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The average salary for a fuel cell engineer stands at $92,756 annually. Salaries in this field can differ based on numerous factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry sector. For instance, states with booming technology hubs tend to offer higher compensation, reflecting the demand for expertise in renewable energy solutions.
Entry-level fuel cell engineers typically earn less than their seasoned counterparts. Those with more than five years of experience can expect to see significant increases in their salary, often exceeding $100,000 per year. This trend underscores the value of experience in advancing one's career in this specialized field.
Regions such as California and New York frequently rank among the highest for fuel cell engineer salaries, driven by the presence of leading technology companies and research institutions. As the sector evolves, job opportunities continue to expand, making this an attractive career for those interested in sustainable energy solutions.
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The highest-paying states for fuel cell engineers are California, Washington, and Nevada. The lowest average fuel cell engineer salary states are Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $115,338 | $55.45 |
| 2 | Washington | $106,986 | $51.44 |
| 3 | Oregon | $100,248 | $48.20 |
| 4 | Arizona | $99,110 | $47.65 |
| 5 | Utah | $97,392 | $46.82 |
| 6 | Nevada | $103,946 | $49.97 |
| 7 | Idaho | $101,195 | $48.65 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $94,213 | $45.29 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $104,434 | $50.21 |
| 10 | Colorado | $94,608 | $45.48 |
| 11 | Alabama | $92,723 | $44.58 |
| 12 | Alaska | $95,502 | $45.91 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $94,688 | $45.52 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $89,845 | $43.19 |
| 15 | Maryland | $94,806 | $45.58 |
| 16 | Montana | $93,626 | $45.01 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $92,996 | $44.71 |
| 18 | Michigan | $91,254 | $43.87 |
| 19 | Texas | $89,996 | $43.27 |
| 20 | New York | $93,435 | $44.92 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $91,003 | $43.75 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $94,794 | $45.57 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $90,101 | $43.32 |
| 24 | Illinois | $91,434 | $43.96 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $90,286 | $43.41 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $91,239 | $43.86 |
| 27 | Vermont | $90,020 | $43.28 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $89,303 | $42.93 |
| 29 | Virginia | $89,058 | $42.82 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $91,716 | $44.09 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $90,102 | $43.32 |
| 32 | Delaware | $87,625 | $42.13 |
| 33 | Indiana | $85,633 | $41.17 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $88,330 | $42.47 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $87,152 | $41.90 |
| 36 | Georgia | $87,612 | $42.12 |
| 37 | Maine | $86,974 | $41.81 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $86,477 | $41.58 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $84,726 | $40.73 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $84,139 | $40.45 |
| 41 | Ohio | $83,332 | $40.06 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $84,316 | $40.54 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $85,343 | $41.03 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $85,290 | $41.00 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $74,593 | $35.86 |
| 46 | Kansas | $80,764 | $38.83 |
| 47 | Florida | $77,837 | $37.42 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $80,555 | $38.73 |
| 49 | Iowa | $79,527 | $38.23 |
| 50 | Missouri | $79,483 | $38.21 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $67,110 | $32.26 |
The highest-paying cities for fuel cell engineers are West Sacramento, CA, Phoenix, AZ, and Lehi, UT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Sacramento, CA | $125,339 | $60.26 |
| 2 | Phoenix, AZ | $99,673 | $47.92 |
| 3 | Lehi, UT | $97,447 | $46.85 |
| 4 | Worcester, MA | $93,059 | $44.74 |
| 5 | Albany, NY | $92,511 | $44.48 |
| 6 | Pontiac, MI | $91,488 | $43.98 |
| 7 | Denton, TX | $90,357 | $43.44 |
| 8 | Cheyenne, WY | $89,817 | $43.18 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $85,445 | $41.08 |
| 10 | Saint Louis, MO | $78,946 | $37.95 |
| 11 | Boca Raton, FL | $75,827 | $36.46 |
A fuel cell engineer's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $127,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| 75th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| Average | $92,756 | $7,730 | $45 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
The highest paying types of fuel cell engineers are staff engineer, director, hydrogen storage engineering, and engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Product Engineer | $89,645 | $7,470 | $43.10 | 157,888 |
| Engineer | $92,077 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
Top companies hiring fuel cell engineers now:
Fuel cell engineer salaries at Apple and AbbVie are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average fuel cell engineer salary at companies like Sanofi US and Rivian are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $142,691 | $68.60 |
| 2 | AbbVie | $114,942 | $55.26 |
| 3 | Sanofi US | $111,147 | $53.44 |
| 4 | Rivian | $102,653 | $49.35 |
| 5 | Micron Technology | $102,291 | $49.18 |
| 6 | Tesla | $101,575 | $48.83 |
| 7 | Lucid Motors | $100,963 | $48.54 |
| 8 | General Motors | $98,868 | $47.53 |
| 9 | Ford Motor | $98,435 | $47.32 |
| 10 | Eurofins | $98,163 | $47.19 |
| 11 | FCA US LLC | $98,109 | $47.17 |
| 12 | Bosch USA | $96,840 | $46.56 |
| 13 | Caterpillar | $96,532 | $46.41 |
| 14 | Plug Power | $95,606 | $45.96 |
| 15 | Science | $95,166 | $45.75 |
| 16 | EnPower | $95,166 | $45.75 |
| 17 | Upside Foods | $95,166 | $45.75 |
| 18 | AvL Technologies | $94,982 | $45.66 |
| 19 | SES | $93,161 | $44.79 |
| 20 | Nikola Motor | $93,123 | $44.77 |
The average fuel cell engineer salary has risen by $11,245 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average fuel cell engineer earned $81,511 annually, but today, they earn $92,756 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for fuel cell engineers over the last decade.
Compare fuel cell engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare fuel cell engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $92,800 | $44.59 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | $91,000 | $43.74 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $89,900 | $43.21 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $88,400 | $42.48 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $86,600 | $41.64 | +0.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joby Aviation | Fuel Cell Systems Control Engineer | Santa Cruz, CA | 06/21/2025 | $98,200 |
| Peak Energy | Battery Modeling Engineer, Cell | Denver, CO | 04/28/2025 | $100,000 |
| Cz Biohub | Scientist II, Next-Generation Sequencing & Cell Engineering | Chicago, IL | 04/28/2025 | $105,000 |
| Rivian | Battery Cell Engineer II, Modeling | Tustin, CA | 04/18/2025 | $85,600 |
| Peak Energy | Battery Modeling Engineer, Cell | Denver, CO | 03/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| Czbiohubchicago | Scientist II, Next-Generation Sequencing & Cell Engineering | Chicago, IL | 03/26/2025 | $105,000 |
| Joby Aviation Inc. | Fuel Cell Systems Control Engineer | Santa Cruz, CA | 03/25/2025 | $98,200 |
| General Motors | Fuel Cell Test Engineer | Pontiac, MI | 03/17/2025 | $96,531 |
| American Honda Motor Co., Inc. | Fuel Cell Integration Software Engineer | Torrance, CA | 03/17/2025 | $115,000 |
| Apple Inc. | Battery Cell Engineer | Cupertino, CA | 03/07/2025 | $165,500 |
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