How much does Cognizant pay?
As of Oct 16, 2026, 410 of the 1273 open jobs Cognizant has on Alion state a salary. The median is $118k a year, and the middle half pays $84k to $152k. The best-paid open role is Chief Product Architect - Cognitive Intelligence Spine Platform at $325k. Cognizant pays about 25% below the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
Cognizant pay against the market
−25% Cognizant pays about 25% below the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
Each of 434 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
Cognizant pay by level
| Level | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 156 | $110k | $84k – $130k |
| Lead | 74 | $135k | $94k – $160k |
| Staff+ | 73 | $152k | $133k – $170k |
| Head+ | 17 | $200k | $160k – $215k |
| Junior | 17 | $46k | $40k – $83k |
| Middle | 16 | $60k | $56k – $125k |
| Intern | 3 | $50k | $50k |
Cognizant pay by role
| Role | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Apps | 53 | $113k | $90k – $150k |
| Backend | 42 | $113k | $77k – $130k |
| Sales | 41 | $175k | $150k – $210k |
| DevOps | 38 | $130k | $115k – $135k |
| AI/ML | 36 | $150k | $110k – $160k |
| QA | 26 | $63k | $63k – $93k |
| Solutions | 22 | $160k | $145k – $165k |
| Data Science | 17 | $92k | $74k – $117k |
| Operations | 16 | $130k | $70k – $157k |
| Support | 14 | $90k | $70k – $98k |
| Field & Service | 14 | $60k | $56k – $72k |
| Product | 13 | $135k | $125k – $145k |
Cognizant pay by city
| Location | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 56 | $70k | $63k – $88k |
| New York | 26 | $150k | $113k – $160k |
| Dallas | 25 | $135k | $114k – $160k |
| Halifax | 18 | $70k | $67k – $77k |
| Hartford | 16 | $117k | $90k – $139k |
| San Francisco | 13 | $145k | $125k – $155k |
| Atlanta | 12 | $132k | $130k – $163k |
| Plano | 11 | $160k | $137k – $175k |
| Washington | 10 | $140k | $113k – $150k |
| Des Moines | 10 | $115k | $92k – $150k |
Cognizant pay by work format
| Work format | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote | 200 | $130k | $90k – $160k |
| Hybrid | 161 | $116k | $84k – $150k |
| In office | 64 | $100k | $63k – $132k |
How pay at Cognizant is spread
425 of 1287 vacancies state a salary (33%). The range below is built from those 425 stated figures only, never from an estimate.
Best-paid open roles at Cognizant
| Chief Product Architect - Cognitive Intelligence Spine PlatformHead+ | $325k |
| Partner Consulting - M&A Senior LeaderLead | $296k |
| Client Partner-Banking & FSStaff+ | $275k |
| Service Line Sales Manager - SAP | $260k |
| Senior Director - CybersecurityHead+ | $260k |
| Product Management Lead – Trust PlatformLead | $259k |
| Partner Consulting, CIO Advisory | $257k |
| Physical AI - Client PartnerStaff+ | $250k |
| Staff AI Customer EngineerStaff+ | $230k |
| Client Partner - InsuranceStaff+ | $230k |
Questions about pay at Cognizant
What is the average salary at Cognizant?
The median salary stated in Cognizant job postings is $118k a year, across 425 open jobs with pay; the middle half pays $84k to $152k.
How much does Cognizant pay for Enterprise Apps roles?
Enterprise Apps roles at Cognizant state a median of $113k a year (53 postings with pay, middle half $90k – $150k).
How much does Cognizant pay for Backend roles?
Backend roles at Cognizant state a median of $113k a year (42 postings with pay, middle half $77k – $130k).
How much does Cognizant pay for Sales roles?
Sales roles at Cognizant state a median of $175k a year (41 postings with pay, middle half $150k – $210k).
How much does Cognizant pay in Toronto?
Jobs at Cognizant in Toronto state a median of $70k a year (56 postings with pay).
What is the highest-paying open job at Cognizant?
Right now it is Chief Product Architect - Cognitive Intelligence Spine Platform at Cognizant, with a stated $325k a year.
Does Cognizant pay above the market?
Cognizant pays about 25% below the market for the same roles, levels and countries. Each of 434 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
Does Cognizant publish salaries in its job postings?
32% of the open jobs Cognizant has on Alion state a salary: 410 of 1273.
How to cite this page
Only pay an employer wrote in its own job advert is used, converted to US dollars a year; estimates are never mixed in. The figures are rebuilt twice a day from the vacancies open now.
These figures are published under a free licence. You may reuse them, including commercially, as long as you credit Alion and link back to this page.
Cognizant salaries: median $118k across 425 job postings with pay. Alion, Oct 16, 2026, https://alion.io/company/cognizant/salaries