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Senior instrumentation engineer salary

Quoted expert
Michael Rudisill

Average senior instrumentation engineer salary

$91,301

$43.89 hourly rate

Entry-level senior instrumentation engineer salary
$72,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Senior Instrumentation Engineer Salary

The role of a Senior Instrumentation Engineer is essential in various sectors, particularly in energy, manufacturing, and technology. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $91,301 annually. This figure can vary based on experience, with entry-level positions earning significantly less, while seasoned professionals can command salaries well over $100,000.

Salary by State

Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary determination. For instance, states like Texas and California offer some of the highest salaries, reflecting the demand and cost of living in these areas. Additionally, factors such as specific industry focus and company size further influence compensation.

Job Outlook

There are numerous job opportunities available for Senior Instrumentation Engineers, with many companies seeking skilled professionals to enhance their operations. Job seekers should consider not only salary but also benefits and career advancement potential when evaluating offers. The demand for skilled engineers continues to grow, ensuring a promising career trajectory.

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Where can a Senior Instrumentation Engineer earn more?

Compare salary by location
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141k
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Columbus, OH$112,773
Salt Lake City, UT$70,609
Compare salary by company
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Apple$134,120
Planet Labs$88,464

Senior instrumentation engineer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a senior instrumentation engineer typically falls between $80,643 and $146,959.
zippia
$91,301yearly
comparably[1]
$80,643yearly
Salary.com[2]
$146,959yearly
payscale[3]
$118,069yearly

Average senior instrumentation engineer salary by state

The highest-paying states for senior instrumentation engineers are Alaska, New York, and Vermont. The lowest average senior instrumentation engineer salary states are Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Ohio.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for senior instrumentation engineers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Vermont$106,221$51.07
2New Hampshire$104,510$50.25
3New York$108,547$52.19
4Massachusetts$103,418$49.72
5New Mexico$106,008$50.97
6Alaska$108,671$52.25
7Virginia$100,872$48.50
8California$104,820$50.39
9Texas$98,640$47.42
10Washington$97,566$46.91
11District of Columbia$102,664$49.36
12Maryland$100,207$48.18
13Delaware$95,133$45.74
14North Carolina$96,638$46.46
15Louisiana$99,949$48.05
16Alabama$91,690$44.08
17Maine$94,319$45.35
18Pennsylvania$93,315$44.86
19Iowa$94,625$45.49
20Rhode Island$90,740$43.63
21Idaho$92,545$44.49
22Oklahoma$93,387$44.90
23North Dakota$90,659$43.59
24Hawaii$95,668$45.99
25Michigan$87,081$41.87
26Wyoming$83,891$40.33
27Colorado$87,635$42.13
28Florida$89,261$42.91
29Missouri$89,005$42.79
30Connecticut$90,075$43.31
31South Dakota$84,962$40.85
32New Jersey$91,316$43.90
33Georgia$84,918$40.83
34Illinois$86,064$41.38
35Oregon$82,691$39.76
36Minnesota$83,838$40.31
37Nebraska$82,409$39.62
38Nevada$82,194$39.52
39Tennessee$84,281$40.52
40Kansas$83,572$40.18
41Indiana$80,425$38.67
42Kentucky$82,295$39.56
43Arizona$75,497$36.30
44Utah$70,867$34.07
45Arkansas$78,290$37.64
46West Virginia$77,344$37.18
47Mississippi$79,796$38.36
48Ohio$76,012$36.54
49Montana$73,019$35.11
50Wisconsin$77,436$37.23
51South Carolina$77,584$37.30
Top senior instrumentation engineer jobs near you

Highest paying cities for senior instrumentation engineers

The highest-paying cities for senior instrumentation engineers are Richmond, CA, New York, NY, and Waltham, MA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Richmond, CA$112,773$54.22
2New York, NY$108,663$52.24
3Waltham, MA$103,395$49.71
4Metairie, LA$100,301$48.22
5Corpus Christi, TX$99,901$48.03
6Rockville, MD$99,763$47.96
7Seattle, WA$97,961$47.10
8Wilmington, NC$97,121$46.69
9Hilo, HI$94,107$45.24
10Cranberry, PA$89,886$43.21
11Canton, GA$84,651$40.70
12Oak Ridge, TN$84,509$40.63
13Phoenix, AZ$75,564$36.33
14Salt Lake City, UT$70,609$33.95

Senior instrumentation engineer salary details

A senior instrumentation engineer's salary ranges from $72,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average senior instrumentation engineer salary graph
Average senior instrumentation engineer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a senior instrumentation engineer's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$115,000$9,583$55
75th Percentile$103,000$8,583$50
Average$91,301$7,608$44
25th Percentile$80,000$6,667$38
10th Percentile$72,000$6,000$35

Highest paying senior instrumentation engineer jobs

The highest paying types of senior instrumentation engineers are principal engineer, electrical engineer lead, and senior electrical engineer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Electrical Designer$64,930$5,411$31.2282,332
Engineer$92,076$7,673$44.27618,207
Electrical Engineer Internship$63,398$5,283$30.4880,744
Field Engineer$71,874$5,989$34.5586,015
Electrical Engineer Lead$111,251$9,271$53.4982,196
Electrical Project Engineer$84,342$7,029$40.5567,802

How would you rate the starting salaries for senior instrumentation engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Michael Rudisill

Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University

From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.

Top companies hiring senior instrumentation engineers now:

  1. Tesoro jobs (2)
  2. The Dow Chemical Company jobs (4)
  3. Schlumberger jobs (2)
  4. Cigna jobs (2)
  5. Sharp jobs (2)

Which companies pay senior instrumentation engineers the most?

Senior instrumentation engineer salaries at Apple and Masimo are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior instrumentation engineer salary at companies like PBF Energy and Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Apple$134,120$64.48
2Masimo$109,733$52.76
3PBF Energy$108,549$52.19
4Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc$101,541$48.82
5Cigna$99,644$47.91
6General Electric$96,952$46.61
7Formosa Plastics$96,141$46.22
8Technip USA Corporation$93,527$44.96
9Woods Services$93,356$44.88
10Chan Zuckerberg Initiative$91,418$43.95
11The Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i$91,253$43.87
12Valero Energy$90,987$43.74
13Westlake Chemical$90,107$43.32
14Vicarious Surgical$89,137$42.85
15Goodwin Recruiting$89,072$42.82
16Amec Foster Wheeler$89,020$42.80
17HDR$88,985$42.78
18GRAIL$88,971$42.77
19WorleyParsons$88,736$42.66
20Planet Labs$88,464$42.53

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$91,000$90,200$89,400$88,600$87,800$87,000
MaleFemale

Senior Instrumentation Engineer salary by industry

The average senior instrumentation engineer salary varies across industries:

  • The average senior instrumentation engineer salary in the manufacturing industry is $98,644, the highest of any industry.
  • The average senior instrumentation engineer salary in the finance industry is $91,164.
  • Senior instrumentation engineers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $86,678, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for senior instrumentation engineers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Manufacturing$98,644$47.42
2Energy$91,164$43.83
3Technology$88,973$42.78
4Construction$86,797$41.73
5Retail$86,678$41.67

High paying senior instrumentation engineer jobs

Senior instrumentation engineer salary trends

The average senior instrumentation engineer salary has risen by $13,501 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior instrumentation engineer earned $77,800 annually, but today, they earn $91,301 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for senior instrumentation engineers over the last decade.

Compare senior instrumentation engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average senior instrumentation engineer salary over time

Compare senior instrumentation engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Senior instrumentation engineer salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$91,300$43.89+2.3%
2025$89,200$42.89+1.9%
2024$87,500$42.07+1.6%
2023$86,100$41.38+0.9%
2022$85,300$41.01+1.3%

Recently added senior instrumentation engineer salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
RelativitySenior Instrumentation EngineerLong Beach, CA06/29/2025$133,000
MasimoSR Engineer, Instrument SoftwareIrvine, CA06/26/2025$120,000
ActalentSenior Instrumentation EngineerBrandermill, VA06/20/2025$100,176
Brindley EngineeringSR. Instrumentation EngineerLisle, IL06/16/2025$140,000
Hanson Professional ServicesSenior Instrumentation EngineerHouston, TX06/03/2025$146,090
Brindley EngineeringSR. Instrumentation EngineerLisle, IL04/30/2025$140,000
RelativitySenior Instrumentation EngineerLong Beach, CA04/28/2025$133,000
Hanson Professional ServicesSenior Instrumentation EngineerHouston, TX04/28/2025$146,090
Arbor EnergySenior Instrumentation EngineerEl Segundo, CA04/28/2025$125,000
MMTSenior Instrument Data EngineerNatick, MA04/23/2025$110,000

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