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A Principle Engineer in Systems Engineering typically earns an average of $132,750 annually. This figure represents the midpoint of salaries across the United States and reflects the importance of experience and specialization in this field. Factors influencing salary include geographic location, with states like California and Texas offering higher pay due to demand for engineering expertise.
The pay scale can vary significantly based on the industry. For instance, engineers in aerospace or technology sectors often command higher salaries compared to those in manufacturing. Moreover, experience plays a crucial role; engineers with more years in the field are likely to receive compensation at the top of the range.
Regions with a high concentration of technology and engineering firms, such as Silicon Valley and Seattle, provide the most competitive salaries. Additionally, cities like San Francisco and New York consistently rank among the highest-paying for this role, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
For those considering a career as a Principle Engineer, understanding these dynamics and the specific requirements of potential employers is essential for negotiating salary effectively.
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The average principle engineer, systems engineering salary in California, Virginia, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average principle engineer, systems engineering salary states are North Dakota, Montana, and Kentucky.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $141,739 | $68.14 |
| 2 | Washington | $136,517 | $65.63 |
| 3 | California | $152,942 | $73.53 |
| 4 | Texas | $131,602 | $63.27 |
| 5 | Alaska | $131,766 | $63.35 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $137,917 | $66.31 |
| 7 | Florida | $130,546 | $62.76 |
| 8 | New York | $139,371 | $67.01 |
| 9 | Maine | $126,571 | $60.85 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $129,827 | $62.42 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $123,239 | $59.25 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $126,628 | $60.88 |
| 13 | Nevada | $126,031 | $60.59 |
| 14 | Alabama | $122,282 | $58.79 |
| 15 | Illinois | $125,666 | $60.42 |
| 16 | Vermont | $128,753 | $61.90 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $133,094 | $63.99 |
| 18 | Arizona | $117,042 | $56.27 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $124,067 | $59.65 |
| 20 | Ohio | $122,029 | $58.67 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $129,737 | $62.37 |
| 22 | Idaho | $113,021 | $54.34 |
| 23 | Delaware | $114,385 | $54.99 |
| 24 | Utah | $112,025 | $53.86 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $118,596 | $57.02 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $114,228 | $54.92 |
| 27 | Maryland | $116,664 | $56.09 |
| 28 | Iowa | $113,407 | $54.52 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $104,061 | $50.03 |
| 30 | Oregon | $109,702 | $52.74 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $107,253 | $51.56 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $106,888 | $51.39 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $109,603 | $52.69 |
| 34 | Michigan | $107,369 | $51.62 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $109,472 | $52.63 |
| 36 | Georgia | $108,601 | $52.21 |
| 37 | Connecticut | $106,430 | $51.17 |
| 38 | Colorado | $102,109 | $49.09 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $106,215 | $51.06 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $99,632 | $47.90 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $100,146 | $48.15 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $104,880 | $50.42 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $102,895 | $49.47 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $102,824 | $49.43 |
| 45 | Montana | $98,608 | $47.41 |
| 46 | Indiana | $99,911 | $48.03 |
| 47 | Kansas | $97,980 | $47.11 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $94,366 | $45.37 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $99,886 | $48.02 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $98,357 | $47.29 |
| 51 | Missouri | $93,900 | $45.14 |
The highest-paying cities for principle engineers, systems engineering are San Francisco, CA, Everett, WA, and Syracuse, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $160,504 | $77.17 |
| 2 | Everett, WA | $138,145 | $66.42 |
| 3 | Syracuse, NY | $136,224 | $65.49 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | $131,919 | $63.42 |
| 5 | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | $131,008 | $62.98 |
| 6 | Lowell, MA | $126,236 | $60.69 |
| 7 | Huntsville, AL | $119,853 | $57.62 |
| 8 | Annapolis, MD | $116,979 | $56.24 |
| 9 | Tucson, AZ | $116,580 | $56.05 |
| 10 | Pocatello, ID | $110,597 | $53.17 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $108,173 | $52.01 |
| 12 | Farmington Hills, MI | $107,621 | $51.74 |
| 13 | East Hartford, CT | $106,473 | $51.19 |
| 14 | Rochester, MN | $103,499 | $49.76 |
| 15 | Aurora, CO | $101,744 | $48.92 |
A principle engineer, systems engineering's salary ranges from $95,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $183,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $183,000 | $15,250 | $88 |
| 75th Percentile | $157,000 | $13,083 | $75 |
| Average | $132,750 | $11,063 | $64 |
| 25th Percentile | $111,000 | $9,250 | $53 |
| 10th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
The highest paying types of principle engineers, systems engineering are principal systems engineer, senior principal engineer, and principal engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded Software Engineer | $102,143 | $8,512 | $49.11 | 171,613 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Embedded Engineer | $95,419 | $7,952 | $45.87 | 24,338 |
| Systems Integration Engineer | $106,065 | $8,839 | $50.99 | 217,599 |
| Firmware Engineer | $97,183 | $8,099 | $46.72 | 99,014 |
Top companies hiring principle engineers, systems engineering now:
Principle engineer, systems engineering salaries at Sourced and Mayo Clinic are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average principle engineer, systems engineering salary at companies like Cargotec Holding Inc and A.C.S. Are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sourced | $134,909 | $64.86 |
| 2 | Mayo Clinic | $134,593 | $64.71 |
| 3 | Cargotec Holding Inc | $133,810 | $64.33 |
| 4 | A.C.S. | $131,466 | $63.20 |
| 5 | ALTEN Cresttek - An ALTEN Group | $131,466 | $63.20 |
| 6 | Veoneer | $128,681 | $61.87 |
| 7 | Blackhawk Network | $127,524 | $61.31 |
| 8 | Medline | $125,921 | $60.54 |
| 9 | Verizon Communications | $121,299 | $58.32 |
| 10 | B/E Aerospace | $119,284 | $57.35 |
| 11 | Pratt & Whitney | $118,938 | $57.18 |
| 12 | Genuent | $117,323 | $56.41 |
| 13 | Northrop Grumman | $115,945 | $55.74 |
| 14 | Johnson Controls | $114,352 | $54.98 |
| 15 | Innovative Management & Technology Approaches | $112,947 | $54.30 |
| 16 | Lockheed Martin | $106,306 | $51.11 |
| 17 | Raytheon Technologies | $101,437 | $48.77 |
| 18 | Bastion Technologies | $100,972 | $48.54 |
| 19 | Intuitive Research and Technology | $100,955 | $48.54 |
| 20 | Epsilon Systems | $99,232 | $47.71 |
The average principle engineer, systems engineering salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $129,844 | $62.42 |
| 2 | Finance | $121,260 | $58.30 |
| 3 | Transportation | $113,649 | $54.64 |
| 4 | Professional | $112,664 | $54.17 |
| 5 | Technology | $107,276 | $51.58 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $101,572 | $48.83 |
The average principle engineer, systems engineering salary has risen by $22,565 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average principle engineer, systems engineering earned $110,185 annually, but today, they earn $132,750 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for principle engineers, systems engineering over the last decade.
Compare principle engineer, systems engineering salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare principle engineer, systems engineering salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $133,000 | $63.82 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $128,000 | $61.72 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $125,000 | $60.32 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $123,000 | $59.01 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $122,000 | $58.60 | +1.2% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | Sustainment Systems Engineer/Principle Sustainment Systems Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/13/2025 | $110,300 |
| Actalent | Principle Systems Engineer | Colorado Springs, CO | 04/26/2025 | $137,280 |
| Blue Origin | Principle In-Space Refueling Systems Engineer, New Glenn | Seattle, WA | 03/28/2025 | $164,682 |
| Blue Origin | Principle In-Space Refueling Systems Engineer, New Glenn | Noma, FL | 03/27/2025 | $164,682 |
| Leidos | Principle Systems Engineer | Atlantic City, NJ | 02/27/2025 | $126,100 |
| Northrop Grumman | Sentinel Principle (T3) Mbse Systems Engineer | Roy, UT | 12/13/2024 | $95,300 |
| Northrop Grumman | Sentinel Principle (T3) Mbse Systems Engineer | Huntsville, AL | 12/13/2024 | $95,300 |
| Arcesium LLC | Principle Distributed Systems Engineer | New York, NY | 12/13/2024 | $200,000 |
| Nou Systems, Inc. | Missile Defense C3Bm Principle Systems Engineer | Huntsville, AL | 12/11/2024 | $104,000 |
| Techrepublic, Inc. | Principle Systems Engineer-Security Clearance Required | Aurora, CO | 12/10/2024 | $187,830 |
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