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Senior desktop engineer salary
Average senior desktop engineer salary
$114,786
Understanding Senior Desktop Engineer Salaries
The role of a Senior Desktop Engineer is crucial in maintaining and enhancing desktop environments within organizations. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is approximately $114,786 per year, translating to about $55 per hour. Salaries vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry of employment.
Highest Paying States
Senior Desktop Engineers can find the highest salaries in states like California, New York, and Massachusetts, where demand for skilled professionals is high. For instance, California leads with an average salary over $130,000, reflecting the competitive job market and cost of living in major tech hubs.
Industry Insights
Industries such as technology, finance, and healthcare tend to offer higher compensation, with engineers in these sectors typically earning more than their counterparts in education or non-profit organizations. Job seekers should consider both salary and growth potential when evaluating opportunities in this field.
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Where can a Senior Desktop Engineer earn more?
Senior desktop engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior desktop engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior desktop engineers are California, New York, and Washington. The lowest average senior desktop engineer salary states are Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior desktop engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $125,007 | $60.10 |
| 2 | California | $138,322 | $66.50 |
| 3 | New York | $127,958 | $61.52 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $114,798 | $55.19 |
| 5 | Vermont | $117,618 | $56.55 |
| 6 | Texas | $113,423 | $54.53 |
| 7 | Maryland | $123,564 | $59.41 |
| 8 | Oregon | $114,377 | $54.99 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $124,685 | $59.94 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $111,742 | $53.72 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $114,187 | $54.90 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $109,714 | $52.75 |
| 13 | Delaware | $111,096 | $53.41 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $115,426 | $55.49 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $107,790 | $51.82 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $107,329 | $51.60 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $108,007 | $51.93 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $105,647 | $50.79 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $108,126 | $51.98 |
| 20 | Illinois | $106,698 | $51.30 |
| 21 | Virginia | $104,994 | $50.48 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $105,412 | $50.68 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $100,035 | $48.09 |
| 24 | Montana | $103,879 | $49.94 |
| 25 | Indiana | $102,270 | $49.17 |
| 26 | Nevada | $103,164 | $49.60 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $103,427 | $49.72 |
| 28 | Idaho | $102,462 | $49.26 |
| 29 | Arizona | $100,867 | $48.49 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $102,828 | $49.44 |
| 31 | Maine | $103,058 | $49.55 |
| 32 | Florida | $101,560 | $48.83 |
| 33 | Colorado | $96,457 | $46.37 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $100,483 | $48.31 |
| 35 | Ohio | $96,975 | $46.62 |
| 36 | Alaska | $98,963 | $47.58 |
| 37 | Utah | $94,216 | $45.30 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $99,570 | $47.87 |
| 39 | Iowa | $97,571 | $46.91 |
| 40 | Georgia | $96,343 | $46.32 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $94,636 | $45.50 |
| 42 | Michigan | $95,809 | $46.06 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $92,017 | $44.24 |
| 44 | Kansas | $93,114 | $44.77 |
| 45 | Alabama | $91,436 | $43.96 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $94,379 | $45.37 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $87,656 | $42.14 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $88,849 | $42.72 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $88,748 | $42.67 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $91,917 | $44.19 |
| 51 | Missouri | $87,629 | $42.13 |
Highest paying cities for senior desktop engineers
The highest-paying cities for senior desktop engineers are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $148,983 | $71.63 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $128,183 | $61.63 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $124,714 | $59.96 |
| 4 | Annapolis, MD | $123,814 | $59.53 |
| 5 | Stamford, CT | $115,837 | $55.69 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $113,997 | $54.81 |
| 7 | Dallas, TX | $113,713 | $54.67 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $112,117 | $53.90 |
| 9 | Carson City, NV | $109,241 | $52.52 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $108,550 | $52.19 |
| 11 | Columbia, SC | $108,364 | $52.10 |
| 12 | Washington, DC | $108,109 | $51.98 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $106,975 | $51.43 |
| 14 | Charleston, WV | $104,871 | $50.42 |
| 15 | Richmond, VA | $104,787 | $50.38 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $103,496 | $49.76 |
| 17 | Lakeland, FL | $103,283 | $49.66 |
| 18 | Akron, OH | $97,935 | $47.08 |
| 19 | Des Moines, IA | $97,135 | $46.70 |
| 20 | Alpharetta, GA | $96,494 | $46.39 |
Senior desktop engineer salary details
A senior desktop engineer's salary ranges from $87,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior desktop engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $151,000 | $12,583 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| Average | $114,786 | $9,566 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
Highest paying senior desktop engineer jobs
The highest paying types of senior desktop engineers are software engineer lead, senior systems software engineer, and senior infrastructure engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop/Network Support | $49,480 | $4,123 | $23.79 | 119,310 |
| Software Engineer Lead | $125,565 | $10,464 | $60.37 | 342,462 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Software Engineer | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48.20 | 339,938 |
| Data Engineer | $109,675 | $9,140 | $52.73 | 303,105 |
| Technical Support Engineer | $85,716 | $7,143 | $41.21 | 184,542 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior desktop engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring senior desktop engineers now:
Which companies pay senior desktop engineers the most?
Senior desktop engineer salaries at Bloomberg and Lord Abbett are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior desktop engineer salary at companies like Motion Recruitment and Randstad North America, Inc. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bloomberg | $137,262 | $65.99 |
| 2 | Lord Abbett | $136,092 | $65.43 |
| 3 | Motion Recruitment | $118,677 | $57.06 |
| 4 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $118,479 | $56.96 |
| 5 | Vanguard Services | $117,644 | $56.56 |
| 6 | Derive | $117,498 | $56.49 |
| 7 | Staples | $115,797 | $55.67 |
| 8 | Robert Half | $114,375 | $54.99 |
| 9 | Amica Insurance | $111,967 | $53.83 |
| 10 | Citrix | $111,126 | $53.43 |
| 11 | Salient CRGT | $110,958 | $53.35 |
| 12 | Steward Health Care | $109,952 | $52.86 |
| 13 | Infinity Consulting Solutions | $108,239 | $52.04 |
| 14 | Ernst & Young | $107,544 | $51.70 |
| 15 | Anheuser-Busch | $107,211 | $51.54 |
| 16 | Publix | $106,897 | $51.39 |
| 17 | ITT | $106,040 | $50.98 |
| 18 | VLS Systems | $104,398 | $50.19 |
| 19 | Heritage Bank | $103,604 | $49.81 |
| 20 | ICONMA | $102,946 | $49.49 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Desktop Engineer salary by industry
The average senior desktop engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior desktop engineer salary in the finance industry is $128,829, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior desktop engineer salary in the finance industry is $118,531.
- Senior desktop engineers in the health care industry earn an average salary of $105,592, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior desktop engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $128,829 | $61.94 |
| 2 | Retail | $118,531 | $56.99 |
| 3 | Construction | $116,699 | $56.11 |
| 4 | Professional | $116,094 | $55.81 |
| 5 | Health Care | $105,592 | $50.77 |
High paying senior desktop engineer jobs
Senior desktop engineer salary trends
The average senior desktop engineer salary has risen by $21,309 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior desktop engineer earned $93,477 annually, but today, they earn $114,786 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior desktop engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior desktop engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior desktop engineer salary over time
Compare senior desktop engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior desktop engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $115,000 | $55.19 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $111,000 | $53.37 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $108,000 | $52.16 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $107,000 | $51.24 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $105,000 | $50.38 | +1.8% |
Recently added senior desktop engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Government Services, LLC | SR. Desktop/Workstation Design Engineer | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $149,760 |
| Umanist Staffing LLC | Senior Desktop Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/29/2025 | $43,827 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | SR. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Engineer | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $168,480 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | SR. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Engineer | Columbia, SC | 06/29/2025 | $168,480 |
| Goodwin Procter | SR. Desktop Engineer | Boston, MA | 06/27/2025 | $129,700 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | SR. Virtual Desktop Engineer | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $165,000 |
| American Medical Association | SR Desktop Engineer (Hybrid) | Chicago, IL | 06/25/2025 | $97,461 |
| Contact Government Services, LLC | SR. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Engineer | Albany, NY | 06/24/2025 | $168,480 |
| Stand 8 Technology Consulting | SR. Desktop Engineer | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | 06/24/2025 | $31,305 |
| Dentsu | Senior Azure Virtual Desktop Engineer | Nunez, GA | 06/06/2025 | $78,000 |
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