The U.S. Engineering Pay Reference
Know what engineers earn.
Engineers in the United States earn a median of $116,537 per year. Look up pay by role, state, and metro — every figure labeled with its source.
U.S. median across verified engineering roles · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024
Popular searches
Real numbers, clearly labeled. Nothing made up. How we calculate this →
Engineering salary by role
Median and top-end pay across engineering disciplines.
| Engineering role | Pay band (10th–90th) | Median | 90th pct | Data | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer Software & Technology | $132,270 | $208,620 | Verified | ||
| Aerospace Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $130,720 | $175,480 | Verified | ||
| Chemical Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $112,100 | $187,430 | Verified | ||
| Electrical Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $111,910 | $173,910 | Verified | ||
| Industrial Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $101,140 | $146,850 | Verified | ||
| Biomedical Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $100,730 | $158,040 | Verified | ||
| Mechanical Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $99,510 | $157,900 | Verified | ||
| Civil Engineer Architecture & Engineering | $95,890 | $150,640 | Verified |
- Verified
Software Engineer
Software & Technology
Median
$132,270
90th
$208,620
View details - Verified
Aerospace Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$130,720
90th
$175,480
View details - Verified
Chemical Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$112,100
90th
$187,430
View details - Verified
Electrical Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$111,910
90th
$173,910
View details - Verified
Industrial Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$101,140
90th
$146,850
View details - Verified
Biomedical Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$100,730
90th
$158,040
View details - Verified
Mechanical Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$99,510
90th
$157,900
View details - Verified
Civil Engineer
Architecture & Engineering
Median
$95,890
90th
$150,640
View details
By state
All 51 states →Estimated engineering pay by state.
| State | Pay band (10th–90th) | Median | 90th pct | vs U.S. | Data | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California 6 cities | $144,506 | $222,136 | +24% | Estimate | ||
| District of Columbia 1 city | $137,514 | $211,387 | +18% | Estimate | ||
| Washington 1 city | $137,514 | $211,387 | +18% | Estimate | ||
| Massachusetts 1 city | $135,183 | $207,804 | +16% | Estimate | ||
| New York 2 cities | $132,852 | $204,221 | +14% | Estimate | ||
| New Jersey 1 city | $130,521 | $200,639 | +12% | Estimate | ||
| Connecticut 1 city | $128,191 | $197,056 | +10% | Estimate | ||
| Maryland 1 city | $128,191 | $197,056 | +10% | Estimate |
- Estimate
California
6 cities
Median
$144,506
+24%90th
$222,136
View details - Estimate
District of Columbia
1 city
Median
$137,514
+18%90th
$211,387
View details - Estimate
Washington
1 city
Median
$137,514
+18%90th
$211,387
View details - Estimate
Massachusetts
1 city
Median
$135,183
+16%90th
$207,804
View details - Estimate
New York
2 cities
Median
$132,852
+14%90th
$204,221
View details - Estimate
New Jersey
1 city
Median
$130,521
+12%90th
$200,639
View details - Estimate
Connecticut
1 city
Median
$128,191
+10%90th
$197,056
View details - Estimate
Maryland
1 city
Median
$128,191
+10%90th
$197,056
View details
By city
All metros →Estimated engineering pay by metro.
| Metro | Pay band (10th–90th) | Median | 90th pct | vs U.S. | Data | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose California | $172,475 | $265,129 | +48% | Estimate | ||
| San Francisco California | $165,483 | $254,381 | +42% | Estimate | ||
| Seattle Washington | $151,498 | $232,884 | +30% | Estimate | ||
| New York City New York | $146,837 | $225,718 | +26% | Estimate | ||
| Boston Massachusetts | $142,175 | $218,553 | +22% | Estimate | ||
| Washington, D.C. District of Columbia | $139,844 | $214,970 | +20% | Estimate | ||
| Los Angeles California | $137,514 | $211,387 | +18% | Estimate | ||
| San Diego California | $134,018 | $206,013 | +15% | Estimate |
- Estimate
San Jose
California
Median
$172,475
+48%90th
$265,129
View details - Estimate
San Francisco
California
Median
$165,483
+42%90th
$254,381
View details - Estimate
Seattle
Washington
Median
$151,498
+30%90th
$232,884
View details - Estimate
New York City
New York
Median
$146,837
+26%90th
$225,718
View details - Estimate
Boston
Massachusetts
Median
$142,175
+22%90th
$218,553
View details - Estimate
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia
Median
$139,844
+20%90th
$214,970
View details - Estimate
Los Angeles
California
Median
$137,514
+18%90th
$211,387
View details - Estimate
San Diego
California
Median
$134,018
+15%90th
$206,013
View details
Salary calculator
Estimate pay by role, location, experience, and industry.
Open calculator →Methodology & sources
What is verified, what is estimated, and exactly where it comes from.
Read methodology →Submit your salary
Anonymous, private, shown only in aggregate. Help build the dataset.
Contribute data →A living dataset
Help build the most trusted engineering pay data
Start with trusted national pay for every discipline, then go local — by state, city, and experience. As engineers add their own numbers, the estimates get sharper and new roles, titles, and cities come online.
- 1
Your submission stays private
Individual entries are never shown — only pooled, reviewed numbers appear publicly.
- 2
Shown only when there's enough data
A city or role number appears once enough independent submissions back it up — never from one entry.
- 3
Everyone gets sharper numbers
More submissions mean tighter estimates and broader coverage — including titles standard surveys miss.
Employers & recruiters: reach engineers researching compensation.
Advertise with us