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The average salary for a Process Development Engineer is approximately $89,754 per year, translating to about $43 per hour. Factors influencing this salary include education, experience, and the specific industry sector. For instance, engineers in pharmaceuticals or biotechnology often earn higher than those in electronics or consumer goods.
Salaries also differ significantly by state. California and Texas are among the highest-paying states, reflecting the concentration of technology and manufacturing firms. Understanding regional salary differences can help you make informed decisions about where to work.
As you gain experience, your earning potential can increase. Positions in management or specialized roles often offer higher compensation. Engaging in continuous learning and seeking certifications can further enhance your prospects in this evolving field.
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The average process development engineer salary in Washington, Massachusetts, and Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average process development engineer salary states are Alabama, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $100,587 | $48.36 |
| 2 | Texas | $98,596 | $47.40 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $100,445 | $48.29 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $91,908 | $44.19 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $91,235 | $43.86 |
| 6 | Michigan | $89,882 | $43.21 |
| 7 | Virginia | $99,014 | $47.60 |
| 8 | Arizona | $90,080 | $43.31 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $98,582 | $47.40 |
| 10 | California | $98,551 | $47.38 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $88,415 | $42.51 |
| 12 | Maryland | $98,970 | $47.58 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $90,926 | $43.71 |
| 14 | Indiana | $86,494 | $41.58 |
| 15 | Maine | $91,605 | $44.04 |
| 16 | Alaska | $91,455 | $43.97 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $88,317 | $42.46 |
| 18 | Kansas | $86,664 | $41.67 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $86,079 | $41.38 |
| 20 | Montana | $85,891 | $41.29 |
| 21 | Idaho | $89,523 | $43.04 |
| 22 | Delaware | $89,228 | $42.90 |
| 23 | Oregon | $88,559 | $42.58 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $91,896 | $44.18 |
| 25 | Illinois | $89,895 | $43.22 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $92,043 | $44.25 |
| 27 | Utah | $86,104 | $41.40 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $81,512 | $39.19 |
| 29 | Colorado | $89,687 | $43.12 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $82,668 | $39.74 |
| 31 | New York | $90,211 | $43.37 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $87,695 | $42.16 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $89,969 | $43.25 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $84,824 | $40.78 |
| 35 | Ohio | $77,886 | $37.45 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $81,280 | $39.08 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $81,752 | $39.30 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $77,777 | $37.39 |
| 39 | Nevada | $78,976 | $37.97 |
| 40 | Iowa | $79,582 | $38.26 |
| 41 | Alabama | $77,241 | $37.14 |
| 42 | Georgia | $78,764 | $37.87 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $80,949 | $38.92 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $75,578 | $36.34 |
| 45 | Florida | $77,415 | $37.22 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $74,587 | $35.86 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $78,774 | $37.87 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $75,691 | $36.39 |
| 49 | Missouri | $75,278 | $36.19 |
| 50 | Vermont | $77,992 | $37.50 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $73,152 | $35.17 |
The highest-paying cities for process development engineers are Santa Rosa, CA, Seattle, WA, and Medford, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $107,450 | $51.66 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $101,161 | $48.64 |
| 3 | Medford, MA | $100,608 | $48.37 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | $100,097 | $48.12 |
| 5 | Warwick, RI | $98,636 | $47.42 |
| 6 | Albany, NY | $90,769 | $43.64 |
| 7 | Wilmington, DE | $89,400 | $42.98 |
| 8 | Hillsboro, OR | $88,559 | $42.58 |
| 9 | Maple Grove, MN | $88,498 | $42.55 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $86,338 | $41.51 |
| 11 | Lehi, UT | $85,930 | $41.31 |
| 12 | Middletown, PA | $82,262 | $39.55 |
| 13 | Durham, NC | $79,153 | $38.05 |
| 14 | Athens, AL | $76,860 | $36.95 |
| 15 | Apopka, FL | $76,420 | $36.74 |
A process development engineer's salary ranges from $70,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| Average | $89,754 | $7,480 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $79,000 | $6,583 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
The highest paying types of process development engineers are project lead engineer, senior process engineer, and research and development engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineer | $78,522 | $6,543 | $37.75 | 115,384 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Quality Control Engineer | $70,845 | $5,904 | $34.06 | 109,745 |
| Industrial Engineer | $76,501 | $6,375 | $36.78 | 46,756 |
| Chemical Engineer | $89,449 | $7,454 | $43.00 | 42,176 |
| Quality Engineer | $79,672 | $6,639 | $38.30 | 96,838 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for process development engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring process development engineers now:
Process development engineer salaries at Apple and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average process development engineer salary at companies like Pacira BioSciences and 24M Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $117,324 | $56.41 |
| 2 | Meta | $116,060 | $55.80 |
| 3 | Pacira BioSciences | $105,914 | $50.92 |
| 4 | 24M Technologies | $105,821 | $50.88 |
| 5 | AstraZeneca | $105,311 | $50.63 |
| 6 | Shell Trading | $104,872 | $50.42 |
| 7 | Dell | $104,361 | $50.17 |
| 8 | Green Mountain Corpration | $103,329 | $49.68 |
| 9 | Watson Pharma Pvt Ltd | $100,795 | $48.46 |
| 10 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $100,491 | $48.31 |
| 11 | Momentive | $100,043 | $48.10 |
| 12 | BASF | $99,013 | $47.60 |
| 13 | Eastman | $98,278 | $47.25 |
| 14 | Texas Instruments | $97,354 | $46.80 |
| 15 | General Motors | $97,081 | $46.67 |
| 16 | Sarepta Therapeutics | $97,009 | $46.64 |
| 17 | Corteva | $96,950 | $46.61 |
| 18 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $96,871 | $46.57 |
| 19 | Genentech | $96,715 | $46.50 |
| 20 | Celanese | $96,428 | $46.36 |
The average process development engineer salary has risen by $11,816 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average process development engineer earned $77,938 annually, but today, they earn $89,754 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for process development engineers over the last decade.
Compare process development engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare process development engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $89,800 | $43.15 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $88,800 | $42.70 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $87,800 | $42.22 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $86,700 | $41.66 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $85,100 | $40.90 | +1.0% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier | Heat Exchanger Manufacturing Process Development Engineer | East Syracuse, NY | 06/30/2025 | $90,263 |
| Solectron Corp | Process Development Engineer | Milpitas, CA | 06/30/2025 | $91,900 |
| Blue Origin | Process Development Composites Engineer III-New Glenn | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $117,498 |
| Caterpillar | Concurrent Product and Process Development (Cppd) Engineer | Decatur, IL | 06/28/2025 | $95,640 |
| Sri International | Process Development Engineer | Princeton, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $101,592 |
| Corning | Opto-Mechanical Process Development Engineer | Fairport, NY | 06/26/2025 | $80,243 |
| Home Excelitas Noblelight | Engineer I-Process Development | Fridley, MN | 06/25/2025 | $70,000 |
| Heraeus Holding | Engineer I-Process Development | Fridley, MN | 06/21/2025 | $70,000 |
| Akkodis | Medical Device Tooling Designer/Process Development Engineer | Bloomington, IN | 06/21/2025 | $97,317 |
| Livanova Plc | Process Development Engineer | Houston, TX | 06/21/2025 | $75,000 |
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