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Photonics engineer salary
Average photonics engineer salary
$96,918
Understanding the Salary Landscape for Photonics Engineers
The role of a photonics engineer encompasses designing, developing, and testing optical systems and components, critical for advancements in various fields, including telecommunications, medical devices, and imaging technologies. As of October 2025, the average salary for photonics engineers stands at $96,918 per year, translating to about $47 per hour.
Experience significantly impacts earning potential. Entry-level positions typically offer salaries from $70,000 to $80,000, while mid-career professionals can expect around $100,000. Senior engineers often earn upwards of $120,000, depending on their expertise and the complexity of their projects.
Salary by State
Photonics engineers' salaries vary by state, reflecting local demand and cost of living. For instance, states like California and Massachusetts offer some of the highest salaries due to their thriving tech industries. In contrast, states with lower living costs may present lower average salaries but can still offer competitive benefits.
Career Opportunities
With the ongoing growth in photonics applications, job opportunities are expanding. Fields such as renewable energy, defense, and biotechnology increasingly rely on photonics engineering expertise. Networking and continuous learning are essential for advancing in this vibrant field.
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Where can a Photonics Engineer earn more?
Photonics engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level photonics engineer | $70,700 | $34.01 |
| Mid-level photonics engineer | $100,000 | $48.06 |
| Senior-level photonics engineer | $122,000 | $58.67 |
Photonics engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average photonics engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for photonics engineers are New Mexico, Nevada, and Washington. The lowest average photonics engineer salary states are Michigan, Florida, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for photonics engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $111,819 | $53.76 |
| 2 | Arizona | $110,969 | $53.35 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $110,784 | $53.26 |
| 4 | Texas | $106,334 | $51.12 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $117,211 | $56.35 |
| 6 | Nevada | $114,135 | $54.87 |
| 7 | Idaho | $109,393 | $52.59 |
| 8 | Utah | $100,606 | $48.37 |
| 9 | Vermont | $104,959 | $50.46 |
| 10 | California | $107,078 | $51.48 |
| 11 | Delaware | $101,291 | $48.70 |
| 12 | Arkansas | $104,693 | $50.33 |
| 13 | Alaska | $102,337 | $49.20 |
| 14 | Maryland | $100,696 | $48.41 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $105,988 | $50.96 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $100,871 | $48.50 |
| 17 | Kansas | $100,301 | $48.22 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $97,067 | $46.67 |
| 19 | Illinois | $99,247 | $47.71 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $99,607 | $47.89 |
| 21 | Virginia | $95,191 | $45.76 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $99,003 | $47.60 |
| 23 | Colorado | $95,970 | $46.14 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $99,991 | $48.07 |
| 25 | Iowa | $97,617 | $46.93 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $91,372 | $43.93 |
| 27 | Ohio | $92,998 | $44.71 |
| 28 | Maine | $97,153 | $46.71 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $94,032 | $45.21 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $91,857 | $44.16 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $93,252 | $44.83 |
| 32 | New York | $90,498 | $43.51 |
| 33 | Montana | $94,062 | $45.22 |
| 34 | Oregon | $88,014 | $42.31 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $92,641 | $44.54 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $86,161 | $41.42 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $89,330 | $42.95 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $87,865 | $42.24 |
| 39 | Georgia | $84,728 | $40.73 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $86,813 | $41.74 |
| 41 | Florida | $78,875 | $37.92 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $85,204 | $40.96 |
| 43 | Alabama | $77,766 | $37.39 |
| 44 | Michigan | $79,075 | $38.02 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $86,636 | $41.65 |
| 46 | Missouri | $86,482 | $41.58 |
| 47 | Pennsylvania | $81,213 | $39.04 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $80,900 | $38.89 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $77,041 | $37.04 |
| 50 | Indiana | $63,011 | $30.29 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $76,592 | $36.82 |
Highest paying cities for photonics engineers
The highest-paying cities for photonics engineers are Albuquerque, NM, Seattle, WA, and Dublin, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albuquerque, NM | $117,878 | $56.67 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $112,469 | $54.07 |
| 3 | Dublin, CA | $112,417 | $54.05 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $111,463 | $53.59 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $110,831 | $53.28 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $107,104 | $51.49 |
| 7 | Newark, DE | $101,300 | $48.70 |
| 8 | Manassas, VA | $95,521 | $45.92 |
| 9 | Bozeman, MT | $93,532 | $44.97 |
| 10 | Greenville, SC | $91,850 | $44.16 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $90,867 | $43.69 |
| 12 | Orlando, FL | $81,302 | $39.09 |
| 13 | Madison, WI | $80,456 | $38.68 |
Photonics engineer salary details
A photonics engineer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $143,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a photonics engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $143,000 | $11,917 | $69 |
| 75th Percentile | $119,000 | $9,917 | $57 |
| Average | $96,918 | $8,077 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
Highest paying photonics engineer jobs
The highest paying types of photonics engineers are commercial engineer, optical engineer, and corrosion control engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,077 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Optical Engineer | $99,814 | $8,318 | $47.99 | 26,628 |
Top companies hiring photonics engineers now:
Which companies pay photonics engineers the most?
Photonics engineer salaries at Meta and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average photonics engineer salary at companies like Google and Cisco are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $153,173 | $73.64 |
| 2 | Apple | $148,354 | $71.32 |
| 3 | $139,381 | $67.01 | |
| 4 | Cisco | $126,473 | $60.80 |
| 5 | Physical Sciences | $109,479 | $52.63 |
| 6 | Acacia Communications | $101,700 | $48.89 |
| 7 | FARO Technologies | $101,690 | $48.89 |
| 8 | Skorpios Technologies | $101,226 | $48.67 |
| 9 | Elenion Technologies | $101,035 | $48.57 |
| 10 | AEVA | $101,029 | $48.57 |
| 11 | *n/a* | $100,909 | $48.51 |
| 12 | Maple Leaf Services | $99,863 | $48.01 |
| 13 | Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. | $98,746 | $47.47 |
| 14 | Coriant Operations Inc | $98,729 | $47.47 |
| 15 | Luxtera | $95,222 | $45.78 |
| 16 | Draper | $94,317 | $45.34 |
| 17 | Atlantic Services Group | $94,075 | $45.23 |
| 18 | Thorlabs | $93,267 | $44.84 |
| 19 | Aurora | $92,925 | $44.68 |
| 20 | GlobalFoundries | $89,544 | $43.05 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Photonics engineer salary trends
The average photonics engineer salary has risen by $12,000 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average photonics engineer earned $84,918 annually, but today, they earn $96,918 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for photonics engineers over the last decade.
Compare photonics engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average photonics engineer salary over time
Compare photonics engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Photonics engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,900 | $46.60 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $92,800 | $44.64 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $90,900 | $43.71 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | $91,200 | $43.83 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | $91,200 | $43.85 | +1.4% |
Recently added photonics engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc. | Photonic Layout Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $80,000 |
| Actalent | Photonics Engineer | Frederick, MD | 06/18/2025 | $150,494 |
| Lightmatter | SR. Photonics Engineer-Bring-Up | Mountain View, CA | 06/09/2025 | $140,000 |
| Lightmatter | SR. Photonics Engineer-Bring-Up | Mountain View, CA | 05/29/2025 | $140,000 |
| Tekwissen | Photonic Systems Engineer/Photonic Electronic Design | Ann Arbor, MI | 04/26/2025 | $100,176 |
| KLA | Metrology and Photonics Engineer | Milpitas, CA | 03/28/2025 | $114,100 |
| Technergetics | Integrated Photonics Engineer | Rome, NY | 03/26/2025 | $85,000 |
| Celestialai | Photonics Layout Engineer | Santa Clara, CA | 03/26/2025 | $180,000 |
| Penn State University | Photonics Engineer | Center, PA | 02/28/2025 | $86,300 |
| Celestial | Photonics Layout Engineer Santa | Santa Clara, CA | 02/19/2025 | $180,000 |
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