Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Laser engineer salary
Average laser engineer salary
$85,319
Average Salary for Laser Engineers
The average salary for a laser engineer in the United States is $85,319 per year. This figure reflects the combined influence of factors such as location, experience, and industry specialization. For instance, laser engineers in high-demand areas or specialized fields may earn higher salaries.
Salary by State
In states like California and Texas, laser engineers tend to see increased compensation due to the concentration of tech and manufacturing industries. Understanding regional salary differences can help professionals make informed career decisions.
Experience Levels
As a laser engineer gains experience, salaries can increase significantly. Entry-level positions may start around $60,000, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $100,000. Consider all these aspects when evaluating job offers or career paths.
Let Zippia find your next laser engineer job
Let Zippia find your next laser engineer job
Where can a Laser Engineer earn more?
Laser engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level laser engineer | $62,300 | $29.94 |
| Mid-level laser engineer | $88,000 | $42.31 |
| Senior-level laser engineer | $107,000 | $51.65 |
Laser engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average laser engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for laser engineers are California, Nevada, and Oregon. The lowest average laser engineer salary states are South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for laser engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $95,408 | $45.87 |
| 2 | Utah | $89,362 | $42.96 |
| 3 | Arizona | $90,659 | $43.59 |
| 4 | Idaho | $91,047 | $43.77 |
| 5 | Washington | $94,829 | $45.59 |
| 6 | Nevada | $97,726 | $46.98 |
| 7 | California | $98,423 | $47.32 |
| 8 | Texas | $87,381 | $42.01 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $88,274 | $42.44 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $86,348 | $41.51 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $87,315 | $41.98 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $86,944 | $41.80 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $85,687 | $41.20 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $86,850 | $41.75 |
| 15 | Delaware | $85,883 | $41.29 |
| 16 | Alabama | $82,844 | $39.83 |
| 17 | Montana | $86,296 | $41.49 |
| 18 | Ohio | $82,547 | $39.69 |
| 19 | New York | $86,539 | $41.61 |
| 20 | Virginia | $85,218 | $40.97 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $85,122 | $40.92 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $86,181 | $41.43 |
| 23 | Maryland | $85,215 | $40.97 |
| 24 | Michigan | $82,684 | $39.75 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $83,515 | $40.15 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $86,542 | $41.61 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $82,982 | $39.90 |
| 28 | Alaska | $90,552 | $43.53 |
| 29 | Vermont | $84,569 | $40.66 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $83,289 | $40.04 |
| 31 | Colorado | $83,225 | $40.01 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $83,277 | $40.04 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $83,639 | $40.21 |
| 34 | Indiana | $81,506 | $39.19 |
| 35 | Florida | $84,964 | $40.85 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $83,120 | $39.96 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $82,074 | $39.46 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $82,073 | $39.46 |
| 39 | Maine | $84,440 | $40.60 |
| 40 | Georgia | $82,625 | $39.72 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $81,493 | $39.18 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $81,111 | $39.00 |
| 43 | Illinois | $81,504 | $39.18 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $81,975 | $39.41 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $81,022 | $38.95 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $81,109 | $38.99 |
| 47 | Iowa | $80,370 | $38.64 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $79,625 | $38.28 |
| 49 | Kansas | $79,929 | $38.43 |
| 50 | Missouri | $79,763 | $38.35 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $79,676 | $38.31 |
Highest paying cities for laser engineers
The highest-paying cities for laser engineers are Redwood City, CA, Reno, NV, and Redmond, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood City, CA | $105,149 | $50.55 |
| 2 | Reno, NV | $102,198 | $49.13 |
| 3 | Redmond, WA | $95,329 | $45.83 |
| 4 | Hillsboro, OR | $95,039 | $45.69 |
| 5 | Mesa, AZ | $90,548 | $43.53 |
| 6 | Albuquerque, NM | $88,329 | $42.47 |
| 7 | College Station, TX | $87,639 | $42.13 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $86,779 | $41.72 |
| 9 | Chicopee, MA | $86,757 | $41.71 |
| 10 | Bozeman, MT | $85,890 | $41.29 |
| 11 | Orlando, FL | $85,073 | $40.90 |
| 12 | Lafayette, CO | $83,098 | $39.95 |
| 13 | Milwaukee, WI | $82,061 | $39.45 |
| 14 | Cincinnati, OH | $81,803 | $39.33 |
| 15 | Chattanooga, TN | $81,470 | $39.17 |
| 16 | Bloomington, IN | $81,076 | $38.98 |
Laser engineer salary details
A laser engineer's salary ranges from $62,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $116,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a laser engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| 75th Percentile | $100,000 | $8,333 | $48 |
| Average | $85,319 | $7,110 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
Highest paying laser engineer jobs
The highest paying types of laser engineers are staff engineer, tool engineer, and research and development engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Development Engineer | $86,075 | $7,173 | $41.38 | 202,155 |
| Research And Development Engineer | $100,169 | $8,347 | $48.16 | 187,910 |
| Product Design Engineer | $94,827 | $7,902 | $45.59 | 170,485 |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | $75,821 | $6,318 | $36.45 | 120,258 |
| Development Engineer | $93,206 | $7,767 | $44.81 | 224,881 |
| Laser Technician | $37,370 | $3,114 | $17.97 | 24,920 |
Top companies hiring laser engineers now:
Which companies pay laser engineers the most?
Laser engineer salaries at Booz Allen Hamilton and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average laser engineer salary at companies like Masimo and SpaceX are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $104,021 | $50.01 |
| 2 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $103,259 | $49.64 |
| 3 | Masimo | $98,845 | $47.52 |
| 4 | SpaceX | $92,535 | $44.49 |
| 5 | Thorlabs | $92,341 | $44.39 |
| 6 | Continental | $89,838 | $43.19 |
| 7 | ASML Holding | $89,224 | $42.90 |
| 8 | Sightpath Medical | $88,992 | $42.78 |
| 9 | Northrop Grumman | $88,265 | $42.44 |
| 10 | Oclaro | $87,681 | $42.15 |
| 11 | MKS Instruments | $87,297 | $41.97 |
| 12 | Lumentum | $86,489 | $41.58 |
| 13 | Cutera | $85,665 | $41.19 |
| 14 | Luminar Technologies | $85,344 | $41.03 |
| 15 | Innovusion | $85,144 | $40.93 |
| 16 | Panasonic | $85,136 | $40.93 |
| 17 | California Institute of Technology | $84,977 | $40.85 |
| 18 | Alcatel Networks Inc | $84,601 | $40.67 |
| 19 | HTRI | $84,601 | $40.67 |
| 20 | Tyco Healthcare | $84,520 | $40.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Laser Engineer salary by industry
The average laser engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average laser engineer salary in the technology industry is $91,133, the highest of any industry.
- The average laser engineer salary in the finance industry is $88,873.
- Laser engineers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $84,105, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for laser engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $91,133 | $43.81 |
| 2 | Health Care | $88,873 | $42.73 |
| 3 | Professional | $88,314 | $42.46 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $87,104 | $41.88 |
| 5 | Retail | $85,088 | $40.91 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $84,105 | $40.44 |
High paying laser engineer jobs
Laser engineer salary trends
The average laser engineer salary has risen by $10,564 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average laser engineer earned $74,755 annually, but today, they earn $85,319 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for laser engineers over the last decade.
Compare laser engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average laser engineer salary over time
Compare laser engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Laser engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,300 | $41.02 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $81,700 | $39.30 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $80,000 | $38.48 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | $80,300 | $38.59 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | $80,300 | $38.61 | +1.4% |
Recently added laser engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sightpath Medical | Laser Engineer | Bowne, MI | 06/27/2025 | $65,000 |
| Sightpath Medical | Laser Engineer III | Victoria, MN | 06/25/2025 | $65,000 |
| Spacex | SR. Space Lasers Engineer, Electro-Optical (Starshield) | Hawthorne, CA | 06/11/2025 | $130,000 |
| Spacex | Space Lasers Engineer (Starlink) | Redmond, WA | 06/09/2025 | $115,000 |
| Atom Computing | Laser Engineer | Boulder, CO | 06/09/2025 | $120,000 |
| Space Exploration Technologies | SR. Space Lasers Engineer, Electro-Optical (Starshield) | Hawthorne, CA | 05/30/2025 | $130,000 |
| Atom Computing | Laser Engineer | Boulder, CO | 05/10/2025 | $120,000 |
| General Atomics | Senior Fiber Laser Engineer | San Diego, CA | 05/04/2025 | $116,480 |
| MKS Instruments | Senior Laser Engineer | Milpitas, CA | 04/28/2025 | $135,000 |
| Nlight | Laser Engineer | Camas, WA | 04/28/2025 | $95,000 |
Laser engineer salary FAQs
Search for laser engineer jobs