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Microwave engineer salary
Average microwave engineer salary
$95,761
Average Microwave Engineer Salary
The average salary for a microwave engineer in the United States is approximately $95,761 per year, translating to about $46 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific industry. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while seasoned professionals can command higher salaries.
How Experience Influences Salary
As microwave engineers gain experience, their earning potential tends to increase. For instance, those with less than five years of experience may earn around $75,000, while those with over ten years can see salaries exceed $110,000. This growth highlights the value of expertise in the field.
Geographic Salary Variations
Salary levels also fluctuate by state. For example, states like California and Texas often offer higher compensation due to the demand for microwave engineering skills in various sectors, including telecommunications and aerospace. Understanding these dynamics can assist job seekers in targeting locations that maximize their earning potential.
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Where can a Microwave Engineer earn more?
Microwave engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level microwave engineer | $85,700 | $41.21 |
| Mid-level microwave engineer | $107,000 | $51.27 |
| Senior-level microwave engineer | $135,000 | $64.73 |
Microwave engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average microwave engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for microwave engineers are Washington, California, and Maryland. The lowest average microwave engineer salary states are Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for microwave engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $124,803 | $60.00 |
| 2 | Washington | $118,756 | $57.09 |
| 3 | California | $117,086 | $56.29 |
| 4 | Arizona | $99,620 | $47.89 |
| 5 | Maryland | $106,437 | $51.17 |
| 6 | Nevada | $104,117 | $50.06 |
| 7 | Utah | $95,746 | $46.03 |
| 8 | Florida | $101,467 | $48.78 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $99,148 | $47.67 |
| 10 | Idaho | $100,863 | $48.49 |
| 11 | Michigan | $91,904 | $44.18 |
| 12 | Texas | $92,434 | $44.44 |
| 13 | Delaware | $93,871 | $45.13 |
| 14 | Virginia | $93,975 | $45.18 |
| 15 | Alabama | $88,749 | $42.67 |
| 16 | Vermont | $93,463 | $44.93 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $92,221 | $44.34 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $100,054 | $48.10 |
| 19 | Alaska | $93,644 | $45.02 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $91,361 | $43.92 |
| 21 | Colorado | $90,952 | $43.73 |
| 22 | Georgia | $89,323 | $42.94 |
| 23 | Oregon | $89,246 | $42.91 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $86,869 | $41.76 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $92,202 | $44.33 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $90,680 | $43.60 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $88,445 | $42.52 |
| 28 | New York | $89,521 | $43.04 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $85,879 | $41.29 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $85,196 | $40.96 |
| 31 | Ohio | $82,345 | $39.59 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $81,751 | $39.30 |
| 33 | Kansas | $84,273 | $40.52 |
| 34 | Illinois | $82,801 | $39.81 |
| 35 | Missouri | $86,172 | $41.43 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $85,403 | $41.06 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $84,542 | $40.65 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $81,947 | $39.40 |
| 39 | Maine | $84,409 | $40.58 |
| 40 | Indiana | $78,034 | $37.52 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $82,389 | $39.61 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $83,762 | $40.27 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $76,961 | $37.00 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $77,580 | $37.30 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $74,285 | $35.71 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $71,672 | $34.46 |
| 47 | Iowa | $72,122 | $34.67 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $68,763 | $33.06 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $68,231 | $32.80 |
| 50 | Montana | $65,032 | $31.27 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $61,165 | $29.41 |
Highest paying cities for microwave engineers
The highest-paying cities for microwave engineers are San Jose, CA, Bellevue, WA, and Reston, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $123,605 | $59.43 |
| 2 | Bellevue, WA | $119,333 | $57.37 |
| 3 | Reston, VA | $93,909 | $45.15 |
| 4 | Albuquerque, NM | $92,788 | $44.61 |
| 5 | Irving, TX | $92,054 | $44.26 |
| 6 | Overland Park, KS | $83,218 | $40.01 |
Microwave engineer salary details
A microwave engineer's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $142,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a microwave engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $142,000 | $11,833 | $68 |
| 75th Percentile | $118,000 | $9,833 | $57 |
| Average | $95,761 | $7,980 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
Highest paying microwave engineer jobs
The highest paying types of microwave engineers are staff design engineer, asic design engineer, and senior engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controls Designer | $91,944 | $7,662 | $44.20 | 79,729 |
| Engineering Trainee | $60,235 | $5,020 | $28.96 | 79,966 |
| Staff Design Engineer | $128,071 | $10,673 | $61.57 | 154,963 |
| Radio Frequency Engineer | $88,301 | $7,358 | $42.45 | 35,158 |
| Telecommunication Engineer | $80,789 | $6,732 | $38.84 | 28,331 |
| Project Controls Engineer | $86,685 | $7,224 | $41.68 | 38,974 |
Top companies hiring microwave engineers now:
Which companies pay microwave engineers the most?
Microwave engineer salaries at Renesas Electronics and California Institute of Technology are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average microwave engineer salary at companies like Sandia National Labs and Knowles are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renesas Electronics | $108,910 | $52.36 |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology | $103,350 | $49.69 |
| 3 | Sandia National Labs | $102,750 | $49.40 |
| 4 | Knowles | $101,893 | $48.99 |
| 5 | Momentus Space | $101,314 | $48.71 |
| 6 | Nexius | $100,870 | $48.50 |
| 7 | Maury Microwave | $100,663 | $48.40 |
| 8 | System Soft Technologies India Pvt | $99,748 | $47.96 |
| 9 | a2e | $98,798 | $47.50 |
| 10 | Boeing | $97,885 | $47.06 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Microwave Engineer salary by industry
The average microwave engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average microwave engineer salary in the internet industry is $136,155, the highest of any industry.
- The average microwave engineer salary in the finance industry is $97,839.
- Microwave engineers in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $89,715, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for microwave engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internet | $136,155 | $65.46 |
| 2 | Telecommunication | $97,839 | $47.04 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $97,762 | $47.00 |
| 4 | Technology | $97,246 | $46.75 |
| 5 | Energy | $91,462 | $43.97 |
| 6 | Transportation | $89,715 | $43.13 |
High paying microwave engineer jobs
Microwave engineer salary trends
The average microwave engineer salary has risen by $14,283 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average microwave engineer earned $81,478 annually, but today, they earn $95,761 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for microwave engineers over the last decade.
Compare microwave engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average microwave engineer salary over time
Compare microwave engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Microwave engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $95,800 | $46.04 | +1.8% |
| 2025 | $94,000 | $45.20 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $91,500 | $43.97 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $91,000 | $43.74 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $88,300 | $42.47 | +0.9% |
Recently added microwave engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircapture | Senior Microwave Engineer | Berkeley, CA | 06/11/2025 | $155,000 |
| Penn State University | High-Power Microwave Engineer | Parkesburg, PA | 05/17/2025 | $123,200 |
| Aircapture | Senior Microwave Engineer | Berkeley, CA | 03/26/2025 | $155,000 |
| Aircapture | Senior Microwave Engineer | Berkeley, CA | 02/22/2025 | $155,000 |
| Nana Regional Corporation | Microwave Engineer | Washington, MA | 02/19/2025 | $130,000 |
| Nana Regional Corporation | Microwave Engineer | Washington, DC | 01/16/2025 | $130,000 |
| Belcan | Microwave Engineer III | Hudson, NH | 11/25/2024 | $137,158 |
| Insight Global | Microwave Engineer III | Bellevue, WA | 09/30/2024 | $114,785 |
| Highergov | 3989 Srao Microwave Battery Replacement | Boise, ID | 09/26/2024 | $50,000 |
| X4 Technology | Microwave Engineer | Houston, TX | 09/15/2024 | $75,000 |
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