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The average salary for a Lead Network Engineer is approximately $110,170 annually, translating to about $53 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, lead network engineers in technology and finance industries tend to earn higher salaries compared to those in education or government roles.
When considering where to work, states like California and New York consistently rank among the highest paying for this role. Additionally, metropolitan areas often provide greater job opportunities and potential for salary negotiation. By aligning your skills with the demands of specific regions or sectors, you can maximize your earning potential in this competitive job market.
Exploring job postings on platforms like Zippia can reveal various opportunities available for lead network engineers, helping you identify roles that match your expertise and career goals. Use this data to inform your job search and make decisions that align with your professional aspirations.
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The highest-paying states for lead network engineers are California, Louisiana, and Washington. The lowest average lead network engineer salary states are Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $118,101 | $56.78 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $117,513 | $56.50 |
| 3 | California | $134,498 | $64.66 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $106,573 | $51.24 |
| 5 | Washington | $118,257 | $56.85 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $111,148 | $53.44 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $104,923 | $50.44 |
| 8 | Louisiana | $119,619 | $57.51 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $102,898 | $49.47 |
| 10 | Ohio | $102,203 | $49.14 |
| 11 | Arizona | $107,054 | $51.47 |
| 12 | Alaska | $103,584 | $49.80 |
| 13 | Virginia | $104,586 | $50.28 |
| 14 | Maryland | $106,756 | $51.33 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $107,707 | $51.78 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $107,035 | $51.46 |
| 17 | Texas | $103,349 | $49.69 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $102,239 | $49.15 |
| 19 | Georgia | $103,349 | $49.69 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $98,483 | $47.35 |
| 21 | Montana | $99,069 | $47.63 |
| 22 | Oregon | $103,452 | $49.74 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $100,639 | $48.38 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $98,230 | $47.23 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $99,824 | $47.99 |
| 26 | New York | $105,555 | $50.75 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $101,121 | $48.62 |
| 28 | Kansas | $96,968 | $46.62 |
| 29 | Michigan | $94,493 | $45.43 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $104,203 | $50.10 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $100,295 | $48.22 |
| 32 | Florida | $100,248 | $48.20 |
| 33 | Idaho | $95,135 | $45.74 |
| 34 | Delaware | $99,848 | $48.00 |
| 35 | Illinois | $100,057 | $48.10 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $92,220 | $44.34 |
| 37 | Utah | $92,249 | $44.35 |
| 38 | Colorado | $97,286 | $46.77 |
| 39 | Maine | $97,498 | $46.87 |
| 40 | Missouri | $93,962 | $45.17 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $95,835 | $46.07 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $97,928 | $47.08 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $92,047 | $44.25 |
| 44 | Vermont | $94,230 | $45.30 |
| 45 | Alabama | $90,115 | $43.32 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $85,497 | $41.10 |
| 47 | Indiana | $91,526 | $44.00 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $84,595 | $40.67 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $87,245 | $41.94 |
| 50 | Iowa | $83,460 | $40.13 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $83,765 | $40.27 |
The highest-paying cities for lead network engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $147,017 | $70.68 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $119,250 | $57.33 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $117,190 | $56.34 |
| 4 | Raleigh, NC | $111,796 | $53.75 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $107,774 | $51.81 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $107,279 | $51.58 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $105,756 | $50.84 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $105,290 | $50.62 |
| 9 | Hoboken, NJ | $104,310 | $50.15 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $103,820 | $49.91 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $103,102 | $49.57 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $101,843 | $48.96 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | $100,699 | $48.41 |
| 14 | Waukegan, IL | $100,423 | $48.28 |
| 15 | Tallahassee, FL | $99,905 | $48.03 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $98,003 | $47.12 |
| 17 | Englewood, CO | $97,293 | $46.78 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $93,914 | $45.15 |
| 19 | Columbia, SC | $87,245 | $41.94 |
A lead network engineer's salary ranges from $85,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $142,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $142,000 | $11,833 | $68 |
| 75th Percentile | $125,000 | $10,417 | $60 |
| Average | $110,170 | $9,181 | $53 |
| 25th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| 10th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
The highest paying types of lead network engineers are lead systems engineer, senior infrastructure engineer, and senior network engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Operation Technician | $64,272 | $5,356 | $30.90 | 68,874 |
| Network Operations Manager | $98,658 | $8,222 | $47.43 | 86,381 |
| Network Support Technician | $48,622 | $4,052 | $23.38 | 120,245 |
| Network Consultant | $89,303 | $7,442 | $42.93 | 58,194 |
| Network Administrator | $71,357 | $5,946 | $34.31 | 106,886 |
| Information Engineer | $105,003 | $8,750 | $50.48 | 151,357 |
Top companies hiring lead network engineers now:
Lead network engineer salaries at Meta and Vista Equity Partners are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead network engineer salary at companies like Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $181,098 | $87.07 |
| 2 | Vista Equity Partners | $146,292 | $70.33 |
| 3 | Activision Blizzard | $143,314 | $68.90 |
| 4 | Electronic Arts | $138,448 | $66.56 |
| 5 | ViacomCBS | $136,482 | $65.62 |
| 6 | RealNetworks | $134,097 | $64.47 |
| 7 | Warner Bros. | $132,379 | $63.64 |
| 8 | Target | $131,724 | $63.33 |
| 9 | MUFG EMEA | $131,537 | $63.24 |
| 10 | Qualys | $130,493 | $62.74 |
| 11 | Ciena | $127,898 | $61.49 |
| 12 | Salesforce | $121,538 | $58.43 |
| 13 | The Home Depot | $121,164 | $58.25 |
| 14 | Kum & Go | $119,908 | $57.65 |
| 15 | AT&T | $119,592 | $57.50 |
| 16 | Ericsson | $119,162 | $57.29 |
| 17 | AIG | $118,193 | $56.82 |
| 18 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $117,586 | $56.53 |
| 19 | Motion Recruitment | $117,299 | $56.39 |
| 20 | Recruit | $116,016 | $55.78 |
The average lead network engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $116,479 | $56.00 |
| 2 | Utilities | $111,600 | $53.65 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $108,429 | $52.13 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $107,965 | $51.91 |
| 5 | Technology | $103,924 | $49.96 |
The average lead network engineer salary has risen by $20,103 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead network engineer earned $90,067 annually, but today, they earn $110,170 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for lead network engineers over the last decade.
Compare lead network engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare lead network engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $110,000 | $52.97 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $107,000 | $51.22 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $104,000 | $50.06 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $103,000 | $49.48 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $101,000 | $48.63 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie Mac | Arista Technical Lead Network Engineering | Dallas, TX | 06/28/2025 | $131,000 |
| Cox Holdings, Inc. | Lead Network Engineer (Rapidscale) | Raleigh, NC | 06/28/2025 | $108,800 |
| Yoh, A Day & Zimmermann Company | Lead Network Engineer Consultant | Holyoke, MA | 06/28/2025 | $109,568 |
| American Family Insurance | Lead Network Engineer (Hybrid) | Madison, WI | 06/28/2025 | $128,000 |
| Lockheed Martin | Network Engineer-Skunk Works Lead | Fort Worth, TX | 06/26/2025 | $102,800 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Network Automation Engineer | Columbus, OH | 06/26/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Network Automation Engineer | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Network Automation Engineer | Iselin, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $111,100 |
| Wells Fargo | Lead Network Automation Engineer | Westlake, TX | 06/25/2025 | $111,100 |
| ZP Group | Network Engineer Lead | Rockville, MD | 06/25/2025 | $150,000 |
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