Salary for Entry-level / Junior Associate in United States during 2024

Salary details

The average entry-level / junior Associate salary lies between USD 71,000 and USD 125,000 in the United States. It represents the overall compensation/gross salary amount for the working year (before deductions like social security, taxes and other contributions), not including equity/stock options or similar benefits.

Region represents the primary country of residence of an employee during the year (or residence for tax purposes). All data shown are full-time equivalent (FTE) salaries. Part-time salary information has been extrapolated to its FTE value.

Last updated: Dec. 29, 2024

Top 20 Job Tags for Entry-level / Junior Associate roles

The three most common job tag items assiciated with entry-level / junior Associate job listings are Python, SQL and Computer Science. Below you find a list of the 20 most occuring job tags in 2024 and the number of open jobs that where associated with them during that period:

Python | 316 jobs SQL | 210 jobs Computer Science | 208 jobs Engineering | 201 jobs Machine Learning | 194 jobs Statistics | 182 jobs Research | 174 jobs Mathematics | 154 jobs Finance | 148 jobs Excel | 137 jobs R | 120 jobs Data Analytics | 112 jobs Data analysis | 110 jobs Banking | 108 jobs Testing | 100 jobs Tableau | 96 jobs Power BI | 87 jobs Java | 82 jobs Data management | 73 jobs Economics | 67 jobs

Top 20 Job Perks/Benefits for Entry-level / Junior Associate roles

The three most common job benefits and perks assiciated with entry-level / junior Associate job listings are Career development, Flex hours and Health care. Below you find a list of the 20 most occuring job perks or benefits in 2024 and the number of open jobs that where offering them during that period:

Career development | 331 jobs Flex hours | 121 jobs Health care | 111 jobs Competitive pay | 100 jobs Team events | 94 jobs Startup environment | 81 jobs Wellness | 73 jobs Equity / stock options | 71 jobs Salary bonus | 52 jobs Parental leave | 50 jobs Insurance | 49 jobs Medical leave | 45 jobs Flex vacation | 38 jobs Conferences | 29 jobs Fitness / gym | 27 jobs 401(k) matching | 23 jobs Gear | 15 jobs Transparency | 14 jobs Home office stipend | 12 jobs Lunch / meals | 8 jobs

Salary Composition

In the United States, the salary composition for an entry-level or junior associate role in AI/ML/Data Science typically includes a base salary, performance bonuses, and sometimes additional remuneration such as stock options or benefits. The base salary is the fixed component and usually constitutes the majority of the total compensation package. Performance bonuses can vary significantly depending on the company’s policy and individual performance, often ranging from 5% to 15% of the base salary. Additional remuneration, such as stock options or equity, is more common in tech startups or large tech companies and can be a significant part of the compensation package, especially in regions like Silicon Valley.

The composition can vary by region, industry, and company size. For instance, tech hubs like San Francisco or New York may offer higher base salaries and more substantial equity options compared to other regions. Similarly, larger companies or those in the tech industry might provide more comprehensive benefits and bonuses compared to smaller firms or those in non-tech sectors.

Steps to Increase Salary

To increase your salary from an entry-level position, consider the following strategies:

• Skill Enhancement: Continuously upgrade your technical skills, especially in high-demand areas like deep learning, natural language processing, or big data technologies.
• Advanced Education: Pursuing a master's degree or specialized certifications can make you more competitive and eligible for higher-paying roles.
• Networking: Build a strong professional network through industry conferences, meetups, and online platforms like LinkedIn to learn about new opportunities and trends.
• Performance Excellence: Consistently exceed performance expectations and take on challenging projects to demonstrate your value to the organization.
• Role Transition: Consider transitioning to roles with more responsibility, such as a data scientist or machine learning engineer, which typically offer higher salaries.

Educational Requirements

Most entry-level positions in AI/ML/Data Science require at least a bachelor's degree in a related field such as computer science, data science, statistics, or mathematics. Some employers may prefer candidates with a master's degree, especially for roles that require more specialized knowledge or skills. Coursework in machine learning, data analysis, programming, and statistics is highly beneficial.

Helpful Certifications

While not always required, certain certifications can enhance your resume and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers. Some popular certifications include:

• Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer
• AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate
• IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
• TensorFlow Developer Certificate

These certifications can validate your skills in specific tools and platforms, making you more attractive to employers.

Experience Requirements

For entry-level roles, employers typically look for candidates with some practical experience, which can be gained through internships, co-op programs, or relevant projects. Experience with programming languages like Python or R, familiarity with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch, and hands-on experience with data analysis and visualization tools are often expected.

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