This article shares the Average Engineer Salary for 20 engineering job titles and steps to determine if your engineer salary is equitable.
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Average Engineer Salary: For 20 Different Job Titles (2022)
Are you wondering what the average engineer salary is?
If so, you’re not alone! Many engineers are curious about their earning potential and for good reason. Engineering is a highly sought-after field, and the salaries vary widely depending on specialization, experience, location, and a company’s practices to set compensation.
But don’t worry, this article has all the answers. It provides data on the average engineer salary for the 20 most common engineering job titles as well as the highest average engineer salary in the United States. It answers the question “How much do engineers make an hour” and if you’re wondering how your salary or a salary you’ve been offered stacks up to other engineers in the same role at the same company you’ll get steps to figure this out.
Whether you’re just starting out in your engineering career, are an industry veteran, or you’re looking to make a move, it’s important to make sure you’re not leaving money on the table. If you’re ready to have your engineer salary questions answered then read on!
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Average Engineer Salary: For 20 Different Job Titles (in 12 Tech Hubs)
Below you will find data from Indeed that shares the average engineer salary for the 20 most common engineering job titles. Each job title is hyperlinked to another table. The additional table shares the job title’s low, high, and average salary data for the top 12 tech hubs in the United States:
- San Francisco, CA
- Austin, TX
- Chicago, IL
- Denver, CO
- Atlanta, GA
- New York, NY
- Brooklyn, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Boston, MA
- San Diego, CA
- Miami, FL
- Seattle, WA
The tables also share the percent difference a city’s average pay is from the national average. As you’ll come to see, location plays a significant role in what someone can earn in a specific job title.
Average Engineer Salary
The average engineer salary in the United States is $126,366.00. This salary is reflected in the data using the job title “Software Engineer” as it broadly describes all engineers.
One of the most interesting things to highlight in the data is the per city salary ranges. It’s important to highlight variables that account for the spread:
- Actual job descriptions, a position’s duties, and responsibilities (they are not all the same)
- Experience level (e.g. entry-level, mid-level, or senior level in the role)
- Specific skill proficiency
- If the role leads others or is a single contributor
- Compensation standardization or the lack of compensation standardization (i.e. salary that is established subjectively or using a compensation formula)
- Company type (e.g. non-profit compared to for-profit)
- Company stage (e.g. Seed stage startup, Series A to Series D, or publicly traded tech company)
- How a company views the importance of a specific job title to the overall success of the company
- An engineer’s ability to negotiate a higher job offer, earn merit raises, and successfully ask for raises
Unfortunately, we don’t have insight into the variables above to extrapolate how they impact per city salary ranges. Nonetheless, it’s important to be aware of the variables as they impact the spread and it would be incorrect to assume the data reflects the exact same job description, duties, level of experience, skill proficiency, etc.
While the data does not detail the variables above it does provide good baseline insight into what engineers are making across the country.
Average Engineer Salary: Nationwide
| Position | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Site Reliability Engineer | $143,518.00 |
| Data Engineer | $137,551.00 |
| Cloud Architect | $134,534.00 |
| Platform Engineer | $133,861.00 |
| iOS Engineer | $129,654.00 |
| Android Engineer | $127,204.00 |
| Software Engineer | $126,366.00 |
| Machine-learning engineer | $125,494.00 |
| Devops Engineer | $119,058.00 |
| Infrastructure Engineer | $118,303.00 |
| Back End Developer | $115,667.00 |
| Systems Engineer | $103,730.00 |
| Front End Engineer | $102,762.00 |
| Full Stack Engineer | $101,402.00 |
| Network Engineer | $90,811.00 |
| QA Engineer | $83,082.00 |
| Cyber Security Engineer | $79,824.00 |
| Embedded Firmware Engineer | $78,149.00 |
| Salesforce Developer | $76,315.00 |
| Developer | $46,574.00 |
Highest Engineer Salary: Site Reliability Engineer
Position Location Base Pay Percent above national average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Site Reliability Engineer Nationwide $143,518.00 -- $78,603.00 $262,044.00 4,400
San Francisco, CA $166,531.00 +16% $86,898.00 $319,141.00 76
Austin, TX $152,543.00 +6% $86,136.00 $270,148.00 154
Chicago, IL $143,925.00 Same $68,300.00 $303,288.00 67
Denver, CO $132,239.00 -8% $100,913.00 $173,289.00 63
Atlanta, GA $145,277.00 Same $69,860.00 $302,109.00 71
New York City, NY $144,992.00 Same $77,477.00 $271,341.00 121
Brooklyn, NY $163,637.00 +14% $116,385.00 $230,074.00 4
Los Angeles, CA $151,610.00 +6% $72,372.00 $317,605.00 62
Boston, MA $157,998.00 +10% $89,297.00 $279,557.00 145
San Diego, CA $156,712.00 +9% $74,702.00 $328,755.00 57
Miami, FL $204,673.00 +43% $98,958.00 $423,324.00 26
Seattle, WA $136,905.00 Same $81,918.00 $228,803.00 287
On average Site Reliability Engineers have the highest engineer salary. Nationally, across the United States they earn an average of $143,518.00 annually (without the inclusion of additional financial incentives such as sign on bonuses, stocks, job perks, benefits, etc.).
Of the top 12 tech hubs in the United States Miami, FL has the highest average salary for Site Reliability Engineers.
Site Reliability Engineers in Miami, FL earn an average annual base salary of $204,673.00. This base salary is 43% higher than the national average for Site Reliability Engineers.
On the flip side the city with the lowest average salary for Site Reliability Engineers is Denver, CO. Site Reliability Engineers in Seattle earn an average annual salary of $132,239.00, which is -8% below the national average.
Average Engineer Salary: Data Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Data Engineer Nationwide $137,551.00 -- $85,795.00 $220,531.00 4,600
San Francisco, CA $156,341.00 +14% $109,690.00 $222,831.00 117
Austin, TX $119,697.00 -13% $81,971.00 $174,787.00 115
Chicago, IL $142,365.00 Same $83,888.00 $241,605.00 141
Denver, CO $121,044.00 -12% $84,844.00 $172,688.00 133
Atlanta, GA $124,744.00 -9% $79,753.00 $195,117.00 99
New York City, NY $135,373.00 Same $81,270.00 $225,493.00 247
Brooklyn, NY $146,710.00 +7 $96,933.00 $222,050.00 14
Los Angeles, CA $161,086.00 +17% $111,869.00 $231,955.00 90
Boston, MA $114,748.00 -17% $74,827.00 $175,967.00 88
San Diego, CA $125,531.00 -9% $77,897.00 $202,291.00 39
Miami, FL $129,557.00 -6% $77,308.00 $217,117.00 28
Seattle, WA $119,447.00 -13% $76,282.00 $187,040.00 55
Average Engineer Salary: Cloud Architect
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Cloud Architect Nationwide $134,534.00 -- $93,764.00 $193,032.00 6,300
San Francisco, CA $151,366.00 15% $102,548.00 $223,425.00 78
Austin, TX $143,017.00 6% $98,225.00 $208,235.00 104
Chicago, IL $139,027.00 Same $96,581.00 $200,127.00 249
Denver, CO $130,503.00 Same $92,545.00 $184,029.00 134
Atlanta, GA $146,110.00 9% $106,031.00 $201,340.00 196
New York City, NY $146,187.00 9% $100,111.00 $213,469.00 244
Brooklyn, NY $144,909.00 8% $118,897.00 $176,611.00 14
Los Angeles, CA $146,732.00 9% $98,378.00 $218,852.00 17
Boston, MA $159,498.00 19% $108,816.00 $233,788.00 118
San Diego, CA $140,586.00 Same $95,559.00 $206,830.00 34
Miami, FL $144,963.00 8% $105,404.00 $199,367.00 31
Seattle, WA $141,054.00 Same $100,985.00 $197,022.00 48
Average Engineer Salary: Platform Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Platform Engineer Nationwide $133,861.00 -- $90,246.00 $198,557.00 671
San Francisco, CA $169,033.00 +26% $124,812.00 $228,921.00 27
Austin, TX $166,307.00 +24% $123,825.00 $223,365.00 19
Chicago, IL $172,513.00 +29% $109,719.00 $271,244.00 9
Denver, CO $156,936.00 +17% $113,393.00 $217,199.00 29
Atlanta, GA $141,139.00 +8 $94,066.00 $211,768.00 5
New York City, NY $153,157.00 +14% $98,743.00 $237,557.00 16
Brooklyn, NY $161,490.00 +21% $139,960.00 $186,333.00 2
Los Angeles, CA $170,653.00 +27% $110,621.00 $263,263.00 6
Boston, MA $144,095.00 +8% $113,858.00 $182,362.00 10
San Diego, CA $175,938.00 +31% $140,035.00 $221,045.00 2
Miami, FL $128,189.00 Same $89,478.00 $183,647.00 3
Seattle, WA $172,113.00 +29% $117,274.00 $252,595.00 10
Average Engineer Salary: iOS Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
iOS Engineer Nationwide $129,654.00 -- $89,066.00 $188,740.00 1,000
San Francisco, CA $149,658.00 +15% $109,712.00 $204,150.00 29
Austin, TX $123,968.00 Same $85,426.00 $179,901.00 35
Chicago, IL $124,782.00 Same $96,373.00 $161,565.00 64
Denver, CO $129,084.00 Same $93,860.00 $177,526.00 34
Atlanta, GA $126,333.00 Same $86,210.00 $185,130.00 39
New York City, NY $127,738.00 Same $83,877.00 $194,535.00 70
Brooklyn, NY $145,151.00 +12% $124,822.00 $168,791.00 28
Los Angeles, CA $153,556.00 +18% $109,154.00 $216,020.00 29
Boston, MA $148,587.00 +15% $111,066.00 $198,783.00 46
San Diego, CA $147,540.00 +14% $110,186.00 $197,556.00 13
Miami, FL $150,961.00 +16% $102,652.00 $222,005.00 11
Seattle, WA $144,137.00 +11% $103,678.00 $200,385.00 28
Average Engineer Salary: Android Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Android Engineer Nationwide $127,204.00 -- $85,066.00 $190,215.00 1,100
San Francisco, CA $147,925.00 +16% $109,486.00 $199,858.00 44
Austin, TX $83,658.00 -34% $48,719.00 $143,653.00 35
Chicago, IL $123,889.00 +35% $82,879.00 $185,192.00 35
Denver, CO $146,822.00 +15% $112,137.00 $192,234.00 23
Atlanta, GA $129,519.00 Same $90,276.00 $185,823.00 54
New York, NY $133,315.00 Same $87,414.00 $203,320.00 68
Brooklyn, NY $144,230.00 +13% $126,367.00 $164,619.00 4
Los Angeles, CA $164,071.00 +29% $120,201.00 $223,951.00 45
Boston, MA $146,623.00 +15% $86,171.00 $249,485.00 18
San Diego, CA $141,060.00 +11% $102,883.00 $193,404.00 16
Miami, FL $141,022.00 +11% $98,893.00 $201,097.00 15
Seattle, WA $139,663.00 +10% $98,513.00 $198,001.00 33
Average Engineer Salary: Software Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Software Engineer Nationwide $126,366.00 -- $80,296.00 $198,869.00 31,700
San Francisco, CA $133,936.00 6% $85,145.00 $210,685.00 331
Austin, TX $135,517.00 7% $89,304.00 $205,645.00 253
Chicago, IL $133,552.00 6% $87,794.00 $203,160.00 701
Denver, CO $116,137.00 -8% $80,216.00 $168,145.00 520
Atlanta, GA $106,106.00 -16% $66,457.00 $169,410.00 201
Brooklyn, NY $123,475.00 Same $82,455.00 $184,904.00 14
Los Angeles, CA $145,034.00 15% $91,930.00 $228,814.00 413
Boston, MA $124,156.00 Same $83,678.00 $184,215.00 227
San Diego, CA $133,936.00 6% $85,145.00 $210,685.00 331
Miami, FL $149,442.00 18% $102,224.00 $218,470.00 315
New York City, NY $145,979.00 16% $83,745.00 $254,463.00 535
Seattle, WA $124,847.00 Same $84,731.00 $183,957.00 326
Average Engineer Salary: Machine-learning Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Machine-learning Engineer Nationwide $125,494.00 -- $63,576.00 $247,713.00 722
San Francisco, CA $136,437.00 +9% $84,449.00 $220,427.00 58
Austin, TX $192,263.00 +53% $110,715.00 $333,874.00 55
Chicago, IL $131,917.00 +5% $54,714.00 $318,059.00 12
Denver, CO $109,878.00 +12% $74,672.00 $161,682.00 31
Atlanta, GA $173,508.00 +38 $121,405.00 $247,973.00 15
New York, NY $229,737.00 +83% $112,357.00 $469,747.00 54
Brooklyn, NY $196,231.00 +56% $169,654.00 $226,970.00 27
Los Angeles, CA $130,450.00 +Same $104,027.00 $163,584.00 2
Boston, MA $139,660.00 +11% $92,540.00 $210,773.00 19
San Diego, CA $132,964.00 +6% $106,340.00 $166,253.00 2
Miami, FL $64,113.00 -49% $33,900.00 $121,253.00 2
Seattle, WA $185,082.00 +47% $141,526.00 $242,043.00 5
Average Engineer Salary: Devops Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Devops Engineer Nationwide $119,058.00 — $81,537.00 $173,844.00 3,800
San Francisco, CA $147,196.00 +24% $112,310.00 $192,918.00 55
Austin, TX $125,042.00 +5% $91,575.00 $170,740.00 134
Chicago, IL $124,709.00 Same $83,794.00 $185,603.00 82
Denver, CO $118,420.00 Same $86,126.00 $162,824.00 157
Atlanta, GA $120,573.00 Same $87,810.00 $165,561.00 104
New York City, NY $133,638.00 +12% $87,721.00 $203,590.00 215
Brooklyn, NY $111,132.00 -7% $80,056.00 $154,272.00 8
Los Angeles, CA $139,308.00 +17% $98,498.00 $197,026.00 32
Boston, MA $135,850.00 +14% $94,850.00 $194,574.00 75
San Diego, CA $122,100.00 Same $90,423.00 $164,875.00 43
Miami, FL $99,086.00 -17% $64,748.00 $151,634.00 22
Seattle, WA $121,893.00 Same $89,476.00 $166,055.00 32
Average Engineer Salary: Infrastructure Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Infrastructure Engineer Nationwide $118,303.00 -- $67,537.00 $207,228.00 1,500
San Francisco, CA $165,443.00 +40% $113,244.00 $241,704.00 46
Austin, TX $153,655.00 +30% $98,632.00 $239,376.00 27
Chicago, IL $117,662.00 Same $66,678.00 $207,632.00 49
Denver, CO $132,119.00 +12% $73,483.00 $237,546.00 54
Atlanta, GA $138,161.00 +17% $83,384.00 $228,924.00 39
New York City, NY $144,887.00 +22% $98,712.00 $212,663.00 101
Brooklyn, NY $112,743.00 +Same $80,631.00 $157,643.00 3
Los Angeles, CA $143,363.00 +21% $88,283.00 $232,806.00 32
Boston, MA $133,864.00 +13% $82,663.00 $216,781.00 41
San Diego, CA $158,668.00 +34% $99,403.00 $253,268.00 22
Miami, FL $103,420.00 -13% $45,293.00 $236,146.00 12
Seattle, WA $128,232.00 +8% $70,561.00 $233,040.00 27
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Average Engineer Salary: Back End Developer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Back End Developer Nationwide $115,667.00 -- $70,933.00 $188,614.00 2,200
San Francisco, CA $154,177.00 +33% $108,499.00 $219,086.00 122
Austin, TX $137,663.00 +19% $94,694.00 $200,129.00 110
Chicago, IL $133,719.00 +16% $93,816.00 $190,594.00 43
Denver, CO $126,157.00 +9% $86,023.00 $185,014.00 79
Atlanta, GA $123,399.00 +7% $84,709.00 $179,759.00 46
New York City, NY $143,889.00 +24% $86,283.00 $239,955.00 191
Brooklyn, NY $116,266.00 Same $78,625.00 $171,926.00 8
Los Angeles, CA $105,749.00 -9% $64,830.00 $172,493.00 57
Boston, MA $121,149.00 Same $76,659.00 $191,458.00 81
San Diego, CA $141,940.00 +23% $99,611.00 $202,257.00 14
Miami, FL $88,842.00 -23% $46,006.00 $171,562.00 33
Seattle, WA $129,250.00 +12% $83,886.00 $199,147.00 28
Average Engineer Salary: Systems Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Systems Engineer Nationwide $103,730.00 -- $67,522.00 $159,354.00 7,500
San Francisco, CA $142,684.00 +38% $117,459.00 $173,327.00 78
Austin, TX $109,091.00 +5% $70,358.00 $169,145.00 50
Chicago, IL $135,510.00 +31% $100,869.00 $182,047.00 124
Denver, CO $99,364.00 Same $68,033.00 $145,123.00 147
Atlanta, GA $87,513.00 -16% $53,912.00 $142,055.00 25
New York City, NY $106,379.00 Same $60,310.00 $187,638.00 52
Brooklyn, NY $162,766.00 +57% $133,654.00 $198,220.00 15
Los Angeles, CA $108,782.00 Same $74,121.00 $159,651.00 31
Boston, MA $105,055.00 Same $73,903.00 $149,339.00 36
San Diego, CA $115,235.00 +11% $72,936.00 $182,065.00 129
Miami, FL $83,921.00 -19% $67,350.00 $104,570.00 9
Seattle, WA $99,451.00 Same $61,804.00 $160,031.00 33
Average Engineer Salary: Front End Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Front End Engineer Nationwide $102,762.00 -- $65,905.00 $160,232.00 4,400
San Francisco, CA $107,262.00 Same $76,950.00 $149,514.00 36
Austin, TX $118,289.00 +15% $80,187.00 $174,496.00 155
Chicago, IL $102,600.00 Same $69,328.00 $151,841.00 90
Denver, CO $115,190.00 +12% $82,156.00 $161,506.00 127
Atlanta, GA $107,469.00 Same $75,426.00 $153,125.00 133
New York City, NY $117,701.00 +15% $75,834.00 $182,680.00 252
Brooklyn, NY $84,934.00 -18% $60,150.00 $119,930.00 7
Los Angeles, CA $105,110.00 Same $66,457.00 $166,242.00 67
Boston, MA $130,649.00 +27% $90,427.00 $188,763.00 110
San Diego, CA $107,262.00 Same $76,950.00 $149,514.00 36
Miami, FL $94,774.00 -8% $63,495.00 $141,461.00 47
Seattle, WA $102,656.00 Same $65,977.00 $159,726.00 70
Average Engineer Salary: Full Stack Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Full Stack Engineer Nationwide $101,402.00 -- $65,280.00 $157,511.00 12,100
San Francisco, CA $132,162.00 +30% $84,482.00 $206,753.00 161
Austin, TX $119,332.00 +18% $79,181.00 $179,844.00 284
Chicago, IL $116,544.00 +15% $80,232.00 $169,292.00 452
Denver, CO $113,784.00 +12% $77,405.00 $167,262.00 361
Atlanta, GA $109,307.00 +8% $74,544.00 $160,281.00 317
New York City, NY $116,597.00 +15% $75,180.00 $180,832.00 428
Brooklyn, NY $107,455.00 +6% $69,153.00 $166,971.00 41
Los Angeles, CA $102,021.00 Same $63,455.00 $164,024.00 133
Boston, MA $127,801.00 +26% $83,593.00 $195,388.00 229
San Diego, CA $102,003.00 Same $65,102.00 $159,821.00 113
Miami, FL $100,903.00 Same $62,099.00 $163,954.00 112
Seattle, WA $108,412.00 +7% $68,037.00 $172,744.00 139
Average Engineer Salary: Network Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Network Engineer Nationwide $90,811.00 — $57,901.00 $142,427.00 3,600
San Francisco, CA $103,073.00 +14% $72,440.00 $146,660.00 15
Austin, TX $95,449.00 +5% $68,790.00 $132,440.00 28
Chicago, IL $90,503.00 Same $62,910.00 $130,197.00 56
Denver, CO $93,077.00 Same $59,961.00 $144,481.00 61
Atlanta, GA $91,652.00 Same $65,923.00 $127,422.00 52
New York City, NY $118,567.00 +31% $77,814.00 $180,663.00 80
Brooklyn, NY $113,419.00 +25% $65,576.00 $196,167.00 19
Los Angeles, CA $91,285.00 Same $66,211.00 $125,856.00 30
Boston, MA $110,966.00 +22% $76,524.00 $160,909.00 23
San Diego, CA $108,592.00 +20% $69,554.00 $169,540.00 43
Miami, FL $74,498.00 -18% $50,029.00 $110,934.00 11
Seattle, WA $86,403.00 Same $61,976.00 $120,457.00 11
Average Engineer Salary: QA Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
QA Engineer Nationwide $83,082.00 — $55,190.00 $125,070.00 5,100
San Francisco, CA $106,579.00 +28% $87,132.00 $130,367.00 89
Austin, TX $78,562.00 -5% $44,422.00 $138,939.00 68
Chicago, IL $101,601.00 +22% $79,030.00 $130,618.00 109
Denver, CO $95,891.00 +15% $70,688.00 $130,080.00 140
Atlanta, GA $100,792.00 +21% $78,701.00 $129,085.00 102
New York City, NY $102,338.00 +23% $73,688.00 $142,127.00 132
Brooklyn, NY $101,681.00 +22% $81,700.00 $126,548.00 86
Los Angeles, CA $101,188.00 +22% $77,040.00 $132,906.00 104
Boston, MA $66,518.00 -20% $39,756.00 $111,294.00 38
San Diego, CA $95,506.00 +19% $55,081.00 $165,601.00 44
Miami, FL $77,447.00 -7% $42,423.00 $141,386.00 22
Seattle, WA $91,141.00 +10% $57,365.00 $144,805.00 19
Average Engineer Salary: Cyber Security Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Cyber Security Engineer Nationwide $79,824.00 — $41,459.00 $153,688.00 4,300
San Francisco, CA $149,424.00 +87% $98,774.00 $226,045.00 14
Austin, TX $104,788.00 +31% $71,892.00 $152,734.00 32
Chicago, IL $122,815.00 +54% $87,405.00 $172,572.00 58
Denver, CO $107,344.00 +34% $69,831.00 $165,010.00 69
Atlanta, GA $138,605.00 +74% $88,287.00 $217,601.00 93
New York City, NY $109,284.00 +37% $69,914.00 $170,823.00 103
Brooklyn, NY $209,274.00 +162% $136,527.00 $320,786.00 21
Los Angeles, CA $116,380.00 +46% $74,304.00 $182,281.00 8
Boston, MA $63,373.00 -21% $27,415.00 $146,494.00 79
San Diego, CA $124,124.00 +55% $83,122.00 $185,351.00 30
Miami, FL $123,969.00 +55% $99,168.00 $154,972.00 11
Seattle, WA $115,874.00 +45% $81,695.00 $164,353.00 20
Average Engineer Salary: Embedded Firmware Engineer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Embedded Firmware Engineer Nationwide $78,149.00 -- $111,506.00 $159,100.00 1,300
San Francisco, CA $124,564.00 +12% $85,376.00 $181,740.00 4
Austin, TX $129,509.00 +16% $76,968.00 $217,917.00 20
Chicago, IL $132,047.00 +18% $111,733.00 $156,053.00 26
Denver, CO $101,344.00 -9% $76,776.00 $133,773.00 6
Atlanta, GA $151,770.00 +36% $109,476.00 $210,403.00 8
New York, NY $98,680.00 -12% $76,240.00 $127,725.00 5
Brooklyn, NY $96,859.00 -13% $83,601.00 $112,220.00 5
Los Angeles, CA $147,638.00 +32% $131,389.00 $165,896.00 4
Boston, MA $142,693.00 +28% $117,270.00 $173,627.00 12
San Diego, CA $132,102.00 +18% $95,013.00 $183,668.00 23
Miami, FL $101,822.00 -9% $60,929.00 $170,161.00 3
Seattle, WA $153,917.00 +38% $102,982.00 $230,044.00 17
Average Engineer Salary: Salesforce Developer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Salesforce Developer Nationwide $76,315.00 -- $76,315.00 $154,258.00 1,300
San Francisco, CA $98,041.00 -10% $70,006.00 $137,304.00 41
Austin, TX $109,404.00 Same $78,517.00 $152,442.00 36
Chicago, IL $105,041.00 Same $73,448.00 $150,223.00 25
Denver, CO $107,440.00 Same $82,939.00 $139,180.00 59
Atlanta, GA $123,055.00 +13% $86,514.00 $175,030.00 43
New York, NY $111,981.00 Same $78,175.00 $160,406.00 55
Brooklyn, NY $81,509.00 -25% $52,029.00 $127,693.00 3
Los Angeles, CA $99,827.00 -8% $67,945.00 $146,671.00 18
Boston, MA $103,643.00 Same $72,220.00 $148,739.00 30
San Diego, CA $101,360.00 -7.00% $74,863.00 $137,235.00 15
Miami, FL $117,524.00 +8% $85,621.00 $161,315.00 6
Seattle, WA $108,287.00 Same $70,427.00 $166,501.00 22
Average Engineer Salary: Developer
Position Location Base Pay % Above or Below National Average Low High # of Salaries Reported
Developer Nationwide $46,574.00 -- $24,395.00 $88,917.00 5900
San Francisco, CA $117,225.00 +152% $69,428.00 $197,926.00 59
Austin, TX $102,232.00 +120% $66,870.00 $156,295.00 109
Chicago, IL $95,494.00 +105% $54,189.00 $168,282.00 154
Denver, CO $153,543.00 +118% $67,349.00 $101,691.00 125
Atlanta, GA $63,783.00 +37% $43,433.00 $93,668.00 218
Brooklyn, NY $53,573.00 +15% $19,469.00 $147,416.00 31
Los Angeles, CA $75,832.00 +63% $42,295.00 $135,963.00 113
Boston, MA $108,170.00 +132% $76,935.00 $152,086.00 108
San Diego, CA $34,157.00 -27% $15,174.00 $76,891.00 55
Miami, FL $101,669.00 +118% $64,917.00 $159,228.00 43
New York, NY $109,023.00 +134% $61,706.00 $192,625.00 261
Seattle, WA $99,694.00 +114% $67,312.00 $147,655.00 67
How to Figure Out if Your Engineer Salary is Equitable
If you want to understand how equitable your engineer salary is you want to assess how it compares to:
- What the market is paying, and
- What the company/prospective company is paying others with the same job title.
You want to assess how your salary compares to both the market and people who hold the same job title at your company or a company you may join because a salary may be equitable within a company but underpaid for the market. Not assessing both could result in leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table annually 😱.
Below are actions and steps you can take to determine how equitable your base salary (i.e. your base pay excluding stock options, sign on bonus, commissions, job perks, etc.) is. If you want even more step-by-step help, create a PayDestiny account.
PayDestiny empowers you with tools to assess your salary such as a dashboard that tells you how your salary compares to the market. You also get personalized templates and scripts to ask for more money when offered a job or to ask for a pay raise, tools to get your boss invested in your success, mock salary negotiations, an achievement bank to log your daily/weekly accomplishments, and more.
How to Figure Out if Your Engineer Salary is Equitable (for the Market)
The average engineer salary data in this article provides high level insights into what the market is paying for a skill.
To research if your salary is equitable compared to the market you want to research what companies with the same business model and at the same the same stage (i.e. Seed Stage, Series A, etc.) as your company (or prospective company) are paying someone with similar skills/education/training to perform your job duties in the city the company uses to benchmark salary. This combination of this data will let you know if your base salary is equitable for the market.
How to Figure Out if Your Engineer Salary is Equitable (for Your Company)
Do you want to figure out if a job offer you’ve received is equitable compared to what other people with the same job title at the company are making or how equitable your salary is compared to colleagues with the same job title, level of skills, and outcomes?
If so, there’s just one thing you need to do…Ask three specific questions.
The three questions below will provide you the data you need to determine if a job offer is equitable or if you’re paid equitably compared to co-workers with the same skillset.
To determine if your engineer salary is equitable within a company ask:
What is the salary range for the position?
Anytime you are considering accepting a job or promotion it’s perfectly acceptable to ask “What is the salary range for the position?”
Asking this question gives you insights into what the company is paying for the completion of the job’s duties and helps you to assess if the pay:
- Is equal to, lower than, or higher than what companies at a similar stage are paying in the your market
- If the salary range aligns with your salary goals
It is also acceptable to ask this question when you are currently employed. However, the process to ask this question when employed must be finessed based on how well you are performing and the relationship you have with your boss.
Fortunately, some states and cities have implemented salary transparency laws or are rolling out new salary transparency laws that require employers to disclose salary range information when asked by a job applicant and/or current employee. These states include:
- Washington
- California
- Connecticut
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
What’s the compensation formula used to determine [the offer/my salary]?
Asking the question “What’s the compensation formula used to determine [the offer/my salary]?” provides insights into the company’s standardized compensation practices or the lack of standardized compensation practices.
A company with standardized compensation practices will at minimum share the following details:
- The city used to benchmark data
- Multipliers or predetermined dollar amount for seniority (e.g. a senior-level person who leads a team compared to an individual contributor gets .5X more pay or $6,500.00 more pay annually)
Multipliers or predetermined dollar values for skill proficiency (e.g. novice proficiency in a skill equals no multiplier, mid-level equals .15X more pay, senior-level equals .25X more pay, and expert-level equals .35X more pay) - These types of variables account for individual nuances in skill and experience. It’s important to account for these nuances when figuring out if your salary is equitable compared to other people at your company or a company you’re considering joining.
You don’t want to accidentally assume you should be paid more by comparing yourself to a senior-level person with the same job title (if you don’t have the same skills, experience, and outcomes). Inversely you don’t want to accidentally conclude you’re paid well by arbitrarily comparing your salary to a person with less experience. This is why it’s important to ask a company’s leadership “What’s the compensation formula used to determine [the offer/my salary]?”
Some companies have very detailed compensation practices that clearly demonstrate that the company does not subjectively determine salary.
If you ask a company “What’s the compensation formula used to determine [the offer/my salary]?” and they rattle off multiple variables and details then it’s highly likely that the salary is equitable (however you still want to ask the third question).
If the answer you receive is something to the effect of “we rely on individual expertise to determine salary” then you gain insights that your job offer or salary was subjectively created.
A subjectively created salary is not always a bad thing if the company is/was motivated to hire you and/or has direct and implicit biases that benefit you. You could have an inequitable salary that works in your favor and is high on the job title’s pay scale.
On the contrary a subjectively created salary could mean that the salary is inequitable and does not work in your favor. Hopefully, this is not the case but it is something you want to uncover in order to negotiate a higher job offer or request a salary adjustment because you are underpaid.
Where does [this offer/my salary] fall on the compa ratio for this position?
The third question you want to ask is “Where does [this offer/my salary] fall on the compa ratio for this position?”
A compa ratio is a metric used by companies to determine where an individual’s salary falls on the pay scale/salary range for the position within the company and/or market.
In decimals a compa ratio ranges from .80 to 1.2 with 1 being median pay for the position. If for some reason your company doesn’t use compa ratios (which is a red flag 🚩) you can ask for the median pay for your job title and calculate your compa ratio by dividing your job offer or base salary by the median pay.
The resulting decimal will let you know how a job offer or your salary compares to other people who hold the same engineering job title and perform the same job duties.
The combination of your compa ratio and the answers you receive to “What is the salary range for the position” and “What’s the compensation formula used to determine [the offer/my salary]?” will either:
- Align with the compa ratio confirming what you’ve been told
- Highlight disparities between what you’ve been told and what you’re actually being paid compared to other people who hold the same job title
Asking company leadership the three questions above will help you figure out if your engineer salary or a job offer is equitable compared to others with the same job title at your company/company you’re considering joining.
Average Engineer Salary (FAQs)
What is the salary for software engineer
Nationally, the average salary for a software engineer in the United States is $126,366.00.
Of the top 12 tech hubs in the country, software engineers receive the highest average salary in Miami, FL where the average software engineer salary is $149,442.00. This is 18% above the national average.
Software engineers receive the highest average salary in Atlanta, GA where the average software engineer salary is $106,106.00. This is -16% below the national average.
What is the median salary of a cybersecurity engineer?
The median salary of a cybersecurity engineer in the United States is $79,824.00.
Of the top 12 tech hubs in the country, cybersecurity engineers have the highest average pay in Brooklyn, NY where they earn an average of $209,274.00. This is 162% above the national average.
Cybersecurity engineers earn the lowest annual salary in Boston, MA. In Boston cybersecurity engineers earn an average annual salary of $63,373.00. This is -21% below the national average.
How much do engineers make an hour?
On average engineers in the United States make $52.26 per hour before bonuses, stock options, incentives, benefits, job perks and other details that make up a total rewards package.
Site Reliability Engineers are the highest paid engineers of the 20 most common engineer roles. Nationally, they make an average of $69.00 per hour.
Developers are the lowest paid engineers of the 20 most common engineer roles. Nationally, they make an average of $22.39 per hour.
How much do engineers make an hour? (Data for the 20 Most Common Engineer Job Titles)
| Position | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Site Reliability Engineer | $69.00 |
| Data Engineer | $66.13 |
| Cloud Architect | $64.68 |
| Platform Engineer | $64.36 |
| iOS Engineer | $62.33 |
| Android Engineer | $61.16 |
| Software Engineer | $60.75 |
| Machine-learning engineer | $60.33 |
| Devops Engineer | $57.24 |
| Infrastructure Engineer | $56.88 |
| Back End Developer | $55.61 |
| Systems Engineer | $49.87 |
| Front End Engineer | $49.40 |
| Full Stack Engineer | $48.75 |
| Network Engineer | $43.66 |
| QA Engineer | $39.94 |
| Cyber Security Engineer | $38.38 |
| Embedded Firmware Engineer | $37.57 |
| Salesforce Developer | $36.69 |
| Developer | $22.39 |
Average salary of engineer in us per month
The average monthly software engineer salary in the United States is $10,530.50. This equates to an annual salary of $126,366.00 and a $60.75 hourly rate.
Are engineers well paid?
Engineers are well paid. The average engineer salary in the United States is $126,366.00. This salary is $67,106.00 dollars more and 117% more than the average salary in the United States, $58,260.00.
Is becoming an engineer worth it?
For example, if you’re interested in fashion you can become an engineer for a fashion brand that helps to sell their products online and determine what customers want most. If you’re interested in helping others you could help a company build solutions for families to receive alerts when an aging family member wanders out of the house. If you want to help solve hunger you could work with a software company to help create predictive algorithms for farmers around the world to maximize the yield on their crops.
There are countless ways you can apply what interests you to software engineering! Becoming an engineer is worth it. By becoming a software engineer you open the door to employment that you enjoy and are paid well for.
Which type of engineering has highest salary?
Site Reliability Engineers that live in Miami, FL or work remotely for a company in Miami, FL that uses the city as its benchmark to determine salary are paid the most out of all Site Reliability Engineers in the country. Site Reliability Engineers in Miami, FL earn an average engineer salary of $204,673.00 annually.
Questions? Leave a comment.
Now, I’ll turn it over to you!
Did any of the average engineer salary data points surprise you?
Are you going to figure out if your engineer salary or a job offer is equitable?
If so, let me know in the comment section below.
Also, if you found value in this article please share it so other people can benchmark their salary and learn how to determine if their engineer salary is equitable. Thank you!
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