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Project development engineer salary
Average project development engineer salary
$85,059
Project Development Engineer Salary Overview
The role of a Project Development Engineer encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, from planning to execution of engineering projects. As of October 2025, the average annual salary for this position is about $85,059, translating to approximately $41 per hour. Salaries for project development engineers can differ based on factors such as industry, geographic location, and years of experience.
Top Paying States
Project Development Engineers in states like California, Texas, and New York often command higher salaries due to the demand for skilled professionals in these regions. For instance, California ranks among the highest paying states, reflecting its robust engineering sector.
Career Opportunities
Beyond salary, opportunities for career advancement in project development engineering are promising. Professionals can explore roles in various industries including construction, renewable energy, and technology, each offering unique challenges and rewards. By focusing on skill development and networking, individuals can enhance their earning potential and job satisfaction.
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Where can a Project Development Engineer earn more?
Project development engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average project development engineer salary by state
The average project development engineer salary in Maryland, Texas, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average project development engineer salary states are Nebraska, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for project development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $97,235 | $46.75 |
| 2 | Michigan | $88,982 | $42.78 |
| 3 | Washington | $91,703 | $44.09 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $96,842 | $46.56 |
| 5 | California | $95,235 | $45.79 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $87,905 | $42.26 |
| 7 | Nevada | $84,752 | $40.75 |
| 8 | Arizona | $85,940 | $41.32 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $93,154 | $44.79 |
| 10 | Ohio | $82,706 | $39.76 |
| 11 | Maryland | $98,236 | $47.23 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $94,077 | $45.23 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $86,451 | $41.56 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $81,725 | $39.29 |
| 15 | Utah | $87,945 | $42.28 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $85,655 | $41.18 |
| 17 | Virginia | $90,585 | $43.55 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $85,175 | $40.95 |
| 19 | Maine | $84,877 | $40.81 |
| 20 | Kansas | $79,658 | $38.30 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $79,063 | $38.01 |
| 22 | Montana | $83,085 | $39.94 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $90,311 | $43.42 |
| 24 | Idaho | $81,544 | $39.20 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $81,464 | $39.17 |
| 26 | Alaska | $83,074 | $39.94 |
| 27 | New York | $88,673 | $42.63 |
| 28 | Delaware | $84,927 | $40.83 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $80,308 | $38.61 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $79,521 | $38.23 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $76,859 | $36.95 |
| 32 | Alabama | $77,029 | $37.03 |
| 33 | Colorado | $83,983 | $40.38 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $85,544 | $41.13 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $76,735 | $36.89 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $76,527 | $36.79 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $73,313 | $35.25 |
| 38 | Missouri | $75,968 | $36.52 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $79,622 | $38.28 |
| 40 | Oregon | $79,766 | $38.35 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $71,666 | $34.45 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $78,687 | $37.83 |
| 43 | Indiana | $70,542 | $33.91 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $67,780 | $32.59 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $71,684 | $34.46 |
| 46 | Vermont | $72,379 | $34.80 |
| 47 | Georgia | $73,651 | $35.41 |
| 48 | Iowa | $66,575 | $32.01 |
| 49 | Illinois | $76,488 | $36.77 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $65,766 | $31.62 |
| 51 | Florida | $67,194 | $32.30 |
Highest paying cities for project development engineers
The highest-paying cities for project development engineers are San Jose, CA, San Antonio, TX, and Pawtucket, RI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $102,096 | $49.08 |
| 2 | San Antonio, TX | $97,800 | $47.02 |
| 3 | Pawtucket, RI | $93,199 | $44.81 |
| 4 | Arlington, VA | $91,930 | $44.20 |
| 5 | Bellevue, WA | $91,871 | $44.17 |
| 6 | Edison, NJ | $90,294 | $43.41 |
| 7 | Rochester Hills, MI | $89,260 | $42.91 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $88,806 | $42.70 |
| 9 | Oklahoma City, OK | $86,805 | $41.73 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $86,014 | $41.35 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $83,881 | $40.33 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $80,361 | $38.64 |
| 13 | Fort Smith, AR | $79,168 | $38.06 |
| 14 | Waukegan, IL | $77,170 | $37.10 |
| 15 | Saint Paul, MN | $76,536 | $36.80 |
| 16 | Alpharetta, GA | $73,564 | $35.37 |
| 17 | Tallahassee, FL | $67,683 | $32.54 |
Project development engineer salary details
A project development engineer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $110,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a project development engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $85,059 | $7,088 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
Highest paying project development engineer jobs
The highest paying types of project development engineers are staff engineer, project lead engineer, and research and development engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Quality Engineer | $79,672 | $6,639 | $38.30 | 96,838 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $78,522 | $6,543 | $37.75 | 115,384 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $75,352 | $6,279 | $36.23 | 105,618 |
| Packaging Engineer | $88,452 | $7,371 | $42.52 | 54,028 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for project development engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring project development engineers now:
Which companies pay project development engineers the most?
Project development engineer salaries at Cheniere Energy and ConocoPhillips are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average project development engineer salary at companies like Nikola Motor and Ameresco are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cheniere Energy | $123,295 | $59.28 |
| 2 | ConocoPhillips | $109,823 | $52.80 |
| 3 | Nikola Motor | $104,635 | $50.31 |
| 4 | Ameresco | $101,119 | $48.61 |
| 5 | PBF Energy | $100,458 | $48.30 |
| 6 | Tesla | $98,520 | $47.37 |
| 7 | Air Products | $96,063 | $46.18 |
| 8 | Occidental Petroleum | $95,170 | $45.75 |
| 9 | Hasbro | $87,029 | $41.84 |
| 10 | Air Liquide | $86,875 | $41.77 |
| 11 | Cupertino Electric | $86,750 | $41.71 |
| 12 | Timmons Group | $86,201 | $41.44 |
| 13 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $84,817 | $40.78 |
| 14 | Veeder-Root | $84,059 | $40.41 |
| 15 | Southern | $83,752 | $40.27 |
| 16 | Johnson Controls | $82,586 | $39.70 |
| 17 | Michael Baker | $82,585 | $39.70 |
| 18 | Pape-Dawson Engineers | $82,184 | $39.51 |
| 19 | Stantec | $82,012 | $39.43 |
| 20 | Techtronic Industries TTI | $81,733 | $39.29 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Project Development Engineer salary by industry
The average project development engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average project development engineer salary in the energy industry is $94,482, the highest of any industry.
- The average project development engineer salary in the finance industry is $87,233.
- Project development engineers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $79,844, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for project development engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $94,482 | $45.42 |
| 2 | Technology | $87,233 | $41.94 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $81,704 | $39.28 |
| 4 | Professional | $79,844 | $38.39 |
High paying project development engineer jobs
Project development engineer salary trends
The average project development engineer salary has risen by $11,198 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average project development engineer earned $73,861 annually, but today, they earn $85,059 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for project development engineers over the last decade.
Compare project development engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average project development engineer salary over time
Compare project development engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Project development engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,100 | $40.89 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $84,200 | $40.47 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $83,200 | $40.02 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $82,100 | $39.48 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $80,600 | $38.76 | +1.0% |
Recently added project development engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadis | Project Civil Engineer-Site Development Project-Cincinnati OH | Columbus, OH | 06/29/2025 | $68,187 |
| Get It Recruit-Transportation | Federal Project Development Engineer-Remote | WFH | Washington, VA | 06/29/2025 | $110,000 |
| Bae Systems Plc | Project Engineer I-Development | Westminster, CO | 06/28/2025 | $115,779 |
| State of Florida | Project Development ENG Specialist I | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 06/27/2025 | $57,191 |
| PLSA | Project Engineer-Land Development | Ione, CA | 06/25/2025 | $120,000 |
| Nadara North America | Project Development Engineer | Irvington, NY | 06/24/2025 | $120,000 |
| Manatee County Government | Project Engineer (DOQ)-Development Services | Bradenton, FL | 06/22/2025 | $71,557 |
| Jub Engineers Inc. | Project Engineer-Land Development | Kennewick, WA | 06/20/2025 | $90,000 |
| Amazon | System Development Engineer, GSE Automation, Project Kuiper | Kirkland, WA | 06/12/2025 | $116,300 |
| Westwood Professional Services | Civil Project Engineer-Land Development | Fresno, CA | 06/10/2025 | $120,000 |
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