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As of October 2025, the average salary for a Body Engineer in the United States is around $96,465 annually. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and specific industry sectors. For instance, entry-level engineers might start at a lower salary, while seasoned professionals can earn significantly more.
Typically, body engineers with more experience command higher salaries. Those with 1-3 years of experience earn approximately $76,000, while those with over 10 years can see salaries exceeding $120,000 per year. Specializing in certain areas, such as electric vehicle design, can further enhance earning potential.
Body engineers can find lucrative opportunities in states like California, Texas, and Michigan, where the automotive industry thrives. Each state offers varying salary ranges based on local demand and cost of living.
With the automotive sector evolving, body engineers are increasingly sought after for their expertise in sustainable and innovative design. This presents a wealth of career paths for aspiring engineers.
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The average body engineer salary in California, Oregon, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average body engineer salary states are Mississippi, South Dakota, and Vermont.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $130,613 | $62.79 |
| 2 | Oregon | $119,231 | $57.32 |
| 3 | Washington | $117,934 | $56.70 |
| 4 | Colorado | $100,362 | $48.25 |
| 5 | Nevada | $113,783 | $54.70 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $99,694 | $47.93 |
| 7 | Arizona | $92,641 | $44.54 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $99,740 | $47.95 |
| 9 | Texas | $90,689 | $43.60 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $92,617 | $44.53 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $94,663 | $45.51 |
| 12 | Utah | $87,696 | $42.16 |
| 13 | Maryland | $93,820 | $45.11 |
| 14 | Idaho | $92,254 | $44.35 |
| 15 | New York | $95,008 | $45.68 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $94,738 | $45.55 |
| 17 | Alaska | $96,511 | $46.40 |
| 18 | Michigan | $83,262 | $40.03 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $92,995 | $44.71 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $83,592 | $40.19 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $81,223 | $39.05 |
| 22 | Georgia | $83,305 | $40.05 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $78,151 | $37.57 |
| 24 | Virginia | $78,107 | $37.55 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $77,678 | $37.35 |
| 26 | Illinois | $81,667 | $39.26 |
| 27 | Delaware | $76,711 | $36.88 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $80,207 | $38.56 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $77,823 | $37.41 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $80,311 | $38.61 |
| 31 | Alabama | $75,927 | $36.50 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $74,894 | $36.01 |
| 33 | Indiana | $75,528 | $36.31 |
| 34 | Kansas | $75,590 | $36.34 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $75,781 | $36.43 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $73,136 | $35.16 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $70,840 | $34.06 |
| 38 | Florida | $76,442 | $36.75 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $69,548 | $33.44 |
| 40 | Ohio | $69,013 | $33.18 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $70,030 | $33.67 |
| 42 | Montana | $71,014 | $34.14 |
| 43 | Vermont | $65,975 | $31.72 |
| 44 | Maine | $71,828 | $34.53 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $58,906 | $28.32 |
| 46 | Missouri | $70,677 | $33.98 |
| 47 | Iowa | $68,494 | $32.93 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $66,789 | $32.11 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $67,900 | $32.64 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $64,458 | $30.99 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $61,625 | $29.63 |
The highest-paying cities for body engineers are Menlo Park, CA, Newark, CA, and Fremont, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menlo Park, CA | $140,589 | $67.59 |
| 2 | Newark, CA | $140,574 | $67.58 |
| 3 | Fremont, CA | $140,499 | $67.55 |
| 4 | Torrance, CA | $126,857 | $60.99 |
| 5 | Casa Grande, AZ | $91,584 | $44.03 |
| 6 | Arlington, TX | $91,474 | $43.98 |
| 7 | Warren, MI | $83,599 | $40.19 |
| 8 | Troy, MI | $83,534 | $40.16 |
| 9 | Auburn Hills, MI | $83,489 | $40.14 |
| 10 | Southfield, MI | $83,485 | $40.14 |
| 11 | Dearborn, MI | $83,456 | $40.12 |
| 12 | Allen Park, MI | $83,440 | $40.12 |
| 13 | Farmington Hills, MI | $83,404 | $40.10 |
| 14 | Livonia, MI | $83,390 | $40.09 |
| 15 | Wayne, MI | $83,342 | $40.07 |
| 16 | Plymouth, MI | $83,324 | $40.06 |
| 17 | Superior, MI | $83,219 | $40.01 |
| 18 | Ann Arbor, MI | $83,132 | $39.97 |
| 19 | Mio, MI | $82,007 | $39.43 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $81,678 | $39.27 |
A body engineer's salary ranges from $60,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $153,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $153,000 | $12,750 | $74 |
| 75th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| Average | $96,465 | $8,039 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 10th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
The highest paying types of body engineers are contracting engineer, staff engineer, and tool engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research And Development Engineer | $100,169 | $8,347 | $48.16 | 187,910 |
| Technical Services Engineer | $81,204 | $6,767 | $39.04 | 217,103 |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | $75,821 | $6,318 | $36.45 | 120,258 |
| Product Development Engineer | $86,075 | $7,173 | $41.38 | 202,155 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $75,352 | $6,279 | $36.23 | 105,618 |
| Management Engineer | $90,571 | $7,548 | $43.54 | 175,986 |
Top companies hiring body engineers now:
Body engineer salaries at Tesla and Rivian are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average body engineer salary at companies like Lucid Motors and Ford Motor are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla | $116,532 | $56.02 |
| 2 | Rivian | $114,921 | $55.25 |
| 3 | Lucid Motors | $114,482 | $55.04 |
| 4 | Ford Motor | $108,595 | $52.21 |
| 5 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky | $107,654 | $51.76 |
| 6 | FCA US LLC | $105,835 | $50.88 |
| 7 | Hyundai Capital Services | $103,780 | $49.89 |
| 8 | General Motors | $102,455 | $49.26 |
| 9 | Roush | $99,682 | $47.92 |
| 10 | Lordstown Motors | $99,657 | $47.91 |
| 11 | Evelozcity | $99,657 | $47.91 |
| 12 | CNH Industrial | $99,657 | $47.91 |
| 13 | MSX International | $97,656 | $46.95 |
| 14 | G-TECH | $96,586 | $46.44 |
| 15 | Kyyba | $92,297 | $44.37 |
| 16 | Tata Technologies | $82,220 | $39.53 |
| 17 | Millennium Software and Staffing | $79,637 | $38.29 |
The average body engineer salary has risen by $11,694 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average body engineer earned $84,771 annually, but today, they earn $96,465 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for body engineers over the last decade.
Compare body engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare body engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,500 | $46.38 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $94,600 | $45.49 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $93,500 | $44.94 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $91,900 | $44.18 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $90,100 | $43.31 | +0.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relativity | SR Multibody Dynamics Engineer | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $142,000 |
| Relativity | SR Multibody Dynamics Engineer | Long Beach, CA | 04/28/2025 | $142,000 |
| Lightship | Senior Engineer-Body Engineering | South San Francisco, CA | 03/28/2025 | $120,000 |
| Relativity | SR Multibody Dynamics Engineer | Long Beach, CA | 03/26/2025 | $142,000 |
| Scoutmotors | Engineer, Side Panels In Body Shop | Columbia, SC | 03/26/2025 | $110,000 |
| Lightship | Senior Engineer-Body Engineering | Broomfield, CO | 02/18/2025 | $100,000 |
| Northrop Grumman | Hardbody IR Signatures Engineer | Boone, CO | 01/26/2025 | $100,300 |
| Lucid Motors | Engineer, Body Structures | Southfield, MI | 01/26/2025 | $94,800 |
| General Motors | Vddv Engineer-Body Structures | Warren, MI | 12/17/2024 | $114,593 |
| Figure.Ai | Staff Whole-Body Manipulation Engineer | Sunnyvale, CA | 12/16/2024 | $250,000 |
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