What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Programs Director?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Programs Director jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is La Honda, CA (36.0% above average), followed by Nome, AK and Berkeley, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage La Honda, CA $106,366 $8,863 $2,045 $51.14 Nome, AK $97,001 $8,083 $1,865 $46.64 Berkeley, CA $95,746 $7,978 $1,841 $46.03 Sitka, AK $94,201 $7,850 $1,811 $45.29 Wyoming, WY $93,258 $7,771 $1,793 $44.84 Menlo Park, CA $92,150 $7,679 $1,772 $44.30 San Francisco, CA $92,128 $7,677 $1,771 $44.29 Palo Alto, CA $91,921 $7,660 $1,767 $44.19 Santa Clara, CA $91,836 $7,653 $1,766 $44.15 Sunnyvale, CA $91,774 $7,647 $1,764 $44.12

Programs Director

Programs Director Salary

Q: How much does a Programs Director make?

The average annual pay for a programs director in the United States is $78,196 a year — that works out to approximately $37.59 an hour. The middle 80% of Programs Directors earn between $42,000 (10th percentile) and $137,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Programs Director Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Programs Director in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Google Engineering Director at $116,513 (149.0%) above Programs Director. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Google Engineering Director $194,709 $16,225 $3,744 $93.61 Director Program Management $109,055 $9,087 $2,097 $52.43 Day Program Director $78,196 $6,516 $1,503 $37.59 Associate Director Program Management $52,360 $4,363 $1,006 $25.17 Director Of Licensing $49,770 $4,147 $957 $23.93

$29.5K

$70K

$137.5K

$78,196

/year

$37.59

/hour

Programs Director Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$78,196

Columbus

Ohio

$75,529

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How much does a Programs Director make?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average annual pay for a Programs Director in the United States is $78,196 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $37.59 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,503/week or $6,516/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $137,500 and as low as $29,500, the majority of Programs Director salaries currently range between $53,000 (25th percentile) to $92,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $137,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Programs Director varies greatly (by as much as 39500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Programs Director in your area makes on average $75,529 per year, or $2,667 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $78,196. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Programs Director salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Programs Director jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Programs Director on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Programs Director Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Programs Director job is above the national average. Topping the list is La Honda, CA, , with Nome, AK, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $17,550 (22.4%), and La Honda, CA, furthers that trend with another $28,170 (36.0%) above the $78,196 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Programs Director appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 14% between La Honda, CA, and Sunnyvale, 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 Programs Director role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
La Honda, CA	$106,366	$8,863	$2,045	$51.14
Nome, AK	$97,001	$8,083	$1,865	$46.64
Berkeley, CA	$95,746	$7,978	$1,841	$46.03
Sitka, AK	$94,201	$7,850	$1,811	$45.29
Wyoming, WY	$93,258	$7,771	$1,793	$44.84
Menlo Park, CA	$92,150	$7,679	$1,772	$44.30
San Francisco, CA	$92,128	$7,677	$1,771	$44.29
Palo Alto, CA	$91,921	$7,660	$1,767	$44.19
Santa Clara, CA	$91,836	$7,653	$1,766	$44.15
Sunnyvale, CA	$91,774	$7,647	$1,764	$44.12

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Programs Director Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Programs Director category.

For example Google Engineering Director jobs pay as much as $116,513 (149.0%) more than the average Programs Director salary of $78,196. If you're qualified, finding work as a Google Engineering Director may help you make more money than that of the average Programs Director position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Google Engineering Director	$194,709	$16,225	$3,744	$93.61
Director Program Management	$109,055	$9,087	$2,097	$52.43
Day Program Director	$78,196	$6,516	$1,503	$37.59
Associate Director Program Management	$52,360	$4,363	$1,006	$25.17
Director Of Licensing	$49,770	$4,147	$957	$23.93

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Programs Director salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $78,196 per year or $37.59 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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