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Packaging engineer salary
Average packaging engineer salary
$88,452
Average Packaging Engineer Salary
The average salary for a packaging engineer in the United States is approximately $88,452 per year, equating to roughly $43 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly depending on factors such as experience, education, and geographic location. For instance, states like California and Texas often offer higher compensation due to demand in various industries.
Highest Paying States for Packaging Engineers
Packaging engineers in states like California, New York, and Washington typically earn the highest salaries. This is attributed to the concentration of manufacturing and technology companies that require skilled engineers to develop innovative packaging solutions.
Career Opportunities in Packaging Engineering
As sustainability becomes a priority, packaging engineers are at the forefront of creating eco-friendly solutions. Opportunities exist in sectors like food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. Engaging in continuing education and certifications can further enhance earning potential and career growth in this dynamic field.
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Where can a Packaging Engineer earn more?
Packaging engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average packaging engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for packaging engineers are California, Arizona, and Washington. The lowest average packaging engineer salary states are Mississippi, Kansas, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for packaging engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $108,525 | $52.18 |
| 2 | Arizona | $95,668 | $45.99 |
| 3 | Washington | $95,174 | $45.76 |
| 4 | Oregon | $89,996 | $43.27 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $90,807 | $43.66 |
| 6 | Texas | $92,420 | $44.43 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $90,292 | $43.41 |
| 8 | Delaware | $84,891 | $40.81 |
| 9 | Utah | $82,468 | $39.65 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $85,896 | $41.30 |
| 11 | Michigan | $80,750 | $38.82 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $89,736 | $43.14 |
| 13 | Idaho | $84,877 | $40.81 |
| 14 | Maryland | $86,688 | $41.68 |
| 15 | Nevada | $85,336 | $41.03 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $86,009 | $41.35 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $81,810 | $39.33 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $86,174 | $41.43 |
| 19 | Colorado | $82,228 | $39.53 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $78,215 | $37.60 |
| 21 | Montana | $85,302 | $41.01 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $80,863 | $38.88 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $83,133 | $39.97 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $76,334 | $36.70 |
| 25 | Virginia | $78,107 | $37.55 |
| 26 | Alabama | $72,358 | $34.79 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $76,676 | $36.86 |
| 28 | Georgia | $75,286 | $36.20 |
| 29 | New York | $78,602 | $37.79 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $72,511 | $34.86 |
| 31 | Alaska | $78,993 | $37.98 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $76,086 | $36.58 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $72,469 | $34.84 |
| 34 | Illinois | $74,984 | $36.05 |
| 35 | Maine | $76,368 | $36.72 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $71,307 | $34.28 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $71,338 | $34.30 |
| 38 | Ohio | $69,919 | $33.61 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $71,611 | $34.43 |
| 40 | Florida | $73,998 | $35.58 |
| 41 | Missouri | $72,204 | $34.71 |
| 42 | Vermont | $70,237 | $33.77 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $70,211 | $33.76 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $76,287 | $36.68 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $70,910 | $34.09 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $66,414 | $31.93 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $67,758 | $32.58 |
| 48 | Indiana | $65,635 | $31.56 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $68,945 | $33.15 |
| 50 | Kansas | $68,550 | $32.96 |
| 51 | Iowa | $66,860 | $32.14 |
Highest paying cities for packaging engineers
The highest-paying cities for packaging engineers are Santa Rosa, CA, Tempe, AZ, and Austin, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $116,869 | $56.19 |
| 2 | Tempe, AZ | $95,521 | $45.92 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $93,201 | $44.81 |
| 4 | New Brunswick, NJ | $89,724 | $43.14 |
| 5 | Hillsboro, OR | $89,536 | $43.05 |
| 6 | Colorado Springs, CO | $82,587 | $39.71 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $81,915 | $39.38 |
| 8 | Dearborn, MI | $80,911 | $38.90 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $78,703 | $37.84 |
| 10 | Bethlehem, PA | $76,819 | $36.93 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $75,262 | $36.18 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $75,142 | $36.13 |
| 13 | Apopka, FL | $74,399 | $35.77 |
| 14 | Fremont, NE | $70,094 | $33.70 |
| 15 | Cincinnati, OH | $68,373 | $32.87 |
| 16 | Memphis, TN | $67,520 | $32.46 |
| 17 | Bloomington, IN | $65,247 | $31.37 |
Packaging engineer salary details
A packaging engineer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $118,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a packaging engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $118,000 | $9,833 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| Average | $88,452 | $7,371 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
Highest paying packaging engineer jobs
The highest paying types of packaging engineers are project lead engineer, senior process engineer, and product design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Engineer Internship | $39,495 | $3,291 | $18.99 | 87,030 |
| Product Development Engineer | $86,075 | $7,173 | $41.38 | 202,155 |
| Development Engineer | $93,206 | $7,767 | $44.81 | 224,881 |
| Industrial Engineer | $76,501 | $6,375 | $36.78 | 46,756 |
| Project Lead Engineer | $106,946 | $8,912 | $51.42 | 98,018 |
| Quality Control Engineer | $70,845 | $5,904 | $34.06 | 109,745 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for packaging engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring packaging engineers now:
Which companies pay packaging engineers the most?
Packaging engineer salaries at Apple and Zoox are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average packaging engineer salary at companies like Amazon and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $140,828 | $67.71 |
| 2 | Zoox | $132,680 | $63.79 |
| 3 | Amazon | $129,740 | $62.38 |
| 4 | $127,868 | $61.48 | |
| 5 | Western Digital | $126,872 | $61.00 |
| 6 | Applied Materials | $125,499 | $60.34 |
| 7 | Intuitive Surgical | $124,968 | $60.08 |
| 8 | Genentech | $122,480 | $58.88 |
| 9 | Pure Storage | $121,043 | $58.19 |
| 10 | Benjamin Moore | $120,654 | $58.01 |
| 11 | Joby Aviation | $119,857 | $57.62 |
| 12 | Edwards Lifesciences | $119,737 | $57.57 |
| 13 | Eli Lilly and Company | $116,569 | $56.04 |
| 14 | Cisco | $116,236 | $55.88 |
| 15 | Xilinx | $115,567 | $55.56 |
| 16 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $115,347 | $55.46 |
| 17 | Amd | $115,034 | $55.30 |
| 18 | Microsoft | $114,646 | $55.12 |
| 19 | Cirrus Logic | $112,867 | $54.26 |
| 20 | Texas Instruments | $112,789 | $54.23 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Packaging Engineer salary by industry
The average packaging engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average packaging engineer salary in the technology industry is $100,934, the highest of any industry.
- The average packaging engineer salary in the finance industry is $92,480.
- Packaging engineers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $85,015, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for packaging engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $100,934 | $48.53 |
| 2 | Automotive | $92,480 | $44.46 |
| 3 | Health Care | $89,250 | $42.91 |
| 4 | Transportation | $85,127 | $40.93 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $85,015 | $40.87 |
High paying packaging engineer jobs
Packaging engineer salary trends
The average packaging engineer salary has risen by $11,645 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average packaging engineer earned $76,807 annually, but today, they earn $88,452 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for packaging engineers over the last decade.
Compare packaging engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average packaging engineer salary over time
Compare packaging engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Packaging engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $88,500 | $42.52 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $87,500 | $42.08 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $86,600 | $41.61 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $85,400 | $41.06 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $83,800 | $40.31 | +1.0% |
Recently added packaging engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tate & Lyle | Packaging Engineer | Lafayette, IN | 06/30/2025 | $78,622 |
| Get It-Professional Services | Principal Engineer, Packaging Engineering-Remote | WFH | Milpitas, CA | 06/29/2025 | $111,000 |
| Latitude Inc. | PI Engineer (Osisoft)-Relocation Package | Tracyton, WA | 06/29/2025 | $135,000 |
| Semtech Corporation | Principal Packaging Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/28/2025 | $124,000 |
| Semtech Corporation | Principal Packaging Engineer | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/28/2025 | $124,000 |
| Texas Instruments | Packaging Engineer | Santa Clara, CA | 06/28/2025 | $150,000 |
| Liquid IV | Associate Principal, Package Engineer | El Segundo, CA | 06/28/2025 | $123,000 |
| Ferrero | Packaging Engineer | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $88,000 |
| Lockheed Martin | Electronics Packaging Engineer III, Secret Clearance | Littleton, CO | 06/26/2025 | $102,800 |
| Schwan's Company | Packaging Engineer | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $75,816 |
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