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The average salary for a Junior Systems Engineer in the United States is approximately $61,565 per year, translating to about $30 per hour. This role is essential in supporting system operations and development, making it a key entry point in tech careers. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographical location, industry, and prior experience.
In states like California and New York, Junior Systems Engineers tend to earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for tech talent. For instance, states such as Washington and Massachusetts also offer competitive compensation. Understanding these regional differences can guide your job search and salary negotiations.
Numerous industries are actively hiring Junior Systems Engineers, including software development, healthcare, and finance. As technology continues to evolve, the demand for skilled engineers is expected to rise. Explore current job openings on Zippia to find roles that match your skills and career aspirations.
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The highest-paying states for junior systems engineers are California, Idaho, and Minnesota. The lowest average junior systems engineer salary states are Maryland, Florida, and Indiana.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $70,520 | $33.90 |
| 2 | California | $78,685 | $37.83 |
| 3 | Alabama | $70,742 | $34.01 |
| 4 | Idaho | $76,287 | $36.68 |
| 5 | Washington | $72,481 | $34.85 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $71,493 | $34.37 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $74,713 | $35.92 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $73,937 | $35.55 |
| 9 | Arizona | $67,472 | $32.44 |
| 10 | Michigan | $69,470 | $33.40 |
| 11 | Oregon | $68,901 | $33.13 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $69,230 | $33.28 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $64,475 | $31.00 |
| 14 | Texas | $66,072 | $31.77 |
| 15 | Illinois | $67,462 | $32.43 |
| 16 | Delaware | $65,475 | $31.48 |
| 17 | New York | $69,152 | $33.25 |
| 18 | Nevada | $65,558 | $31.52 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $65,641 | $31.56 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $64,290 | $30.91 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $64,730 | $31.12 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $67,564 | $32.48 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $62,258 | $29.93 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $61,956 | $29.79 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $62,881 | $30.23 |
| 26 | Georgia | $62,510 | $30.05 |
| 27 | Colorado | $60,414 | $29.05 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $60,884 | $29.27 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $60,210 | $28.95 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $61,287 | $29.46 |
| 31 | Virginia | $59,293 | $28.51 |
| 32 | Iowa | $61,472 | $29.55 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $62,296 | $29.95 |
| 34 | Vermont | $58,638 | $28.19 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $58,638 | $28.19 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $58,133 | $27.95 |
| 37 | Alaska | $53,675 | $25.81 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $59,908 | $28.80 |
| 39 | Ohio | $58,079 | $27.92 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $57,469 | $27.63 |
| 41 | Maryland | $55,168 | $26.52 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $58,075 | $27.92 |
| 43 | Kansas | $58,654 | $28.20 |
| 44 | Missouri | $59,820 | $28.76 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $57,479 | $27.63 |
| 46 | Florida | $54,836 | $26.36 |
| 47 | Montana | $55,900 | $26.88 |
| 48 | Maine | $53,676 | $25.81 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $53,700 | $25.82 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $56,459 | $27.14 |
| 51 | Indiana | $54,425 | $26.17 |
The highest-paying cities for junior systems engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Springfield, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $84,379 | $40.57 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $72,757 | $34.98 |
| 3 | Springfield, MA | $71,806 | $34.52 |
| 4 | Huntsville, AL | $71,312 | $34.28 |
| 5 | Warren, MI | $69,506 | $33.42 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $69,338 | $33.34 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $69,268 | $33.30 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $67,635 | $32.52 |
| 9 | Elgin, IL | $67,570 | $32.49 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $66,236 | $31.84 |
| 11 | Washington, DC | $65,740 | $31.61 |
| 12 | Dover, DE | $65,506 | $31.49 |
| 13 | Stamford, CT | $63,017 | $30.30 |
| 14 | Newport, RI | $60,993 | $29.32 |
| 15 | Englewood, CO | $60,434 | $29.05 |
| 16 | Albuquerque, NM | $60,400 | $29.04 |
| 17 | Arlington, VA | $59,553 | $28.63 |
| 18 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $58,621 | $28.18 |
| 19 | Akron, OH | $58,284 | $28.02 |
| 20 | Annapolis, MD | $55,201 | $26.54 |
A junior systems engineer's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| Average | $61,565 | $5,130 | $30 |
| 25th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
The highest paying types of junior systems engineers are principal systems engineer, lead systems engineer, and senior systems engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Support | $64,031 | $5,336 | $30.78 | 156,028 |
| Systems Operator | $38,182 | $3,182 | $18.36 | 91,037 |
| Desktop Engineer | $102,893 | $8,574 | $49.47 | 87,458 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Systems Integrator | $102,867 | $8,572 | $49.46 | 98,466 |
| Network Engineer | $83,557 | $6,963 | $40.17 | 72,346 |
Top companies hiring junior systems engineers now:
Junior systems engineer salaries at Amd and Fiserv are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average junior systems engineer salary at companies like Nisum and CDNetworks are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amd | $81,300 | $39.09 |
| 2 | Fiserv | $74,542 | $35.84 |
| 3 | Nisum | $74,027 | $35.59 |
| 4 | CDNetworks | $67,116 | $32.27 |
| 5 | Mediaocean | $67,072 | $32.25 |
| 6 | High Touch Technologies | $66,790 | $32.11 |
| 7 | MIQ Logistics | $65,584 | $31.53 |
| 8 | ICI Services | $65,269 | $31.38 |
| 9 | SimVentions | $63,390 | $30.48 |
| 10 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory | $63,218 | $30.39 |
| 11 | L3Harris | $63,074 | $30.32 |
| 12 | Technology Service | $62,168 | $29.89 |
| 13 | Raytheon Technologies | $62,140 | $29.88 |
| 14 | LHP | $61,378 | $29.51 |
| 15 | Federal Data Systems | $61,257 | $29.45 |
| 16 | Cognosante | $60,870 | $29.26 |
| 17 | Lockheed Martin | $60,862 | $29.26 |
| 18 | Wolverine Services, LLC | $60,336 | $29.01 |
| 19 | KIHOMAC | $59,973 | $28.83 |
| 20 | CyberCoders | $59,945 | $28.82 |
The average junior systems engineer salary has risen by $11,234 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average junior systems engineer earned $50,331 annually, but today, they earn $61,565 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for junior systems engineers over the last decade.
Compare junior systems engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare junior systems engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $61,600 | $29.60 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $59,500 | $28.62 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $58,200 | $27.98 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $57,500 | $27.65 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $56,500 | $27.17 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perspecta | Junior Systems Engineer | Reston, VA | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| L3Harris | Junior Systems Engineer | Rochester, NY | 06/27/2025 | $69,000 |
| General Dynamics Mission Systems | Junior Systems Engineer | Dedham, MA | 06/27/2025 | $93,014 |
| Akkodis | JR. Devops/Systems Engineer | Cleveland, OH | 06/25/2025 | $73,045 |
| Leidos Holdings Inc. | Junior Systems Engineer | North Charleston, SC | 06/13/2025 | $67,600 |
| Chroma Systems Solutions, Inc. | JR. Systems Engineer | Irvine, CA | 06/11/2025 | $42,846 |
| Intelligenesis | System Engineer Junior | Augusta, GA | 06/11/2025 | $67,251 |
| Leidos Holdings Inc. | Junior Systems Engineer | Annapolis, MD | 06/10/2025 | $67,600 |
| Intelligenesis LLC | System Engineer Junior | Augusta, GA | 06/10/2025 | $67,251 |
| Peraton | Junior Systems Engineer | Springfield, VA | 05/29/2025 | $80,000 |
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