Policy Analyst

Policy Analyst Salary

$53.5K

$98.5K

$117.5K

$100,949

/year

$48.53

/hour

Policy Analyst Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$100,949

Columbus

Ohio

$97,507

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    How much does a Policy Analyst make?

    As of Jul 16, 2026, the average annual pay for a Policy Analyst in the United States is $100,949 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $48.53 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,941/week or $8,412/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $117,500 and as low as $53,500, the majority of Policy Analyst salaries currently range between $83,000 (25th percentile) to $116,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $116,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Policy Analyst varies greatly (by as much as 33500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Policy Analyst in your area makes on average $97,507 per year, or $3,442 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $100,949. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Policy Analyst salaries.

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

    Find your next high paying job as a Policy Analyst on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Policy Analyst Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Policy Analyst job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $20,663 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $24,278 (24.0%) above the $100,949 average.

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

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Livermore, 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 Policy Analyst role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $125,227

    $60.21

    Berkeley, CA

    $123,606

    $59.43

    Sitka, AK

    $121,612

    $58.47

    San Bruno, CA

    $120,603

    $57.98

    Mountain View, CA

    $119,088

    $57.25

    San Francisco, CA

    $118,936

    $57.18

    Stanford, CA

    $118,611

    $57.02

    Santa Clara, CA

    $118,559

    $57.00

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $118,479

    $56.96

    Livermore, CA

    $118,412

    $56.93

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Policy Analyst Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Policy Analyst job category, we found that Senior Legal Analyst jobs have average salaries greater than Policy Analyst jobs.

    Significantly, Senior Legal Analyst jobs pay $1,578 (1.6%) more than the average Policy Analyst salary of $100,949. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Legal Analyst may help you make more money than that of the average Policy Analyst position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Senior Legal Analyst

    $102,527

    $49.29

    Climate Change Policy Analyst

    $100,949

    $48.53

    Configuration Analyst

    $85,935

    $41.31

    Shipping Analyst

    $77,914

    $37.46

    Research Data Analyst

    $73,965

    $35.56

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Policy Analyst salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $100,949 per year or $48.53 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.