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The role of a Resident Engineer involves overseeing construction projects, ensuring compliance with design specifications, and managing teams of engineers and contractors. The average annual salary of $96,425 reflects the demand for skilled professionals in this field. Salaries vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and industry specialization.
Entry-level positions tend to start around $70,000, while those with over ten years of experience can earn upwards of $120,000. This progression highlights the value of experience and continuous professional development in achieving higher compensation.
States like California, New York, and Texas often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and the concentration of major engineering firms. Exploring job opportunities in these areas can provide significant financial benefits.
By understanding these variables, prospective Resident Engineers can make informed career decisions that align with their goals and maximize their earning potential.
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The average resident engineer salary in California, Alaska, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average resident engineer salary states are Arkansas, South Carolina, and South Dakota.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $122,471 | $58.88 |
| 2 | Washington | $108,673 | $52.25 |
| 3 | Virginia | $102,275 | $49.17 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $102,373 | $49.22 |
| 5 | Oregon | $94,403 | $45.39 |
| 6 | Alaska | $113,626 | $54.63 |
| 7 | Kentucky | $96,986 | $46.63 |
| 8 | Maine | $98,228 | $47.23 |
| 9 | New York | $95,438 | $45.88 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $100,013 | $48.08 |
| 11 | Nevada | $90,809 | $43.66 |
| 12 | Idaho | $91,498 | $43.99 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $94,360 | $45.37 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $88,584 | $42.59 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $93,326 | $44.87 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $95,411 | $45.87 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $94,554 | $45.46 |
| 18 | Vermont | $93,578 | $44.99 |
| 19 | Texas | $88,517 | $42.56 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $92,522 | $44.48 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $85,901 | $41.30 |
| 22 | Georgia | $86,841 | $41.75 |
| 23 | Colorado | $87,425 | $42.03 |
| 24 | Delaware | $93,630 | $45.01 |
| 25 | Utah | $85,584 | $41.15 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $87,640 | $42.13 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $89,851 | $43.20 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $87,955 | $42.29 |
| 29 | Iowa | $83,270 | $40.03 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $83,464 | $40.13 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $81,154 | $39.02 |
| 32 | Maryland | $83,373 | $40.08 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $80,614 | $38.76 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $83,144 | $39.97 |
| 35 | Illinois | $84,184 | $40.47 |
| 36 | Arizona | $80,428 | $38.67 |
| 37 | Ohio | $78,755 | $37.86 |
| 38 | Montana | $78,160 | $37.58 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $70,061 | $33.68 |
| 40 | Florida | $83,859 | $40.32 |
| 41 | Indiana | $78,031 | $37.51 |
| 42 | Kansas | $79,863 | $38.40 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $76,907 | $36.97 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $71,856 | $34.55 |
| 45 | Alabama | $78,122 | $37.56 |
| 46 | Missouri | $79,076 | $38.02 |
| 47 | Michigan | $77,195 | $37.11 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $76,210 | $36.64 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $76,025 | $36.55 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $73,755 | $35.46 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $73,645 | $35.41 |
The highest-paying cities for resident engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Reston, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $133,341 | $64.11 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $109,521 | $52.65 |
| 3 | Reston, VA | $102,916 | $49.48 |
| 4 | Middletown, NJ | $100,116 | $48.13 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | $99,936 | $48.05 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $95,553 | $45.94 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $95,479 | $45.90 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $94,377 | $45.37 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $92,483 | $44.46 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $89,593 | $43.07 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $89,217 | $42.89 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $87,341 | $41.99 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $86,680 | $41.67 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $84,563 | $40.66 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $83,613 | $40.20 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $80,655 | $38.78 |
| 17 | Overland Park, KS | $79,563 | $38.25 |
| 18 | Warren, MI | $77,375 | $37.20 |
| 19 | Raleigh, NC | $74,199 | $35.67 |
A resident engineer's salary ranges from $70,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $132,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $113,000 | $9,417 | $54 |
| Average | $96,425 | $8,035 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
The highest paying types of resident engineers are senior structural engineer, engineer, and office engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Designer | $63,273 | $5,273 | $30.42 | 51,432 |
| Structural Engineering Internship | $47,072 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 105,826 |
| Civil Engineering Internship | $52,597 | $4,383 | $25.29 | 109,733 |
| Civil Designer | $58,421 | $4,868 | $28.09 | 57,036 |
| Civil/Structural Engineer | $74,421 | $6,202 | $35.78 | 20,123 |
| Structural Design Engineer | $75,662 | $6,305 | $36.38 | 57,187 |
Top companies hiring resident engineers now:
Resident engineer salaries at Google and Palo Alto Networks are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average resident engineer salary at companies like Juniper Networks and Arista Networks are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $130,443 | $62.71 | |
| 2 | Palo Alto Networks | $123,141 | $59.20 |
| 3 | Juniper Networks | $121,735 | $58.53 |
| 4 | Arista Networks | $116,286 | $55.91 |
| 5 | Nokia | $111,021 | $53.38 |
| 6 | Parsons | $108,213 | $52.03 |
| 7 | Rivian | $107,915 | $51.88 |
| 8 | Spirent Communications | $107,378 | $51.62 |
| 9 | General Electric | $104,655 | $50.31 |
| 10 | Koch Industries | $103,597 | $49.81 |
| 11 | Visteon | $102,454 | $49.26 |
| 12 | Autoliv | $101,291 | $48.70 |
| 13 | EXP | $100,145 | $48.15 |
| 14 | Calix | $99,599 | $47.88 |
| 15 | FCA US LLC | $99,442 | $47.81 |
| 16 | TRW Automotive Holdings | $99,320 | $47.75 |
| 17 | Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc. | $99,167 | $47.68 |
| 18 | Yazaki North America | $99,043 | $47.62 |
| 19 | Port of Seattle | $98,828 | $47.51 |
| 20 | Nikola Motor | $98,325 | $47.27 |
The average resident engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $100,676 | $48.40 |
| 2 | Technology | $98,549 | $47.38 |
| 3 | Automotive | $94,841 | $45.60 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $93,207 | $44.81 |
| 5 | Professional | $91,392 | $43.94 |
The average resident engineer salary has risen by $11,518 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average resident engineer earned $84,907 annually, but today, they earn $96,425 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for resident engineers over the last decade.
Compare resident engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare resident engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $96,400 | $46.36 | +1.7% |
| 2025 | $94,800 | $45.57 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | $94,300 | $45.35 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $92,300 | $44.37 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $90,900 | $43.73 | +1.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delve | Resident Engineer | Fine, NY | 06/30/2025 | $120,954 |
| ZP Group | Juniper Network Resident Engineer | Denver, CO | 06/29/2025 | $145,000 |
| Consoreng | Construction Resident Engineer | Rancho Cordova, CA | 06/29/2025 | $110,000 |
| Ciena Communications | Resident Engineer 4, Technical Support | Baltimore, MD | 06/28/2025 | $142,418 |
| Cannon | Resident Engineer | Irvine, CA | 06/28/2025 | $110,000 |
| Delve | Resident Engineer | Washington, DC | 06/28/2025 | $120,954 |
| Sumitomo Electric Group | Sumitomo Electric Group Careers-Quality Resident Engineer II-Wire Harness | Normal, IL | 06/28/2025 | $72,998 |
| Stvorporated | Resident Engineer | Hartford, CT | 06/28/2025 | $112,254 |
| ZP Group | Resident Engineer-Networking | Overland Park, KS | 06/27/2025 | $145,000 |
| ZP Group | Juniper Network Resident Engineer | Pittsburgh, PA | 06/27/2025 | $145,000 |
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