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The average salary for a Junior Engineer stands at $70,653 per year as of October 2025. This figure reflects various factors, including industry demands, geographical location, and years of experience. Entry-level positions typically start lower, but with experience, salaries can increase significantly.
Junior engineers in high-demand regions or industries often command higher wages. For instance, states like California and Texas offer competitive salaries, driven by robust engineering sectors. Additionally, industries such as technology and energy frequently provide higher compensation packages compared to traditional manufacturing roles.
Exploring reliable salary estimates from various sources can provide a clearer picture of earning potential. Websites like Glassdoor and Payscale often offer insights that can help junior engineers identify potential career paths and salary expectations. Understanding these dynamics is vital for making informed career decisions.
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The highest-paying states for junior engineers are Washington, California, and Massachusetts. The lowest average junior engineer salary states are Montana, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $89,292 | $42.93 |
| 2 | California | $87,376 | $42.01 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $82,677 | $39.75 |
| 4 | Arizona | $73,696 | $35.43 |
| 5 | Oregon | $75,128 | $36.12 |
| 6 | Michigan | $71,510 | $34.38 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $82,203 | $39.52 |
| 8 | Virginia | $73,905 | $35.53 |
| 9 | Colorado | $73,226 | $35.20 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $73,305 | $35.24 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $79,203 | $38.08 |
| 12 | Texas | $70,513 | $33.90 |
| 13 | Vermont | $69,952 | $33.63 |
| 14 | Maryland | $71,819 | $34.53 |
| 15 | Maine | $74,264 | $35.70 |
| 16 | Nevada | $70,097 | $33.70 |
| 17 | Alaska | $77,494 | $37.26 |
| 18 | New York | $72,962 | $35.08 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $75,524 | $36.31 |
| 20 | Alabama | $67,513 | $32.46 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $70,870 | $34.07 |
| 22 | Illinois | $70,204 | $33.75 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $76,908 | $36.98 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $68,219 | $32.80 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $67,445 | $32.43 |
| 26 | Delaware | $67,450 | $32.43 |
| 27 | Idaho | $66,640 | $32.04 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $68,586 | $32.97 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $67,651 | $32.52 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $69,613 | $33.47 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $67,341 | $32.38 |
| 32 | Ohio | $64,889 | $31.20 |
| 33 | Georgia | $67,296 | $32.35 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $63,551 | $30.55 |
| 35 | Indiana | $63,797 | $30.67 |
| 36 | Utah | $61,483 | $29.56 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $62,365 | $29.98 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $63,164 | $30.37 |
| 39 | Iowa | $62,341 | $29.97 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $61,026 | $29.34 |
| 41 | Florida | $62,813 | $30.20 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $62,331 | $29.97 |
| 43 | Kansas | $60,427 | $29.05 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $60,683 | $29.17 |
| 45 | Missouri | $60,985 | $29.32 |
| 46 | Montana | $59,514 | $28.61 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $57,168 | $27.48 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $58,756 | $28.25 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $58,693 | $28.22 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $57,023 | $27.41 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $54,683 | $26.29 |
The highest-paying cities for junior engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $93,783 | $45.09 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $89,999 | $43.27 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $82,704 | $39.76 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $82,229 | $39.53 |
| 5 | Jersey City, NJ | $75,665 | $36.38 |
| 6 | Alexandria, VA | $74,343 | $35.74 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $73,708 | $35.44 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $73,214 | $35.20 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $72,990 | $35.09 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $72,002 | $34.62 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $71,191 | $34.23 |
| 12 | Northbrook, IL | $70,377 | $33.84 |
| 13 | Las Vegas, NV | $69,650 | $33.49 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $67,625 | $32.51 |
| 15 | Huntsville, AL | $67,518 | $32.46 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $67,246 | $32.33 |
| 17 | Greensboro, NC | $63,741 | $30.64 |
| 18 | Coral Gables, FL | $62,589 | $30.09 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $62,382 | $29.99 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | $61,248 | $29.45 |
A junior engineer's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $91,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $44 |
| 75th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| Average | $70,653 | $5,888 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
The highest paying types of junior engineers are contracting engineer, staff engineer, and consulting engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Internship | $41,918 | $3,493 | $20.15 | 97,722 |
| Electrical Engineer Internship | $63,398 | $5,283 | $30.48 | 80,744 |
| Process Engineer Internship | $39,495 | $3,291 | $18.99 | 87,030 |
| Project Engineer Internship | $40,356 | $3,363 | $19.40 | 69,593 |
| Design Engineer Internship | $55,346 | $4,612 | $26.61 | 139,842 |
| Development Engineer | $93,206 | $7,767 | $44.81 | 224,881 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for junior engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring junior engineers now:
Junior engineer salaries at Apple and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average junior engineer salary at companies like Credit Karma and Zoom Video Communications are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $125,382 | $60.28 |
| 2 | Amazon | $118,041 | $56.75 |
| 3 | Credit Karma | $107,411 | $51.64 |
| 4 | Zoom Video Communications | $103,273 | $49.65 |
| 5 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $102,060 | $49.07 |
| 6 | Atlassian | $99,071 | $47.63 |
| 7 | Take-Two Interactive Software | $92,959 | $44.69 |
| 8 | American Express | $92,334 | $44.39 |
| 9 | dōTERRA | $90,330 | $43.43 |
| 10 | Parsons | $89,991 | $43.26 |
| 11 | Capgemini | $85,415 | $41.06 |
| 12 | STEC | $84,985 | $40.86 |
| 13 | Deutsche Bank | $84,251 | $40.51 |
| 14 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $81,305 | $39.09 |
| 15 | Alstom | $79,895 | $38.41 |
| 16 | Bridgepoint Education, Inc. | $77,557 | $37.29 |
| 17 | Torch Technologies | $77,553 | $37.29 |
| 18 | BRP US Inc | $77,439 | $37.23 |
| 19 | ICES Education | $76,273 | $36.67 |
| 20 | Keste | $76,273 | $36.67 |
The average junior engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $72,489 | $34.85 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $71,371 | $34.31 |
| 3 | Professional | $69,973 | $33.64 |
| 4 | Construction | $67,933 | $32.66 |
The average junior engineer salary has risen by $8,566 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average junior engineer earned $62,087 annually, but today, they earn $70,653 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for junior engineers over the last decade.
Compare junior engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare junior engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,700 | $33.97 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $69,300 | $33.32 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $68,500 | $32.92 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $67,300 | $32.36 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $66,000 | $31.72 | +0.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mdlz | JR. Engineer-Pega Customer Service | East Hanover, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $95,100 |
| Perspecta | JR. Malware Reverse Engineer | Arlington, VA | 06/29/2025 | $86,000 |
| ZP Group | (JR) Junior Engineer | Baltimore, MD | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| Leidos Holdings Inc. | JR. Full Stack Engineer | Gaithersburg, MD | 06/28/2025 | $67,600 |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Junior Engineer-Champ Lab | Philadelphia, PA | 06/28/2025 | $74,506 |
| Ara Career | Junior Engineer | Oxnard, CA | 06/27/2025 | $62,000 |
| Orbis Sibro, Inc. | Mbse Engineer JR | Ione, CA | 06/27/2025 | $70,000 |
| Actalent | Junior Engineer | Alma, MI | 06/27/2025 | $60,523 |
| Mondelez International | JR. Engineer-Pega Customer Service | East Hanover, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $95,100 |
| Motion Recruitment Partners | Junior Ai/Ml Engineer | Boston, MA | 06/25/2025 | $93,915 |
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