Grad Student Salary
$15K - $18K
6% of jobs
$18K - $21K
4% of jobs
$21K - $24K
3% of jobs
$24K - $27K
5% of jobs
$29.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$27K - $30K
10% of jobs
The median wage is $32.6K / yr.
$30K - $33K
25% of jobs
$33K - $36K
21% of jobs
$36.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$36K - $39K
11% of jobs
$39K - $42K
8% of jobs
$42K - $45K
5% of jobs
$45K - $48K
3% of jobs
$15K
$34K
$50K
$34,464
/year
$16.57
/hour
Grad Student Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$34,464
Columbus
Ohio
$33,289
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How much does a Grad Student make?
As of Aug 25, 2026, the average annual pay for a Grad Student in the United States is $34,464 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $16.57 an hour. This is the equivalent of $662/week or $2,872/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $50,000 and as low as $15,000, the majority of Grad Student salaries currently range between $30,500 (25th percentile) to $38,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $45,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Grad Student varies greatly (by as much as 8000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Grad Student in your area makes on average $33,289 per year, or $1,175 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $34,464. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Grad Student salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Grad Student jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Grad Student on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Grad Student Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Grad Student job is above the national average. Topping the list is Cupertino, CA, , with Philip, SD, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $7,054 (20.5%), and Cupertino, CA, furthers that trend with another $8,056 (23.4%) above the $34,464 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Grad Student appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 7% between Cupertino, CA, and Columbia Heights, DC, , 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 Grad Student role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino, CA | $42,520 | $20.44 |
Philip, SD | $41,732 | $20.06 |
Sitka, AK | $41,518 | $19.96 |
Honolulu County, HI | $40,639 | $19.54 |
San Francisco, CA | $40,605 | $19.52 |
Santa Clara, CA | $40,476 | $19.46 |
San Jose, CA | $40,392 | $19.42 |
Waimea, HI | $40,197 | $19.33 |
Arlington, VA | $39,650 | $19.06 |
Columbia Heights, DC | $39,424 | $18.95 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Grad Student Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Grad Student category.
For example Locum Tenens Telemedicine Physician jobs pay as much as $205,021 (594.9%) more than the average Grad Student salary of $34,464. If you're qualified, finding work as a Locum Tenens Telemedicine Physician may help you make more money than that of the average Grad Student position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Locum Tenens Telemedicine Physician | $239,485 | $115.14 |
Pediatric Emergency Physician | $168,882 | $81.19 |
Emergency Medicine | $99,838 | $48.00 |
Telestroke | $79,696 | $38.32 |
Uci Medical Center | $66,484 | $31.96 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
