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Junior design engineer salary
Average junior design engineer salary
$59,383
Average Junior Design Engineer Salary
The average salary for a junior design engineer in the United States is approximately $59,383 annually. This figure may vary significantly based on geographical location, industry, and level of experience. For instance, states such as California and New York are known for offering higher compensation due to their cost of living and demand for skilled engineers.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors can impact the earnings of a junior design engineer:
- Experience: Entry-level positions tend to offer lower salaries, while those with a few years of experience may see a significant jump.
- Industry: Industries such as technology and aerospace often pay more compared to manufacturing sectors.
- Location: Urban areas typically provide higher salaries due to increased living costs.
Highest Paying Cities
Some of the top-paying cities for junior design engineers include:
- San Francisco, CA
- New York, NY
- Seattle, WA
Understanding the salary landscape can help prospective engineers make informed decisions about their career paths.
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Where can a Junior Design Engineer earn more?
Average junior design engineer salary by state
The average junior design engineer salary in Massachusetts, California, and Virginia are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average junior design engineer salary states are Montana, South Carolina, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for junior design engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $85,362 | $41.04 |
| 2 | Virginia | $79,043 | $38.00 |
| 3 | California | $81,211 | $39.04 |
| 4 | Washington | $74,800 | $35.96 |
| 5 | Delaware | $74,470 | $35.80 |
| 6 | New York | $76,113 | $36.59 |
| 7 | Colorado | $71,982 | $34.61 |
| 8 | Maryland | $75,227 | $36.17 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $69,847 | $33.58 |
| 10 | Oregon | $68,924 | $33.14 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $72,173 | $34.70 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $74,675 | $35.90 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $70,874 | $34.07 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $67,095 | $32.26 |
| 15 | Idaho | $66,886 | $32.16 |
| 16 | Arizona | $65,189 | $31.34 |
| 17 | Alabama | $65,120 | $31.31 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $66,295 | $31.87 |
| 19 | Illinois | $68,008 | $32.70 |
| 20 | Nevada | $64,546 | $31.03 |
| 21 | Alaska | $65,311 | $31.40 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $69,840 | $33.58 |
| 23 | Michigan | $60,575 | $29.12 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $64,416 | $30.97 |
| 25 | Texas | $61,438 | $29.54 |
| 26 | Ohio | $61,361 | $29.50 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $62,680 | $30.13 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $61,016 | $29.33 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $60,854 | $29.26 |
| 30 | Maine | $63,040 | $30.31 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $62,930 | $30.25 |
| 32 | Vermont | $58,561 | $28.15 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $62,629 | $30.11 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $56,180 | $27.01 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $59,511 | $28.61 |
| 36 | Missouri | $60,341 | $29.01 |
| 37 | Utah | $54,404 | $26.16 |
| 38 | Iowa | $57,320 | $27.56 |
| 39 | Florida | $55,865 | $26.86 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $54,383 | $26.15 |
| 41 | Indiana | $54,506 | $26.20 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $55,012 | $26.45 |
| 43 | Montana | $53,740 | $25.84 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $54,433 | $26.17 |
| 45 | Georgia | $53,773 | $25.85 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $54,260 | $26.09 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $53,579 | $25.76 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $52,069 | $25.03 |
| 49 | Kansas | $49,471 | $23.78 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $48,908 | $23.51 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $50,269 | $24.17 |
Highest paying cities for junior design engineers
The highest-paying cities for junior design engineers are San Jose, CA, Boston, MA, and Chesapeake, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $87,181 | $41.91 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $85,472 | $41.09 |
| 3 | Chesapeake, VA | $78,660 | $37.82 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $76,268 | $36.67 |
| 5 | Salisbury, MD | $75,892 | $36.49 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $74,706 | $35.92 |
| 7 | Paterson, NJ | $69,966 | $33.64 |
| 8 | Greenville, NC | $62,934 | $30.26 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $61,476 | $29.56 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $61,414 | $29.53 |
| 11 | Troy, MI | $60,895 | $29.28 |
| 12 | Greenville, SC | $53,733 | $25.83 |
Junior design engineer salary details
A junior design engineer's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $86,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a junior design engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 75th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| Average | $59,383 | $4,949 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying junior design engineer jobs
The highest paying types of junior design engineers are senior engineer, lead design engineer, and staff 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 | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $75,352 | $6,279 | $36.23 | 105,618 |
| Equipment Engineer | $97,539 | $8,128 | $46.89 | 108,449 |
| Research Engineer | $96,945 | $8,079 | $46.61 | 136,763 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for junior design engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring junior design engineers now:
Which companies pay junior design engineers the most?
Junior design engineer salaries at Micron Technology and Fluor are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average junior design engineer salary at companies like The Aerospace Corporation and GEI Consultants are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Micron Technology | $70,759 | $34.02 |
| 2 | Fluor Corporation | $68,909 | $33.13 |
| 3 | The Aerospace Corporation | $68,228 | $32.80 |
| 4 | GEI Consultants | $67,875 | $32.63 |
| 5 | ThermalTech Engineering | $65,792 | $31.63 |
| 6 | ISSI Integrated Silicon Solution | $65,752 | $31.61 |
| 7 | Smiths Interconnect | $63,119 | $30.35 |
| 8 | Nutcracker Therapeutics | $62,492 | $30.04 |
| 9 | Arasan Chip Systems | $62,271 | $29.94 |
| 10 | Serco | $61,839 | $29.73 |
| 11 | Con Edison Development | $61,834 | $29.73 |
| 12 | Whitman | $61,771 | $29.70 |
| 13 | Comcast | $61,485 | $29.56 |
| 14 | Goodwin Recruiting | $61,276 | $29.46 |
| 15 | Ohmstede | $61,183 | $29.41 |
| 16 | Rws | $59,687 | $28.70 |
| 17 | Con Edison | $57,687 | $27.73 |
| 18 | Kasai North America | $57,413 | $27.60 |
| 19 | PUMA | $50,442 | $24.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Junior design engineer salary trends
The average junior design engineer salary has risen by $7,199 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average junior design engineer earned $52,184 annually, but today, they earn $59,383 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for junior design engineers over the last decade.
Compare junior design engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average junior design engineer salary over time
Compare junior design engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Junior design engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,400 | $28.55 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $58,200 | $28.00 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $57,500 | $27.67 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $56,600 | $27.19 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $55,500 | $26.66 | +0.7% |
Recently added junior design engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalcom | JR. CAD Engineer/Modeling Specialist | Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD | 06/27/2025 | $65,000 |
| WSP | Junior Transmission Line Design Engineer | Buffalo, NY | 06/26/2025 | $65,400 |
| Staffmark Group | JR. Harness Design Engineer | Sterling Heights, MI | 06/22/2025 | $96,002 |
| Parsons | Junior Roadway Design Engineer | Centreville, VA | 06/20/2025 | $54,784 |
| Axient | Junior Missile Design and Analysis Engineer | Columbia, SC | 06/14/2025 | $80,000 |
| Parsons | Junior Roadway Design Engineer | Centreville, VA | 05/25/2025 | $54,784 |
| The Zippertubing Company | Design Engineer Technical Sales Junior | Chandler, AZ | 05/02/2025 | $65,000 |
| Parsons | Junior Roadway Design Engineer | Centreville, VA | 04/28/2025 | $52,885 |
| Staffmark Group | Junior Design Engineer | Corona, CA | 04/02/2025 | $75,000 |
| WSP USA | Junior Transmission Line Design Engineer | New York, NY | 04/02/2025 | $65,400 |
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