 | $31.41 |
Severn, MD | $62,384 | $29.99 |
Nome, AK | $62,290 | $29.95 |
Berkeley, CA | $61,484 | $29.56 |
Redwood City, CA | $61,479 | $29.56 |
Santa Rosa, CA | $61,134 | $29.39 |
Sitka, AK | $60,491 | $29.08 |
San Bruno, CA | $59,990 | $28.84 |
San Francisco, CA | $59,160 | $28.44 |
Santa Clara, CA | $58,973 | $28.35 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Foreign Service Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Foreign Service job category, we found that Stock Controller jobs have average salaries greater than Foreign Service jobs.
Significantly, Stock Controller jobs pay $23,598 (47.0%) more than the average Foreign Service salary of $50,214. If you're qualified, finding work as a Stock Controller may help you make more money than that of the average Foreign Service position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Stock Controller | $73,812 | $35.49 |
Rent Car | $46,995 | $22.59 |
Work From Home Delivery Dispatcher | $45,823 | $22.03 |
Inventory Control Clerk I | $37,657 | $18.10 |
Lot | $33,037 | $15.88 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
