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Director of systems engineering salary
Average director of systems engineering salary
$165,127
Average Director of Systems Engineering Salary
The average salary for a Director of Systems Engineering is approximately $165,127 annually. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and industry. For instance, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the higher cost of living and demand for engineering expertise.
Experience Level Impact
Experience significantly influences salary. Entry-level positions may start at lower rates, but directors with extensive experience can command salaries exceeding $200,000. Companies often reward qualified candidates who can drive innovation and lead engineering teams effectively.
Top Paying Industries
Industries such as technology, defense, and aerospace are known for offering higher compensation. Additionally, directors with specialized skills in systems engineering can negotiate better salaries. Understanding the salary landscape in your specific region and industry can be beneficial for career advancement.
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Where can a Director Of Systems Engineering earn more?
Director of systems engineering salaries by experience level
Director of systems engineering salary estimates from across the web
Average director of systems engineering salary by state
The average director of systems engineering salary in California, Nevada, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average director of systems engineering salary states are Georgia, Wyoming, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for directors of systems engineering
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $176,614 | $84.91 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $161,606 | $77.70 |
| 3 | Nevada | $179,405 | $86.25 |
| 4 | Washington | $158,339 | $76.12 |
| 5 | Arizona | $151,471 | $72.82 |
| 6 | Idaho | $149,481 | $71.87 |
| 7 | Oregon | $162,965 | $78.35 |
| 8 | Utah | $153,269 | $73.69 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $148,282 | $71.29 |
| 10 | Montana | $148,161 | $71.23 |
| 11 | Maine | $147,786 | $71.05 |
| 12 | California | $180,615 | $86.83 |
| 13 | Ohio | $158,470 | $76.19 |
| 14 | New York | $156,866 | $75.42 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $143,979 | $69.22 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $136,379 | $65.57 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $153,122 | $73.62 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $136,364 | $65.56 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $144,555 | $69.50 |
| 20 | Michigan | $140,500 | $67.55 |
| 21 | Texas | $143,061 | $68.78 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $171,338 | $82.37 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $143,188 | $68.84 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $136,013 | $65.39 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $144,208 | $69.33 |
| 26 | Delaware | $137,646 | $66.18 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $138,883 | $66.77 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $144,125 | $69.29 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $130,944 | $62.95 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $130,269 | $62.63 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $131,938 | $63.43 |
| 32 | Indiana | $138,487 | $66.58 |
| 33 | Alabama | $128,989 | $62.01 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $135,432 | $65.11 |
| 35 | Colorado | $135,718 | $65.25 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $128,771 | $61.91 |
| 37 | Vermont | $135,794 | $65.29 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $130,631 | $62.80 |
| 39 | Virginia | $132,763 | $63.83 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $127,395 | $61.25 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $121,367 | $58.35 |
| 42 | Florida | $130,254 | $62.62 |
| 43 | Illinois | $130,801 | $62.89 |
| 44 | Kansas | $126,382 | $60.76 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $125,589 | $60.38 |
| 46 | Maryland | $129,662 | $62.34 |
| 47 | Iowa | $120,721 | $58.04 |
| 48 | Georgia | $125,045 | $60.12 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $120,417 | $57.89 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $118,767 | $57.10 |
| 51 | Missouri | $117,104 | $56.30 |
Highest paying cities for directors of systems engineering
The highest-paying cities for directors of systems engineering are San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $201,554 | $96.90 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $169,506 | $81.49 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $165,715 | $79.67 |
| 4 | Monroe, LA | $160,358 | $77.10 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $158,062 | $75.99 |
| 6 | Cincinnati, OH | $156,552 | $75.27 |
| 7 | Salt Lake City, UT | $155,835 | $74.92 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $155,076 | $74.56 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $154,103 | $74.09 |
| 10 | Portland, ME | $147,889 | $71.10 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $146,441 | $70.40 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $146,236 | $70.31 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | $144,770 | $69.60 |
| 14 | Livonia, MI | $140,891 | $67.74 |
| 15 | Westminster, CO | $136,647 | $65.70 |
| 16 | Providence, RI | $132,057 | $63.49 |
| 17 | Miami, FL | $131,941 | $63.43 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $131,472 | $63.21 |
| 19 | Pittsburgh, PA | $128,399 | $61.73 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $124,901 | $60.05 |
Director of systems engineering salary details
A director of systems engineering's salary ranges from $113,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $239,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a director of systems engineering's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $239,000 | $19,917 | $115 |
| 75th Percentile | $200,000 | $16,667 | $96 |
| Average | $165,127 | $13,761 | $79 |
| 25th Percentile | $135,000 | $11,250 | $65 |
| 10th Percentile | $113,000 | $9,417 | $54 |
Highest paying director of systems engineering jobs
The highest paying types of directors of systems engineering are engineering director, director of software development, and senior engineering manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research And Development Director | $137,944 | $11,495 | $66.32 | 102,901 |
| Research And Development Manager | $117,507 | $9,792 | $56.49 | 125,447 |
| Design Manager | $102,637 | $8,553 | $49.34 | 61,273 |
| Technical Director | $131,719 | $10,977 | $63.33 | 77,550 |
| Engineering/Maintenance Manager | $99,907 | $8,326 | $48.03 | 125,639 |
| Engineering Program Manager | $122,604 | $10,217 | $58.94 | 148,543 |
Top companies hiring directors of systems engineering now:
Which companies pay directors of systems engineering the most?
Director of systems engineering salaries at Google and Bristol-Myers Squibb are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average director of systems engineering salary at companies like LinkedIn and Palo Alto Networks are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $226,544 | $108.92 | |
| 2 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $212,633 | $102.23 |
| 3 | $210,725 | $101.31 | |
| 4 | Palo Alto Networks | $206,786 | $99.42 |
| 5 | Cisco | $200,713 | $96.50 |
| 6 | Western Digital | $199,769 | $96.04 |
| 7 | Neiman Marcus Group | $198,589 | $95.48 |
| 8 | Fortinet | $193,725 | $93.14 |
| 9 | Amd | $191,016 | $91.83 |
| 10 | Safran | $187,899 | $90.34 |
| 11 | Infineon Technologies | $187,089 | $89.95 |
| 12 | Rockstar Games | $186,840 | $89.83 |
| 13 | Johnson & Johnson | $185,896 | $89.37 |
| 14 | Methodist Hospital Of Henderson, Kentucky | $183,701 | $88.32 |
| 15 | Applied Materials | $181,798 | $87.40 |
| 16 | UTStarcom Inc | $180,005 | $86.54 |
| 17 | Panavision | $179,903 | $86.49 |
| 18 | Qualcomm | $179,821 | $86.45 |
| 19 | Medtronic | $179,035 | $86.07 |
| 20 | Verizon Data Services Inc | $176,902 | $85.05 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Director of systems engineering salary trends
The average director of systems engineering salary has risen by $30,192 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average director of systems engineering earned $134,935 annually, but today, they earn $165,127 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for directors of systems engineering over the last decade.
Compare director of systems engineering salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average director of systems engineering salary over time
Compare director of systems engineering salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Director of systems engineering salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $165,000 | $79.39 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $160,000 | $76.89 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $155,000 | $74.73 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $152,000 | $73.12 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $149,000 | $71.53 | +1.4% |
Recently added director of systems engineering salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Director, Global Security Systems Engineering | Littleton, CO | 06/25/2025 | $180,000 |
| Applied Materials | Director, Systems Engineer | Santa Clara, CA | 06/24/2025 | $196,000 |
| Applied Materials | Director, Systems Engineer | Kalispell, MT | 06/24/2025 | $196,000 |
| Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP | Director of Systems Engineering & Land Services | Texas City, TX | 06/23/2025 | $138,238 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Associate Director, Systems Engineering and Operations | Worcester, MA | 06/20/2025 | $95,000 |
| Johnson & Johnson | SR. Director Systems Engineering & Testing-Orthopaedics Enabling Technology | Boston, MA | 06/17/2025 | $238,000 |
| PwC | Genai Python Systems Engineer-Director | Houston, TX | 06/13/2025 | $148,000 |
| PwC | Genai Python Systems Engineer-Director | Seattle, WA | 06/13/2025 | $155,000 |
| PwC | Genai Python Systems Engineer-Director | Los Angeles, CA | 06/13/2025 | $148,000 |
| PwC | Genai Python Systems Engineer-Director | Florham Park, NJ | 06/13/2025 | $155,000 |
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