What you can expect to earn as a program officer

The program officer position is a significant role within the development sector and stands out as one of the most sought-after roles on the Devex job board. As part of our ongoing effort to highlight salary trends across the development sector, our latest analysis focuses on the program officer salary information shared on the Devex job board from Jan. 1 to Sept. 1 of this year. This analysis includes 288 job postings for program officers or similar titles, from 93 recruiting organizations, comprising salary comparisons between regions and sectors, leading organizations in salary transparency, and current hiring organizations for program officers. To maintain consistency in the analysis, salaries that were not disclosed in U.S. dollars were converted from their original currencies. For accuracy of the salary comparison, 2024 figures were converted to 2025 U.S. constant prices. Program officer salaries based on regions and locations This year saw a 30.5% decrease in the number of program officer positions advertised, compared to the same period the previous year. However, the average salary, for positions with available salary information, increased by 1.6% compared to the previous year. Overall, the average annual salary for program officers ranged from $85,446 to $120,313, a 3.9% increase from last year’s annual average salary of $82,046 to $115,491. The average salary range was calculated by averaging the minimum and maximum salary ranges provided and included the fixed salaries alongside both ranges. Program officer job openings based in North America received the highest average annual salary amounting to $141,299 - $201,373, while openings based in South Asia received the lowest average annual salary amounting to $37,958 - $55,594. The United States has the most job openings for program officers with an annual average salary ranging from $144,055 to $205,877 — an 8% salary increase from last year’s average annual salary of $132,627 - $198,958. The biggest increase was for program officers based in southern Africa, where the average salary increased 24.3% year-on-year, with an average annual salary of $65,266-$80,885. However, this was a small sample, with only 15 jobs. Meanwhile, the biggest drop in average salaries for program officers was for those based in Eastern Europe, which decreased by about 15.1% year-on-year, with an average annual salary of $48,237 - $72,996. However, this too was a small sample size of only 17 jobs. Program officer salaries based on sectors Program officers work in various sectors across the development workforce. Although the data reflects the various sectors associated with program officers, we recommend exercising caution when interpreting, as the data presented may be inaccurate. Program officers in the health sector have the highest average annual salary, ranging from $144,361 to $222,301. Interestingly, the average annual salary for program officers in the health sector also increased by 25.3% compared to last year’s average annual salary of $107,797-$161,821. This is followed by program officers in the agricultural sector with an average annual salary of $107,299-$158,061, a 23.7% salary increase compared to the previous year, which amounted to $81,783-$119,543. Most salary-transparent hiring organizations Based on the salary data, numerous organizations, such as multilateral organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and foundations, have been recruiting program officer positions this year. Leading organizations that shared salary information include the International Organization for Migration, with an annual average salary of $62,170-$86,057, and the Gates Foundation, with an annual average salary of $192,367-$319,804. Notably, senior program officers in the Gates Foundation are also the highest-paid program officers, receiving an average annual salary of $261,700-$442,100. Current program officer openings with salary information Of the organizations that have publicly shared salary information this year, the following are currently hiring program officers 1. African Union Commission Salary range: $78,461-$96,921 2. Gates Foundation Salary range: $185,000-$405,700 View all current program officer job openings on the Devex job board.