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Graduate engineer salary
Average graduate engineer salary
$70,395
Average Graduate Engineer Salary
The average salary for a graduate engineer in the United States is $70,395 per year, which translates to approximately $34 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on experience, with entry-level positions earning less while seasoned professionals command higher wages. For instance, graduate engineers with 5-10 years of experience can earn over $85,000 annually.
Where Can Graduate Engineers Earn More?
Geographical location plays a crucial role in salary differences. States like California, Texas, and New York often offer higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for engineering talent. For example, California ranks as one of the highest-paying states, with average salaries exceeding $85,000.
Graduate Engineer Salary by Experience Level
- Entry-level: $60,000
- Mid-level (3-5 years): $75,000
- Senior-level (5-10 years): $85,000+
By understanding these dynamics, prospective engineers can better navigate their career paths and salary negotiations.
Let Zippi find your next graduate engineer job
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Where can a Graduate Engineer earn more?
Graduate engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level graduate engineer | $63,000 | $30.29 |
| Mid-level graduate engineer | $78,400 | $37.69 |
| Senior-level graduate engineer | $99,000 | $47.58 |
Graduate engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average graduate engineer salary by state
The average graduate engineer salary in Rhode Island, California, and Arizona are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average graduate engineer salary states are Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for graduate engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $86,664 | $41.67 |
| 2 | Arizona | $85,101 | $40.91 |
| 3 | Washington | $82,436 | $39.63 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $84,131 | $40.45 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $77,181 | $37.11 |
| 6 | Maryland | $79,545 | $38.24 |
| 7 | Michigan | $72,989 | $35.09 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $88,352 | $42.48 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $69,263 | $33.30 |
| 10 | Texas | $71,554 | $34.40 |
| 11 | Virginia | $72,033 | $34.63 |
| 12 | Colorado | $71,682 | $34.46 |
| 13 | Nevada | $72,239 | $34.73 |
| 14 | Oregon | $69,755 | $33.54 |
| 15 | Delaware | $71,394 | $34.32 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $78,314 | $37.65 |
| 17 | Utah | $68,157 | $32.77 |
| 18 | Alaska | $71,139 | $34.20 |
| 19 | Idaho | $70,092 | $33.70 |
| 20 | Alabama | $63,214 | $30.39 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $66,626 | $32.03 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $66,473 | $31.96 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $69,572 | $33.45 |
| 24 | Maine | $68,239 | $32.81 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $64,738 | $31.12 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $65,621 | $31.55 |
| 27 | New York | $66,986 | $32.20 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $73,271 | $35.23 |
| 29 | Vermont | $66,388 | $31.92 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $66,051 | $31.76 |
| 31 | Ohio | $60,776 | $29.22 |
| 32 | Georgia | $62,641 | $30.12 |
| 33 | Illinois | $64,773 | $31.14 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $63,620 | $30.59 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $61,052 | $29.35 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $61,361 | $29.50 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $59,485 | $28.60 |
| 38 | Iowa | $59,986 | $28.84 |
| 39 | Missouri | $61,858 | $29.74 |
| 40 | Indiana | $57,829 | $27.80 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $57,231 | $27.51 |
| 42 | Kansas | $58,705 | $28.22 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $56,905 | $27.36 |
| 44 | Florida | $60,594 | $29.13 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $53,397 | $25.67 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $55,835 | $26.84 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $52,641 | $25.31 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $52,002 | $25.00 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $54,524 | $26.21 |
| 50 | Montana | $49,300 | $23.70 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $49,472 | $23.78 |
Highest paying cities for graduate engineers
The highest-paying cities for graduate engineers are San Francisco, CA, Chandler, AZ, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $92,185 | $44.32 |
| 2 | Chandler, AZ | $85,027 | $40.88 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $84,168 | $40.47 |
| 4 | El Paso, TX | $75,507 | $36.30 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $71,944 | $34.59 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $71,565 | $34.41 |
| 7 | Beaverton, OR | $69,537 | $33.43 |
| 8 | Bismarck, ND | $69,147 | $33.24 |
| 9 | South Jordan, UT | $68,169 | $32.77 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $67,129 | $32.27 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $66,974 | $32.20 |
| 12 | Saint Paul, MN | $65,646 | $31.56 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $62,874 | $30.23 |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO | $61,770 | $29.70 |
| 15 | Tampa, FL | $60,656 | $29.16 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | $60,080 | $28.88 |
| 17 | Jackson, MS | $55,824 | $26.84 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $54,561 | $26.23 |
| 19 | Milwaukee, WI | $53,501 | $25.72 |
Graduate engineer salary details
A graduate engineer's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $89,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a graduate engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| 75th Percentile | $79,000 | $6,583 | $38 |
| Average | $70,395 | $5,866 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying graduate engineer jobs
The highest paying types of graduate engineers are project lead engineer, senior manufacturing engineer, and engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Trainee | $60,235 | $5,020 | $28.96 | 79,966 |
| Design Engineer Internship | $55,346 | $4,612 | $26.61 | 139,842 |
| Process Engineer Internship | $39,495 | $3,291 | $18.99 | 87,030 |
| Project Engineer Internship | $40,356 | $3,363 | $19.40 | 69,593 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $78,522 | $6,543 | $37.75 | 115,384 |
| Quality Control Engineer | $70,845 | $5,904 | $34.06 | 109,745 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for graduate engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Steve Hague
Professor, Cotton Breeder, Texas A&M University
Top companies hiring graduate engineers now:
Which companies pay graduate engineers the most?
Graduate engineer salaries at Microsoft and SiFive are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average graduate engineer salary at companies like Lam Research and Intel are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $109,100 | $52.45 |
| 2 | SiFive | $104,279 | $50.13 |
| 3 | Lam Research | $102,028 | $49.05 |
| 4 | Intel | $96,786 | $46.53 |
| 5 | Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc | $89,813 | $43.18 |
| 6 | GlobalFoundries | $85,541 | $41.13 |
| 7 | Westinghouse Appliances Australia | $85,041 | $40.89 |
| 8 | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | $80,451 | $38.68 |
| 9 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $77,710 | $37.36 |
| 10 | Technip USA Corporation | $77,621 | $37.32 |
| 11 | Energy Northwest | $76,376 | $36.72 |
| 12 | U.S. Borax, part of Rio Tinto | $76,147 | $36.61 |
| 13 | ARM | $76,023 | $36.55 |
| 14 | Intertek | $75,414 | $36.26 |
| 15 | Energy Inc. | $75,274 | $36.19 |
| 16 | 3M Company | $72,518 | $34.86 |
| 17 | WGI | $71,756 | $34.50 |
| 18 | Knauf Insulation North America | $71,429 | $34.34 |
| 19 | Neighborhood Health Center of WNY | $71,427 | $34.34 |
| 20 | Apex Supply Chain | $71,021 | $34.14 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Graduate Engineer salary by industry
The average graduate engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average graduate engineer salary in the manufacturing industry is $71,623, the highest of any industry.
- The average graduate engineer salary in the finance industry is $70,841.
- Graduate engineers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $69,001, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for graduate engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $71,623 | $34.43 |
| 2 | Automotive | $70,841 | $34.06 |
| 3 | Construction | $70,831 | $34.05 |
| 4 | Professional | $69,001 | $33.17 |
High paying graduate engineer jobs
Graduate engineer salary trends
The average graduate engineer salary has risen by $10,500 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average graduate engineer earned $59,895 annually, but today, they earn $70,395 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for graduate engineers over the last decade.
Compare graduate engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average graduate engineer salary over time
Compare graduate engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Graduate engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,400 | $33.84 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $69,100 | $33.22 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $67,200 | $32.32 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $66,900 | $32.16 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $64,900 | $31.22 | +0.9% |
Recently added graduate engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of College Station, Tx | Graduate Engineer I/II | College Station, TX | 06/28/2025 | $68,839 |
| Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory | 2025 Graduate-Engineer/Scientist-Optics & Photonics | Fulton, MD | 06/28/2025 | $85,000 |
| The Nuclear Company | Engineer 1-Graduate Program | Seattle, WA | 06/25/2025 | $80,000 |
| Materials Science for a Better Future | Campus Graduate-NCG Engineering Expo Participants | Midland, TX | 06/25/2025 | $94,100 |
| Adobe Systems Incorporated | 2025 University Graduate-Ai/Ml Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/24/2025 | $85,500 |
| Dow | Campus Graduate-NCG Engineering Expo Participants | Lansing, MI | 06/24/2025 | $94,100 |
| Dow Chemical Company | Campus Graduate-NCG Engineering Expo Participants | South Charleston, WV | 06/23/2025 | $94,100 |
| Dow Chemical Company | Campus Graduate-NCG Engineering Expo Participants | Knoxville, TN | 06/23/2025 | $94,100 |
| Dow Chemical Company | Campus Graduate-NCG Engineering Expo Participants | Kendallville, IN | 06/23/2025 | $94,100 |
| Dow Chemical Company | Campus Graduate-NCG Engineering Expo Participants | Plaquemine, LA | 06/23/2025 | $94,100 |
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