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The average salary for a Distribution Engineer currently stands at $77,713 per year, translating to approximately $37 per hour. Salaries can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographical location and level of experience. For instance, entry-level engineers may earn less, while those with advanced degrees or significant experience can command higher salaries.
Distribution Engineers in states like California and New York typically see higher salaries compared to the national average. This is often due to a higher cost of living and increased demand for engineering talent in these regions.
As a Distribution Engineer, pursuing additional certifications or specialization in areas such as renewable energy can lead to improved job prospects and higher earnings. Networking and staying updated with industry trends are also beneficial in advancing your career. For those looking to enter the field, understanding these salary dynamics can help inform career decisions.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level distribution engineer | $51,800 | $24.92 |
| Mid-level distribution engineer | $82,600 | $39.71 |
| Senior-level distribution engineer | $122,000 | $58.73 |
The highest-paying states for distribution engineers are California, Washington, and New Mexico. The lowest average distribution engineer salary states are Tennessee, Ohio, and Utah.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $116,115 | $55.82 |
| 2 | Washington | $101,300 | $48.70 |
| 3 | Colorado | $91,091 | $43.79 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $99,726 | $47.95 |
| 5 | Texas | $92,939 | $44.68 |
| 6 | Maryland | $89,855 | $43.20 |
| 7 | Virginia | $85,726 | $41.21 |
| 8 | Alaska | $95,008 | $45.68 |
| 9 | Georgia | $88,257 | $42.43 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $92,423 | $44.43 |
| 11 | Oregon | $85,582 | $41.15 |
| 12 | Delaware | $84,292 | $40.52 |
| 13 | Alabama | $79,072 | $38.02 |
| 14 | Michigan | $80,487 | $38.70 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $82,880 | $39.85 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $87,323 | $41.98 |
| 17 | Nevada | $78,929 | $37.95 |
| 18 | New York | $86,115 | $41.40 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $82,558 | $39.69 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $86,052 | $41.37 |
| 21 | Idaho | $83,249 | $40.02 |
| 22 | Vermont | $81,751 | $39.30 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $73,357 | $35.27 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $78,135 | $37.56 |
| 25 | Arizona | $73,448 | $35.31 |
| 26 | Missouri | $78,476 | $37.73 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $80,805 | $38.85 |
| 28 | Kansas | $72,144 | $34.68 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $72,364 | $34.79 |
| 30 | Iowa | $69,365 | $33.35 |
| 31 | Maine | $71,138 | $34.20 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $70,582 | $33.93 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $72,339 | $34.78 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $71,795 | $34.52 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $74,642 | $35.89 |
| 36 | Illinois | $71,760 | $34.50 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $70,945 | $34.11 |
| 38 | Indiana | $68,490 | $32.93 |
| 39 | Florida | $68,570 | $32.97 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $69,169 | $33.25 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $69,981 | $33.64 |
| 42 | Utah | $65,357 | $31.42 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $68,472 | $32.92 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $68,986 | $33.17 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $64,737 | $31.12 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $68,562 | $32.96 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $67,813 | $32.60 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $66,825 | $32.13 |
| 49 | Ohio | $65,785 | $31.63 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $63,576 | $30.57 |
| 51 | Montana | $61,723 | $29.67 |
The highest-paying cities for distribution engineers are Los Angeles, CA, Vancouver, WA, and Albuquerque, NM.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $113,786 | $54.70 |
| 2 | Vancouver, WA | $104,017 | $50.01 |
| 3 | Albuquerque, NM | $99,555 | $47.86 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $94,062 | $45.22 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $92,443 | $44.44 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $90,961 | $43.73 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $89,955 | $43.25 |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | $88,059 | $42.34 |
| 9 | New Orleans, LA | $86,715 | $41.69 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $86,467 | $41.57 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $85,279 | $41.00 |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $84,699 | $40.72 |
| 13 | Oklahoma City, OK | $83,095 | $39.95 |
| 14 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $80,895 | $38.89 |
| 15 | Detroit, MI | $80,798 | $38.85 |
| 16 | Pittsburgh, PA | $80,408 | $38.66 |
| 17 | Birmingham, AL | $78,806 | $37.89 |
| 18 | Kansas City, MO | $78,731 | $37.85 |
| 19 | Framingham, MA | $78,164 | $37.58 |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ | $73,538 | $35.35 |
A distribution engineer's salary ranges from $46,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $129,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $129,000 | $10,750 | $62 |
| 75th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| Average | $77,713 | $6,476 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
The highest paying types of distribution engineers are electrical engineer lead, senior electrical engineer, and system design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Designer | $64,930 | $5,411 | $31.22 | 82,332 |
| Electrical Engineer Internship | $63,398 | $5,283 | $30.48 | 80,744 |
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | $81,188 | $6,766 | $39.03 | 81,243 |
| Electrical Engineer Lead | $111,251 | $9,271 | $53.49 | 82,196 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
| Electrical Project Engineer | $84,342 | $7,029 | $40.55 | 67,802 |
Top companies hiring distribution engineers now:
Distribution engineer salaries at Apple and Zoox are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average distribution engineer salary at companies like Applied Materials and Pacific Gas and Electric are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $140,962 | $67.77 |
| 2 | Zoox | $130,566 | $62.77 |
| 3 | Applied Materials | $117,968 | $56.72 |
| 4 | Pacific Gas and Electric | $114,148 | $54.88 |
| 5 | WEC Energy Group | $113,572 | $54.60 |
| 6 | Thomson Reuters | $99,661 | $47.91 |
| 7 | Abbott | $97,918 | $47.08 |
| 8 | Battelle | $97,156 | $46.71 |
| 9 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $96,101 | $46.20 |
| 10 | Alere | $93,528 | $44.97 |
| 11 | Eversource Energy | $87,057 | $41.85 |
| 12 | Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. | $86,843 | $41.75 |
| 13 | National Grid plc | $86,839 | $41.75 |
| 14 | Warner Bros. | $86,814 | $41.74 |
| 15 | Alliant Energy | $86,710 | $41.69 |
| 16 | Portland General Electric | $85,424 | $41.07 |
| 17 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $84,972 | $40.85 |
| 18 | UChicago Argonne | $83,962 | $40.37 |
| 19 | Logistics Management Institute | $83,682 | $40.23 |
| 20 | Burns & McDonnell | $82,497 | $39.66 |
The average distribution engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $80,357 | $38.63 |
| 2 | Health Care | $76,864 | $36.95 |
| 3 | Professional | $73,651 | $35.41 |
| 4 | Utilities | $73,004 | $35.10 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $71,580 | $34.41 |
The average distribution engineer salary has risen by $11,492 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average distribution engineer earned $66,221 annually, but today, they earn $77,713 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for distribution engineers over the last decade.
Compare distribution engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare distribution engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,700 | $37.36 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $75,900 | $36.51 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $74,500 | $35.81 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $73,300 | $35.22 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $72,600 | $34.91 | +1.3% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Power | Engineer I, II, or Senior-Distribution Planning | Pocatello, ID | 06/28/2025 | $151,341 |
| Kontoor Brands | Distribution Engineer | Seminole, OK | 06/28/2025 | $110,000 |
| Ameren | Distribution Engineer | Urbana, IL | 06/27/2025 | $69,300 |
| Kontoor Brands, Inc. | Distribution Engineer | Seminole, OK | 06/27/2025 | $110,000 |
| E2 Consulting Engineers, Inc. | Distribution Engineer | Kahului, HI | 06/26/2025 | $85,000 |
| AIC Ameren Illinois | Distribution Engineer | Champaign, IL | 06/26/2025 | $69,300 |
| Leidos Holdings Inc. | Distribution Engineer | Atlanta, GA | 06/25/2025 | $57,850 |
| TRC Companies, Inc. | Distribution Engineer V | Gahanna, OH | 06/25/2025 | $135,655 |
| Actalent | Distribution Engineer PE | Phoenix, AZ | 06/25/2025 | $120,399 |
| Cha | Electric Distribution Engineer III | Wyomissing, PA | 06/20/2025 | $78,000 |
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