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The average salary for a Senior Engineering Manager in the U.S. stands at $155,753 per year. This figure can vary significantly based on geographic location, industry sector, and individual experience levels. For instance, engineers in technology and aerospace sectors often command higher salaries due to the specialized skills required.
Regions such as California and New York frequently offer the highest compensation for senior engineering managers. In California, salaries can exceed $180,000, reflecting the state's high cost of living and demand for engineering expertise.
Industries such as software development, aerospace, and biotechnology tend to provide lucrative opportunities, with senior managers in these fields often earning above average salaries.
As the demand for skilled engineering managers continues to rise, understanding salary trends is crucial. This insight can guide you in negotiating compensation and choosing job opportunities that align with your career goals.
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The average senior engineering manager salary in Alaska, California, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior engineering manager salary states are Kansas, Iowa, and Alabama.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $163,488 | $78.60 |
| 2 | Alaska | $183,727 | $88.33 |
| 3 | California | $174,646 | $83.96 |
| 4 | Idaho | $144,698 | $69.57 |
| 5 | Oregon | $160,277 | $77.06 |
| 6 | Nevada | $156,487 | $75.23 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $146,434 | $70.40 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $141,153 | $67.86 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $139,254 | $66.95 |
| 10 | Maine | $140,764 | $67.67 |
| 11 | Arizona | $140,522 | $67.56 |
| 12 | New York | $149,172 | $71.72 |
| 13 | Montana | $138,025 | $66.36 |
| 14 | Utah | $132,037 | $63.48 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $135,196 | $65.00 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $147,833 | $71.07 |
| 17 | Indiana | $132,865 | $63.88 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $140,468 | $67.53 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $132,918 | $63.90 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $132,957 | $63.92 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $128,784 | $61.92 |
| 22 | Delaware | $128,320 | $61.69 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $123,208 | $59.23 |
| 24 | Michigan | $126,043 | $60.60 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $132,359 | $63.63 |
| 26 | Texas | $129,901 | $62.45 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $129,212 | $62.12 |
| 28 | Maryland | $131,004 | $62.98 |
| 29 | Vermont | $129,315 | $62.17 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $122,890 | $59.08 |
| 31 | Ohio | $125,601 | $60.39 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $125,060 | $60.13 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $123,610 | $59.43 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $121,598 | $58.46 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $121,285 | $58.31 |
| 36 | Georgia | $124,179 | $59.70 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $119,659 | $57.53 |
| 38 | Illinois | $123,288 | $59.27 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $122,134 | $58.72 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $118,291 | $56.87 |
| 41 | Colorado | $120,188 | $57.78 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $112,266 | $53.97 |
| 43 | Virginia | $118,615 | $57.03 |
| 44 | Florida | $121,099 | $58.22 |
| 45 | Kansas | $115,648 | $55.60 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $118,783 | $57.11 |
| 47 | Iowa | $115,501 | $55.53 |
| 48 | Missouri | $119,175 | $57.30 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $112,784 | $54.22 |
| 50 | Alabama | $113,898 | $54.76 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $112,766 | $54.21 |
The highest-paying cities for senior engineering managers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $186,726 | $89.77 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $166,314 | $79.96 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $149,264 | $71.76 |
| 4 | Cambridge, MA | $146,751 | $70.55 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $141,078 | $67.83 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $133,600 | $64.23 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $133,083 | $63.98 |
| 8 | Indianapolis, IN | $132,623 | $63.76 |
| 9 | Salt Lake City, UT | $131,158 | $63.06 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $130,629 | $62.80 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $124,791 | $60.00 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $124,181 | $59.70 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $123,748 | $59.49 |
| 14 | Brooklyn Park, MN | $123,676 | $59.46 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $123,556 | $59.40 |
| 16 | Tampa, FL | $121,396 | $58.36 |
| 17 | Boulder, CO | $120,261 | $57.82 |
| 18 | McLean, VA | $120,144 | $57.76 |
| 19 | Bentonville, AR | $119,468 | $57.44 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | $119,117 | $57.27 |
Senior Engineering Managers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
A senior engineering manager's salary ranges from $110,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $218,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $218,000 | $18,167 | $105 |
| 75th Percentile | $186,000 | $15,500 | $89 |
| Average | $155,753 | $12,979 | $75 |
| 25th Percentile | $130,000 | $10,833 | $63 |
| 10th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
The highest paying types of senior engineering managers are engineering director, vice president of engineering, and design engineering manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research And Development Director | $137,944 | $11,495 | $66.32 | 102,901 |
| Research And Development Manager | $117,507 | $9,792 | $56.49 | 125,447 |
| Design Manager | $102,637 | $8,553 | $49.34 | 61,273 |
| Vice President Of Engineering | $150,651 | $12,554 | $72.43 | 92,133 |
| Technical Manager | $116,619 | $9,718 | $56.07 | 116,732 |
| Manager, Systems Engineering | $130,127 | $10,844 | $62.56 | 174,962 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior engineering managers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring senior engineering managers now:
Senior engineering manager salaries at Airbnb and Flexport are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior engineering manager salary at companies like Upstart Network and Pure Storage are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airbnb | $244,234 | $117.42 |
| 2 | Flexport | $236,916 | $113.90 |
| 3 | Upstart Network | $228,970 | $110.08 |
| 4 | Pure Storage | $228,562 | $109.89 |
| 5 | Squarespace | $226,401 | $108.85 |
| 6 | $224,979 | $108.16 | |
| 7 | $223,240 | $107.33 | |
| 8 | Coinbase | $223,232 | $107.32 |
| 9 | Strava | $220,636 | $106.08 |
| 10 | Thumbtack | $218,976 | $105.28 |
| 11 | Credit Karma | $218,575 | $105.08 |
| 12 | $218,186 | $104.90 | |
| 13 | DoorDash | $217,034 | $104.34 |
| 14 | Eventbrite | $216,240 | $103.96 |
| 15 | ConsumerTrack | $215,223 | $103.47 |
| 16 | Course Hero | $214,449 | $103.10 |
| 17 | Instacart | $213,098 | $102.45 |
| 18 | TripActions | $211,662 | $101.76 |
| 19 | Uber Technologies | $211,359 | $101.61 |
| 20 | Cruise Automation | $210,208 | $101.06 |
The average senior engineering manager salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $160,722 | $77.27 |
| 2 | Automotive | $155,662 | $74.84 |
| 3 | Technology | $152,271 | $73.21 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $146,712 | $70.53 |
| 5 | Professional | $137,309 | $66.01 |
The average senior engineering manager salary has risen by $28,478 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior engineering manager earned $127,275 annually, but today, they earn $155,753 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for senior engineering managers over the last decade.
Compare senior engineering manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare senior engineering manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $156,000 | $74.88 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $151,000 | $72.53 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $147,000 | $70.49 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $143,000 | $68.97 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $140,000 | $67.47 | +1.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One | Senior Manager, Data Engineering | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $204,900 |
| Capital One | Senior Manager, AI Engineer (People Leader) | Cambridge, MA | 06/30/2025 | $245,900 |
| Healthfirst | SR Manager Hyphen Engineering | Fine, NY | 06/30/2025 | $135,500 |
| Jeppesen | Senior Systems Engineering Manager | Seit | Cole, OK | 06/30/2025 | $165,750 |
| Nextracker | SR. Manager, NPI Engineering | Fremont, CA | 06/30/2025 | $225,000 |
| Blue Origin | SR. Manager-Combustion-Engines (BE7) | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $178,452 |
| First American Financial | SR. Manager-SEO & Ecommerce (Remote) | Phoenix, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $109,650 |
| Gannett Fleming | Senior Highway Engineer/Project Manager | Columbus, OH | 06/29/2025 | $102,000 |
| Perspecta | Senior Engineering and Design Manager | Tallahassee, FL | 06/29/2025 | $104,000 |
| Erg | Senior Engineering Project Manager | Indian Head, MD | 06/29/2025 | $105,000 |
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