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Associate design engineer salary
Average associate design engineer salary
$74,791
Associate Design Engineer Salary Overview
As of October 2025, Associate Design Engineers earn an average salary of $74,791 annually. This figure reflects a range of salaries influenced by factors such as geographic location, industry sector, and years of experience. For instance, those in technology sectors may earn higher than their counterparts in manufacturing.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start around $60,000, while experienced professionals can exceed $90,000. Various states offer different compensation levels; for example, California and New York often have higher salaries due to demand and living costs.
Opportunities for Growth
Career advancement in this field can lead to senior design roles or managerial positions, further increasing earning potential. To maximize your salary as an Associate Design Engineer, consider seeking opportunities in high-paying regions and industries.
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Where can an Associate Design Engineer earn more?
Associate design engineer salaries by experience level
Associate design engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average associate design engineer salary by state
The average associate design engineer salary in Connecticut, New Mexico, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average associate design engineer salary states are South Dakota, Mississippi, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for associate design engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $90,914 | $43.71 |
| 2 | California | $89,025 | $42.80 |
| 3 | Washington | $84,401 | $40.58 |
| 4 | Arizona | $82,617 | $39.72 |
| 5 | Oregon | $81,418 | $39.14 |
| 6 | Delaware | $82,586 | $39.70 |
| 7 | New York | $86,599 | $41.63 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $89,104 | $42.84 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $79,854 | $38.39 |
| 10 | Idaho | $80,906 | $38.90 |
| 11 | Illinois | $80,353 | $38.63 |
| 12 | Texas | $76,908 | $36.98 |
| 13 | Colorado | $76,196 | $36.63 |
| 14 | Nevada | $79,305 | $38.13 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $80,835 | $38.86 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $73,733 | $35.45 |
| 17 | Virginia | $74,626 | $35.88 |
| 18 | Alaska | $77,322 | $37.17 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $78,373 | $37.68 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $75,379 | $36.24 |
| 21 | Georgia | $73,567 | $35.37 |
| 22 | Michigan | $68,931 | $33.14 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $72,652 | $34.93 |
| 24 | Maryland | $74,238 | $35.69 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $77,133 | $37.08 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $71,842 | $34.54 |
| 27 | Kansas | $71,806 | $34.52 |
| 28 | Maine | $72,356 | $34.79 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $68,398 | $32.88 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $68,729 | $33.04 |
| 31 | Utah | $66,727 | $32.08 |
| 32 | Iowa | $67,663 | $32.53 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $64,922 | $31.21 |
| 34 | Vermont | $66,820 | $32.13 |
| 35 | Alabama | $64,658 | $31.09 |
| 36 | Indiana | $67,333 | $32.37 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $68,372 | $32.87 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $66,468 | $31.96 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $67,932 | $32.66 |
| 40 | Ohio | $63,525 | $30.54 |
| 41 | Missouri | $66,788 | $32.11 |
| 42 | Montana | $63,553 | $30.55 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $63,866 | $30.70 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $64,084 | $30.81 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $61,466 | $29.55 |
| 46 | Florida | $63,582 | $30.57 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $62,505 | $30.05 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $60,592 | $29.13 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $61,931 | $29.77 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $60,688 | $29.18 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $59,547 | $28.63 |
Highest paying cities for associate design engineers
The highest-paying cities for associate design engineers are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Everett, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $95,454 | $45.89 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $86,678 | $41.67 |
| 3 | Everett, WA | $84,964 | $40.85 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $82,688 | $39.75 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $80,327 | $38.62 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $79,971 | $38.45 |
| 7 | San Antonio, TX | $77,894 | $37.45 |
| 8 | Westminster, CO | $76,212 | $36.64 |
| 9 | McLean, VA | $75,300 | $36.20 |
| 10 | Manchester, NH | $73,782 | $35.47 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $73,672 | $35.42 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $73,093 | $35.14 |
| 13 | Greenville, NC | $69,385 | $33.36 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $67,325 | $32.37 |
| 15 | Greenville, SC | $64,176 | $30.85 |
| 16 | Wooster, OH | $63,785 | $30.67 |
Associate design engineer salary details
An associate design engineer's salary ranges from $58,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $95,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an associate design engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $74,791 | $6,233 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
Highest paying associate design engineer jobs
The highest paying types of associate design engineers are contracting engineer, senior engineer, and lead design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Research Engineer | $96,945 | $8,079 | $46.61 | 136,763 |
| Tool Engineer | $101,135 | $8,428 | $48.62 | 98,936 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Contracting Engineer | $122,620 | $10,218 | $58.95 | 115,631 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for associate design engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring associate design engineers now:
Which companies pay associate design engineers the most?
Associate design engineer salaries at Silicon Labs and Analog Devices are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate design engineer salary at companies like SMUD and Medline are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silicon Labs | $102,920 | $49.48 |
| 2 | Analog Devices | $89,678 | $43.11 |
| 3 | SMUD | $88,525 | $42.56 |
| 4 | Medline | $84,871 | $40.80 |
| 5 | Tesla | $84,141 | $40.45 |
| 6 | Medtronic | $79,711 | $38.32 |
| 7 | Vicor | $79,263 | $38.11 |
| 8 | Lucid Motors | $78,288 | $37.64 |
| 9 | Boeing | $78,200 | $37.60 |
| 10 | Columbus McKinnon | $77,709 | $37.36 |
| 11 | City of Tacoma | $76,836 | $36.94 |
| 12 | B. Braun Medical | $76,645 | $36.85 |
| 13 | Fluor Corporation | $76,600 | $36.83 |
| 14 | Safran | $76,342 | $36.70 |
| 15 | Michael Baker | $75,925 | $36.50 |
| 16 | Itron | $75,879 | $36.48 |
| 17 | Eversource Energy | $75,787 | $36.44 |
| 18 | Schaeffler | $75,607 | $36.35 |
| 19 | Kids II | $75,308 | $36.21 |
| 20 | Teleflex | $75,211 | $36.16 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Associate Design Engineer salary by industry
The average associate design engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average associate design engineer salary in the health care industry is $79,843, the highest of any industry.
- The average associate design engineer salary in the finance industry is $79,290.
- Associate design engineers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $72,627, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for associate design engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $79,843 | $38.39 |
| 2 | Automotive | $79,290 | $38.12 |
| 3 | Technology | $78,656 | $37.82 |
| 4 | Construction | $76,389 | $36.73 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $75,672 | $36.38 |
| 6 | Professional | $75,090 | $36.10 |
| 7 | Retail | $72,627 | $34.92 |
High paying associate design engineer jobs
Associate design engineer salary trends
The average associate design engineer salary has risen by $9,067 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate design engineer earned $65,724 annually, but today, they earn $74,791 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for associate design engineers over the last decade.
Compare associate design engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average associate design engineer salary over time
Compare associate design engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Associate design engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $74,800 | $35.96 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $73,400 | $35.27 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $72,500 | $34.84 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $71,200 | $34.25 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $69,800 | $33.58 | +0.7% |
Recently added associate design engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Design and Analysis Engineer (Associate, Experienced, Senior) | Albuquerque, NM | 06/30/2025 | $119,850 |
| Jeppesen | Design and Analysis Engineer (Associate or Mid-Level) | Long Beach, CA | 06/30/2025 | $102,850 |
| Northrop Grumman | Sentinel (Gbsd)-Associate Design Engineer/Design Engineer | Roy, UT | 06/27/2025 | $70,200 |
| Boeing | Design and Analysis Engineer (Entry or Associate) | Long Beach, CA | 06/26/2025 | $85,850 |
| Abbott Laboratories | Associate Design Quality Engineer | Temecula, CA | 06/24/2025 | $50,000 |
| Timberland | Timberland: Associate CAD Modeler-Footwear Engineering | Stratham, NH | 06/20/2025 | $52,000 |
| Boeing | Design and Analysis Engineer (Associate, Experienced, Senior) | Albuquerque, NM | 06/19/2025 | $119,850 |
| AEP Service Corporation | Designer-Station Engineering-Associate To Principal | Roanoke, VA | 06/13/2025 | $85,081 |
| Harley-Davidson, Inc. | Associate Design Engineer-Vehicle Software V&V | Wauwatosa, WI | 06/07/2025 | $60,600 |
| VF Corporation | Timberland: Associate CAD Modeler-Footwear Engineering | Stratham, NH | 06/06/2025 | $52,000 |
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