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Design/applications engineer salary
Average design/applications engineer salary
$81,822
Understanding Design/Application Engineer Salaries
The average salary for a Design/Application Engineer in the United States is approximately $81,822 annually or $39 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while seasoned engineers with specialized skills can earn much higher.
Salary by Experience Level
Typically, an entry-level Design/Application Engineer earns around $65,000, while those with several years of experience can see salaries exceeding $100,000. Senior positions or roles in high-demand markets often offer even greater compensation.
State and City Variations
Geographical location plays a critical role in salary. States like California, Texas, and New York tend to offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for engineering talent. Cities such as San Francisco and New York City consistently rank among the highest-paying locations for these professionals.
Conclusion
For anyone considering a career as a Design/Application Engineer, understanding the salary landscape can significantly influence your career path. Stay informed about trends and opportunities to maximize your earning potential.
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Where can a Design/Applications Engineer earn more?
Design/applications engineer salaries by experience level
Average design/applications engineer salary by state
The average design/applications engineer salary in Washington, Connecticut, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average design/applications engineer salary states are South Dakota, Mississippi, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for design/applications engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $104,911 | $50.44 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $101,776 | $48.93 |
| 3 | California | $98,594 | $47.40 |
| 4 | Oregon | $91,608 | $44.04 |
| 5 | Arizona | $90,172 | $43.35 |
| 6 | Alaska | $93,367 | $44.89 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $90,899 | $43.70 |
| 8 | New York | $95,627 | $45.97 |
| 9 | Delaware | $89,165 | $42.87 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $95,152 | $45.75 |
| 11 | Idaho | $88,529 | $42.56 |
| 12 | Nevada | $89,876 | $43.21 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $84,134 | $40.45 |
| 14 | Virginia | $81,811 | $39.33 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $85,950 | $41.32 |
| 16 | Texas | $81,210 | $39.04 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $81,547 | $39.21 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $84,848 | $40.79 |
| 19 | Illinois | $82,613 | $39.72 |
| 20 | Colorado | $80,592 | $38.75 |
| 21 | Maine | $82,796 | $39.81 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $82,538 | $39.68 |
| 23 | Vermont | $75,451 | $36.27 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $78,532 | $37.76 |
| 25 | Maryland | $79,200 | $38.08 |
| 26 | Michigan | $71,878 | $34.56 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $78,670 | $37.82 |
| 28 | Utah | $72,511 | $34.86 |
| 29 | Georgia | $76,520 | $36.79 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $71,565 | $34.41 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $69,164 | $33.25 |
| 32 | Kansas | $73,245 | $35.21 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $71,147 | $34.21 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $72,230 | $34.73 |
| 35 | Indiana | $69,536 | $33.43 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $74,194 | $35.67 |
| 37 | Alabama | $67,209 | $32.31 |
| 38 | Montana | $69,034 | $33.19 |
| 39 | Iowa | $68,990 | $33.17 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $68,417 | $32.89 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $69,152 | $33.25 |
| 42 | Ohio | $66,160 | $31.81 |
| 43 | Missouri | $68,073 | $32.73 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $63,692 | $30.62 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $66,029 | $31.74 |
| 46 | Florida | $66,370 | $31.91 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $62,987 | $30.28 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $64,355 | $30.94 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $61,924 | $29.77 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $64,145 | $30.84 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $60,852 | $29.26 |
Highest paying cities for design/applications engineers
The highest-paying cities for design/applications engineers are San Francisco, CA, Bellevue, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $109,957 | $52.86 |
| 2 | Bellevue, WA | $105,884 | $50.91 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $95,806 | $46.06 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $91,628 | $44.05 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $91,188 | $43.84 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $90,486 | $43.50 |
| 7 | Jersey City, NJ | $85,327 | $41.02 |
| 8 | New Orleans, LA | $82,806 | $39.81 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $82,769 | $39.79 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $82,663 | $39.74 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $76,419 | $36.74 |
| 12 | Southfield, MI | $72,081 | $34.65 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $72,007 | $34.62 |
| 14 | Cedar Falls, IA | $69,303 | $33.32 |
| 15 | Chattanooga, TN | $68,775 | $33.06 |
| 16 | Tampa, FL | $67,620 | $32.51 |
| 17 | Milwaukee, WI | $63,735 | $30.64 |
| 18 | Bentonville, AR | $60,508 | $29.09 |
Design/applications engineer salary details
A design/applications engineer's salary ranges from $58,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a design/applications engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $81,822 | $6,819 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
Highest paying design/applications engineer jobs
The highest paying types of design/applications 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 |
| Tool Engineer | $101,135 | $8,428 | $48.62 | 98,936 |
| Product Engineer | $89,645 | $7,470 | $43.10 | 157,888 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for design/applications engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Marco Schoen Ph.D.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Research Center (MCERC), Idaho State University
Top companies hiring design/applications engineers now:
Which companies pay design/applications engineers the most?
Design/applications engineer salaries at Meta and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average design/applications engineer salary at companies like Xilinx and Apple are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $156,848 | $75.41 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $141,557 | $68.06 |
| 3 | Xilinx | $141,099 | $67.84 |
| 4 | Apple | $136,601 | $65.67 |
| 5 | Amd | $126,928 | $61.02 |
| 6 | Cadence Design Systems | $125,724 | $60.44 |
| 7 | Synopsys | $120,933 | $58.14 |
| 8 | Arista Networks | $114,745 | $55.17 |
| 9 | Tesla | $109,658 | $52.72 |
| 10 | Infineon Technologies | $107,365 | $51.62 |
| 11 | GCOM | $102,595 | $49.32 |
| 12 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $102,272 | $49.17 |
| 13 | FCA US LLC | $102,002 | $49.04 |
| 14 | Semtech | $98,076 | $47.15 |
| 15 | DXC Technology | $96,882 | $46.58 |
| 16 | SBP Holdings | $96,514 | $46.40 |
| 17 | PEAK Technical Staffing USA | $91,163 | $43.83 |
| 18 | Qorvo | $90,807 | $43.66 |
| 19 | Acro Service | $90,017 | $43.28 |
| 20 | Alstom | $89,693 | $43.12 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Design/Applications Engineer salary by industry
The average design/applications engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average design/applications engineer salary in the automotive industry is $95,172, the highest of any industry.
- The average design/applications engineer salary in the finance industry is $85,931.
- Design/applications engineers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $80,885, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for design/applications engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $95,172 | $45.76 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $85,931 | $41.31 |
| 3 | Transportation | $84,318 | $40.54 |
| 4 | Professional | $83,588 | $40.19 |
| 5 | Technology | $80,885 | $38.89 |
High paying design/applications engineer jobs
Design/applications engineer salary trends
The average design/applications engineer salary has risen by $9,919 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average design/applications engineer earned $71,903 annually, but today, they earn $81,822 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for design/applications engineers over the last decade.
Compare design/applications engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average design/applications engineer salary over time
Compare design/applications engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Design/applications engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $81,800 | $39.34 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $80,300 | $38.58 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $79,300 | $38.12 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $77,900 | $37.47 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $76,400 | $36.73 | +0.7% |
Recently added design/applications engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impact Solutions | Industrial Applications Engineer-Mechanical Design & Customer Support | Richfield, WI | 06/27/2025 | $65,000 |
| Synopsys, Inc. | Advanced Node Physical Design Application Engineer | Austin, TX | 05/29/2025 | $159,000 |
| Rexel USA | Application Design Engineer-Assembly Solutions Group (ASG) | Santa Clara, CA | 05/17/2025 | $93,000 |
| Rexel | Application Design Engineer-Assembly Solutions Group (ASG) | Santa Clara, CA | 05/17/2025 | $93,000 |
| Cadence Design Systems | Digital Design Application Engineer Architect | San Jose, CA | 04/28/2025 | $157,500 |
| Rohde & Schwarz | Digital Design Application Engineer-Bay Area | Milpitas, CA | 04/26/2025 | $125,000 |
| Dish Network | Application Designer-Knowledge Solutions | Englewood, CO | 04/05/2025 | $63,150 |
| Fox Factory | Application/Design Engineer-Industrial/Defense | El Cajon, CA | 03/30/2025 | $111,617 |
| Cadence Design Systems | Digital Design Application Engineer Architect | San Jose, CA | 03/28/2025 | $157,500 |
| M9Solutions | Apex Application Designer | Laurel, MD | 03/26/2025 | $60,000 |
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