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Design development engineer salary
Average design development engineer salary
$92,179
Average Design Development Engineer Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Design Development Engineer stands at $92,179 annually or about $44 per hour. This role is integral in various sectors, including manufacturing, technology, and automotive industries. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience level, location, and specific job responsibilities.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically earn lower starting salaries, while experienced engineers can command significantly higher compensation. For instance, a senior Design Development Engineer may earn over $120,000 annually. Additionally, specialized skills in software tools and project management can enhance earning potential.
Highest Paying States
The highest paying states for Design Development Engineers include California, Texas, and New York. Cities like San Francisco and New York City often offer premium salaries due to higher living costs and demand for skilled professionals.
Job Opportunities
For those interested in pursuing a career in this field, numerous job listings are available across various industries. Researching specific companies and their compensation packages can provide insights into the best opportunities available.
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Where can a Design Development Engineer earn more?
Design development engineer salaries by experience level
Average design development engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for design development engineers are California, Washington, and Idaho. The lowest average design development engineer salary states are Kentucky, Mississippi, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for design development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $131,529 | $63.24 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $103,686 | $49.85 |
| 3 | Arizona | $89,792 | $43.17 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $97,680 | $46.96 |
| 5 | Nevada | $98,750 | $47.48 |
| 6 | Texas | $87,660 | $42.14 |
| 7 | Idaho | $109,042 | $52.42 |
| 8 | Alaska | $91,879 | $44.17 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $93,557 | $44.98 |
| 10 | Washington | $112,334 | $54.01 |
| 11 | Michigan | $83,673 | $40.23 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $84,586 | $40.67 |
| 13 | Delaware | $91,999 | $44.23 |
| 14 | Iowa | $87,225 | $41.94 |
| 15 | Oregon | $85,260 | $40.99 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $92,611 | $44.52 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $87,329 | $41.99 |
| 18 | Maryland | $91,104 | $43.80 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $79,368 | $38.16 |
| 20 | Montana | $78,746 | $37.86 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $82,968 | $39.89 |
| 22 | Colorado | $83,506 | $40.15 |
| 23 | New York | $85,980 | $41.34 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $84,415 | $40.58 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $80,618 | $38.76 |
| 26 | Georgia | $79,098 | $38.03 |
| 27 | Maine | $83,669 | $40.23 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $82,458 | $39.64 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $82,661 | $39.74 |
| 30 | Utah | $83,352 | $40.07 |
| 31 | Vermont | $80,786 | $38.84 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $75,259 | $36.18 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $78,185 | $37.59 |
| 34 | Alabama | $73,405 | $35.29 |
| 35 | Virginia | $83,588 | $40.19 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $70,781 | $34.03 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $75,533 | $36.31 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $80,519 | $38.71 |
| 39 | Florida | $71,622 | $34.43 |
| 40 | Indiana | $69,875 | $33.59 |
| 41 | Missouri | $72,302 | $34.76 |
| 42 | Illinois | $75,251 | $36.18 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $69,268 | $33.30 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $65,335 | $31.41 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $66,498 | $31.97 |
| 46 | Ohio | $70,174 | $33.74 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $70,511 | $33.90 |
| 48 | Kansas | $63,005 | $30.29 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $69,052 | $33.20 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $61,715 | $29.67 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $69,279 | $33.31 |
Highest paying cities for design development engineers
The highest-paying cities for design development engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Stoughton, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $143,454 | $68.97 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $113,121 | $54.39 |
| 3 | Stoughton, MA | $97,791 | $47.01 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $88,518 | $42.56 |
| 5 | Tucson, AZ | $87,316 | $41.98 |
| 6 | Manchester, NH | $87,308 | $41.98 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $85,160 | $40.94 |
| 8 | Syracuse, NY | $85,040 | $40.88 |
| 9 | Warren, MI | $83,908 | $40.34 |
| 10 | Boulder, CO | $83,754 | $40.27 |
| 11 | Neptune, NJ | $80,684 | $38.79 |
| 12 | Brooklyn Park, MN | $79,472 | $38.21 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $75,590 | $36.34 |
| 14 | Winston-Salem, NC | $75,202 | $36.15 |
| 15 | Waukesha, WI | $75,127 | $36.12 |
| 16 | Orlando, FL | $72,082 | $34.65 |
| 17 | Fort Wayne, IN | $71,470 | $34.36 |
| 18 | Tulsa, OK | $69,819 | $33.57 |
| 19 | Greenville, SC | $68,602 | $32.98 |
Design development engineer salary details
A design development engineer's salary ranges from $68,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $124,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a design development engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| 75th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| Average | $92,179 | $7,682 | $44 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
Highest paying design development engineer jobs
The highest paying types of design development engineers are principal engineer, lead design engineer, and system 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 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Product Engineer | $89,645 | $7,470 | $43.10 | 157,888 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for design development 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 development engineers now:
Which companies pay design development engineers the most?
Design development engineer salaries at Amazon and Western Digital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average design development engineer salary at companies like Applied Materials and Barclays are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $142,046 | $68.29 |
| 2 | Western Digital | $130,853 | $62.91 |
| 3 | Applied Materials | $123,124 | $59.19 |
| 4 | Barclays | $121,243 | $58.29 |
| 5 | STMicroelectronics | $111,804 | $53.75 |
| 6 | LSI | $105,326 | $50.64 |
| 7 | Ford Motor | $102,798 | $49.42 |
| 8 | General Motors | $101,559 | $48.83 |
| 9 | Philips Lighting North America | $100,088 | $48.12 |
| 10 | Wilson | $99,063 | $47.63 |
| 11 | CyberCoders | $97,751 | $47.00 |
| 12 | Textron | $96,992 | $46.63 |
| 13 | Lenovo | $96,445 | $46.37 |
| 14 | PEAK Technical Staffing USA | $95,925 | $46.12 |
| 15 | Skyworks Solutions | $95,064 | $45.70 |
| 16 | Brunswick | $93,543 | $44.97 |
| 17 | Corning Incorporated | $93,508 | $44.96 |
| 18 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $92,753 | $44.59 |
| 19 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $92,549 | $44.49 |
| 20 | Analog Devices | $92,101 | $44.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Design Development Engineer salary by industry
The average design development engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average design development engineer salary in the automotive industry is $84,855, the highest of any industry.
- The average design development engineer salary in the finance industry is $84,277.
- Design development engineers in the telecommunication industry earn an average salary of $81,333, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for design development engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $84,855 | $40.80 |
| 2 | Technology | $84,277 | $40.52 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $83,475 | $40.13 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $81,333 | $39.10 |
High paying design development engineer jobs
Design development engineer salary trends
The average design development engineer salary has risen by $11,175 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average design development engineer earned $81,004 annually, but today, they earn $92,179 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for design development engineers over the last decade.
Compare design development engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average design development engineer salary over time
Compare design development engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Design development engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $92,200 | $44.32 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $90,400 | $43.47 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $89,300 | $42.95 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $87,800 | $42.21 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $86,100 | $41.38 | +0.7% |
Recently added design development engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham & Associates | Civil Site Design Engineer-Land Development | Houston, TX | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, Inc. | Chassis Development-Braking Engineering Design Engineer I | California City, CA | 06/23/2025 | $66,000 |
| Samtec, Inc. Carreras | Optics Product Design and Development Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/11/2025 | $176,000 |
| Samtec | Optics Product Design and Development Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/10/2025 | $176,000 |
| Global Channel Management | Business Intelligence Design Development Engineer | Holmdel, NJ | 06/10/2025 | $144,003 |
| Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. | Civil Design Engineer-Land Development | Roseville, CA | 06/05/2025 | $77,741 |
| Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. | Civil Design Engineer-Land Development | Kent, WA | 06/05/2025 | $77,741 |
| Tait & Associates | Civil Design Engineer-Land Development | Santa Ana, CA | 05/21/2025 | $60,000 |
| Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. | Civil Design Engineer-Land Development | Roseville, CA | 05/21/2025 | $77,741 |
| Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. | Civil Design Engineer-Land Development | Kent, WA | 05/21/2025 | $77,741 |
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