What we know about job salaries at USAID

Interest in high-profile and large international development agencies is always high, as was clear in our coverage of the U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Management’s hiring fair earlier this year, wherein it received a large number of applicants wanting to be part of the bilateral agency. As part of our ongoing effort to spotlight salary trends across the development sector, our latest analysis delves into the USAID job salary information that has appeared on Devex’s job board over the past 12 months. This analysis includes 748 job postings, comprising the agency’s top hiring locations, bureaus and offices, salary differences between regions and sectors, and jobs with high-paying salaries across and outside the United States. To maintain consistency in the analysis, salaries that were not disclosed in U.S. dollars were converted from their original currencies. USAID’s salaries based on regions and locations USAID publicly shares its salary scales for many positions that it advertises, with experience level, and region as the main determining factors. The positions and salaries span the globe, ranging from an annual salary of $6,163 (ZK 261,496) for a program management assistant based in Zambia to a deputy assistant inspector general located in the United States with an annual salary of $221,900. Overall, we found that the average salary range shared is $81,290-$111,055. As is often the case, North America was the top region in terms of job placements (36.5%) and high-paying salary positions, averaging a salary of $166,230. Eastern Europe came second regarding average salary and job placements (10.6%). Positions that were advertised as based anywhere in the world had the third-highest average salary ($135,163), though this is based on only 23 positions or 3.1% of the total postings analyzed. Out of the 79 countries, Austria had the highest average salary, at $181,215, followed by the United States, with an average salary of $166,280. Other countries with high average salaries included several in Africa, including South Africa ($156,361), Namibia ($152,771), and Somalia ($147,969). USAID’s bureaus and independent offices As a large bilateral agency, USAID is organized into bureaus and offices that facilitate and oversee its local and international activities and programs. Roles with the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation presented the highest average annual salary of $177,687, followed by the Bureau of Health ($165,648) and the Bureau of Management ($155,245). Positions like senior adviser and supervisory health development officer, with annual salaries up to $183,500, were some of the notable roles advertised by such bureaus. It’s worth noting that despite having a high number of opportunities, the Bureau for Africa only has an average salary of $92,576. Top position levels and sectors Aside from the bureaus and offices, USAID follows a general pay scale and grade level depending on the location and occupation. Typically, positions use general scale schedules observing the qualifications needed for the opportunity. In addition, positions based in overseas offices follow a foreign service base scale and grade level. We found that GS-14 and GS-15, with an average salary of $150,616 and $173,319, are the levels using the general pay scale with the most job opportunities, while FSN-11 and FSN-10, with an average salary of $55,386 and $41,116, are the levels using the foreign service scale with the highest number of jobs. Senior-level positions made up 51.3% of the total postings analyzed, followed by mid-level positions (33.6%), entry-level positions (14.2%), and executive positions (0.8%), which reflects the agency’s use of its grade levels and pay scale. Exploring the sectors, nearly 10% of the positions fall under the private sector and humanitarian aid categories, with salaries averaging $137,151 and $129,730, respectively. What were the highest-paid USAID jobs? • Chief human capital officer Maximum annual salary: $221,900 Location: Washington D.C., United States • Equal opportunity officer/director Maximum annual salary: $221,100 Location: Washington D.C., United States • Supervisory program manager Maximum annual salary: $191,900 Location: Washington D.C., United States • Supervisory intelligence research specialist Maximum annual salary: $181,216 Location: Vienna, Austria • Regional director Maximum annual salary: $159,950 Location: Worldwide • Senior supply chain adviser Maximum annual salary: $159,950 Location: Nairobi, Kenya View all current USAID job openings on Devex’s job board. Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.