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Manager of engineering department salary

Quoted expert
Michael Rudisill

Average manager of engineering department salary

$115,954

$55.75 hourly rate

Entry-level manager of engineering department salary
$78,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Manager of Engineering Department Salary

The role of a Manager of Engineering Department is crucial in overseeing engineering projects, ensuring they meet both technical standards and deadlines. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $115,954 per year or $56 per hour. Salary levels can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and industry.

Average Salary by State

Different states offer varying salary scales. For instance, states like California and Texas tend to provide higher compensation due to the demand for skilled engineering professionals. Additionally, urban areas often present better salary opportunities compared to rural regions.

Highest Paying Cities

Cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Seattle are known for their competitive salaries for engineering managers. Potential candidates should consider these locations if salary is a primary concern. Moreover, gaining experience can lead to higher paying roles, particularly in leadership positions within major corporations.

Career Advancement

With a clear path for growth, those in managerial roles can expect increased responsibilities and corresponding salary increases. Networking and continuous learning are essential for those looking to advance their careers in engineering management.

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Where can a Manager Of Engineering Department earn more?

Compare salary by location
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Columbus, OH$172,489
Saint Louis, MO$89,034
Compare salary by company
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Activision Blizzard$154,473
SSOE Group$113,269

Manager of engineering department salaries by experience level

Average manager of engineering department salary by state

The highest-paying states for managers of engineering department are California, Washington, and Alaska. The lowest average manager of engineering department salary states are North Carolina, Iowa, and Wyoming.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for managers of engineering department

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington$154,979$74.51
2Alaska$144,436$69.44
3Connecticut$137,357$66.04
4California$159,698$76.78
5Oregon$139,375$67.01
6Nevada$141,145$67.86
7Pennsylvania$126,544$60.84
8Arizona$118,890$57.16
9Texas$128,857$61.95
10Utah$114,859$55.22
11New Hampshire$116,305$55.92
12Idaho$117,244$56.37
13Maine$113,449$54.54
14Minnesota$122,329$58.81
15Montana$112,881$54.27
16New Jersey$132,371$63.64
17Massachusetts$115,708$55.63
18Michigan$110,888$53.31
19Vermont$105,107$50.53
20New York$115,675$55.61
21Delaware$106,485$51.19
22Virginia$108,609$52.22
23Colorado$107,000$51.44
24Rhode Island$103,455$49.74
25Indiana$105,093$50.53
26Hawaii$108,591$52.21
27Tennessee$106,901$51.39
28Oklahoma$105,997$50.96
29Louisiana$106,946$51.42
30South Dakota$102,844$49.44
31Arkansas$97,083$46.67
32Mississippi$104,303$50.15
33Georgia$103,477$49.75
34Wisconsin$98,861$47.53
35West Virginia$98,214$47.22
36Florida$101,797$48.94
37Maryland$102,603$49.33
38North Dakota$98,441$47.33
39District of Columbia$98,750$47.48
40Alabama$97,980$47.11
41New Mexico$100,624$48.38
42Ohio$99,333$47.76
43Wyoming$90,954$43.73
44Illinois$99,160$47.67
45Nebraska$96,908$46.59
46Kansas$96,837$46.56
47North Carolina$94,885$45.62
48Iowa$91,058$43.78
49South Carolina$90,069$43.30
50Kentucky$90,472$43.50
51Missouri$88,618$42.60
Top manager of engineering department jobs near you

Highest paying cities for managers of engineering department

The highest-paying cities for managers of engineering department are San Jose, CA, Hillsboro, OR, and San Antonio, TX.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Jose, CA$172,489$82.93
2Hillsboro, OR$140,474$67.54
3San Antonio, TX$129,691$62.35
4Philadelphia, PA$127,168$61.14
5Duluth, MN$124,467$59.84
6Phoenix, AZ$119,291$57.35
7Utica, NY$116,826$56.17
8Urban Honolulu, HI$109,064$52.43
9Idaho Falls, ID$107,876$51.86
10Denver, CO$106,750$51.32
11New Orleans, LA$106,252$51.08
12Baltimore, MD$102,960$49.50
13Fort Lauderdale, FL$101,247$48.68
14Columbus, OH$98,515$47.36
15Kansas City, KS$96,725$46.50
16Raleigh, NC$95,815$46.06
17Saint Louis, MO$89,034$42.80

Manager of engineering department salary details

A manager of engineering department's salary ranges from $78,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $170,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average manager of engineering department salary graph
Average manager of engineering department salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a manager of engineering department's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$170,000$14,167$82
75th Percentile$142,000$11,833$68
Average$115,954$9,663$56
25th Percentile$94,000$7,833$45
10th Percentile$78,000$6,500$38

Highest paying manager of engineering department jobs

The highest paying types of managers of engineering department are engineering director, senior engineering manager, and vice president of engineering.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Research And Development Manager$117,507$9,792$56.49125,447
Design Manager$102,637$8,553$49.3461,273
Research And Development Director$137,944$11,495$66.32102,901
Manager$58,651$4,888$28.201,236,194
Engineering Program Manager$122,604$10,217$58.94148,543
Engineering/Maintenance Manager$99,907$8,326$48.03125,639

How would you rate the starting salaries for Managers of engineering department, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Michael Rudisill

Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University

From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.

Top companies hiring managers of engineering department now:

  1. Amkor Technology, Inc. jobs (2)
  2. Intel jobs (6)
  3. Morton Salt jobs (3)
  4. Abbott jobs (3)
  5. Honeywell jobs (3)

Which companies pay managers of engineering department the most?

Manager of engineering department salaries at Activision Blizzard and ASR Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average manager of engineering department salary at companies like Corning Incorporated and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Activision Blizzard$154,473$74.27
2ASR Group$153,629$73.86
3Corning Incorporated$149,412$71.83
4Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory$136,143$65.45
5Florida Crystals$135,603$65.19
6Woods Services$135,380$65.09
7Cirrus Aircraft$132,633$63.77
8Intertek$124,460$59.84
9Enterprise Holdings$122,431$58.86
10CONMED$120,513$57.94
11Amec Foster Wheeler$117,904$56.68
12Colorado State Express$117,904$56.68
13ASR$116,854$56.18
14Idaho National Lab$116,237$55.88
15Northrop Grumman$115,939$55.74
16Marine Spill Response$115,898$55.72
17Dewberry$115,620$55.59
18Hormann$115,618$55.59
19WorleyParsons$114,286$54.95
20SSOE Group$113,269$54.46

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$110,000$108,800$107,600$106,400$105,200$104,000
MaleFemale

Manager Of Engineering Department salary by industry

The average manager of engineering department salary varies across industries:

  • The average manager of engineering department salary in the technology industry is $133,260, the highest of any industry.
  • The average manager of engineering department salary in the finance industry is $118,974.
  • Managers of engineering department in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $117,722, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for managers of engineering department

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Technology$133,260$64.07
2Automotive$118,974$57.20
3Internet$117,787$56.63
4Manufacturing$117,722$56.60

High paying manager of engineering department jobs

Manager of engineering department salary trends

The average manager of engineering department salary has risen by $21,201 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average manager of engineering department earned $94,753 annually, but today, they earn $115,954 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for managers of engineering department over the last decade.

Compare manager of engineering department salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average manager of engineering department salary over time

Compare manager of engineering department salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Manager of engineering department salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$116,000$55.75+3.1%
2024$112,000$53.99+2.8%
2023$109,000$52.48+2.2%
2022$107,000$51.34+2.2%
2021$104,000$50.23+1.4%

Recently added manager of engineering department salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Northrop GrummanSpecialty Systems Engineering Department ManagerRoy, UT06/19/2025$161,500
Day & ZimmermannPiping Engineering Department ManagerGreenville, NC06/18/2025$136,400
State of ColoradoDepartment Manager, Department of Geology and Geological EngineeringBoone, CO06/18/2025$70,000
Mines.EduDepartment Manager-Geology and Geological EngineeringBoone, CO06/18/2025$70,000
Colorado School of MinesDepartment Manager-Geology and Geological EngineeringGolden, CO06/12/2025$70,000
Job.comWater/Wastewater Engineering Department ManagerBuffalo, NY06/10/2025$120,000
Northrop GrummanSpecialty Systems Engineering Department ManagerRoy, UT04/29/2025$161,500
Wendel LLCWater Wastewater Engineering Department ManagerRochester, NY04/28/2025$120,000
Hargrove Engineers & ConstructorsStructural Engineering Department ManagerConcord, CA04/23/2025$155,000
Northrop GrummanSpecialty Systems Engineering Department ManagerRoy, UT03/28/2025$161,500

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