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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.
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.
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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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.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $106,221 | $51.07 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $104,510 | $50.25 |
| 3 | New York | $108,547 | $52.19 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $103,418 | $49.72 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $106,008 | $50.97 |
| 6 | Alaska | $108,671 | $52.25 |
| 7 | Virginia | $100,872 | $48.50 |
| 8 | California | $104,820 | $50.39 |
| 9 | Texas | $98,640 | $47.42 |
| 10 | Washington | $97,566 | $46.91 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $102,664 | $49.36 |
| 12 | Maryland | $100,207 | $48.18 |
| 13 | Delaware | $95,133 | $45.74 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $96,638 | $46.46 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $99,949 | $48.05 |
| 16 | Alabama | $91,690 | $44.08 |
| 17 | Maine | $94,319 | $45.35 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $93,315 | $44.86 |
| 19 | Iowa | $94,625 | $45.49 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $90,740 | $43.63 |
| 21 | Idaho | $92,545 | $44.49 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $93,387 | $44.90 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $90,659 | $43.59 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $95,668 | $45.99 |
| 25 | Michigan | $87,081 | $41.87 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $83,891 | $40.33 |
| 27 | Colorado | $87,635 | $42.13 |
| 28 | Florida | $89,261 | $42.91 |
| 29 | Missouri | $89,005 | $42.79 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $90,075 | $43.31 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $84,962 | $40.85 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $91,316 | $43.90 |
| 33 | Georgia | $84,918 | $40.83 |
| 34 | Illinois | $86,064 | $41.38 |
| 35 | Oregon | $82,691 | $39.76 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $83,838 | $40.31 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $82,409 | $39.62 |
| 38 | Nevada | $82,194 | $39.52 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $84,281 | $40.52 |
| 40 | Kansas | $83,572 | $40.18 |
| 41 | Indiana | $80,425 | $38.67 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $82,295 | $39.56 |
| 43 | Arizona | $75,497 | $36.30 |
| 44 | Utah | $70,867 | $34.07 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $78,290 | $37.64 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $77,344 | $37.18 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $79,796 | $38.36 |
| 48 | Ohio | $76,012 | $36.54 |
| 49 | Montana | $73,019 | $35.11 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $77,436 | $37.23 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $77,584 | $37.30 |
The highest-paying cities for senior instrumentation engineers are Richmond, CA, New York, NY, and Waltham, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond, CA | $112,773 | $54.22 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $108,663 | $52.24 |
| 3 | Waltham, MA | $103,395 | $49.71 |
| 4 | Metairie, LA | $100,301 | $48.22 |
| 5 | Corpus Christi, TX | $99,901 | $48.03 |
| 6 | Rockville, MD | $99,763 | $47.96 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $97,961 | $47.10 |
| 8 | Wilmington, NC | $97,121 | $46.69 |
| 9 | Hilo, HI | $94,107 | $45.24 |
| 10 | Cranberry, PA | $89,886 | $43.21 |
| 11 | Canton, GA | $84,651 | $40.70 |
| 12 | Oak Ridge, TN | $84,509 | $40.63 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $75,564 | $36.33 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $70,609 | $33.95 |
A senior instrumentation engineer's salary ranges from $72,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly 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 |
The highest paying types of senior instrumentation engineers are principal engineer, electrical engineer lead, and senior electrical engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Designer | $64,930 | $5,411 | $31.22 | 82,332 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Electrical Engineer Internship | $63,398 | $5,283 | $30.48 | 80,744 |
| Field Engineer | $71,874 | $5,989 | $34.55 | 86,015 |
| Electrical Engineer Lead | $111,251 | $9,271 | $53.49 | 82,196 |
| Electrical Project Engineer | $84,342 | $7,029 | $40.55 | 67,802 |
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
Top companies hiring senior instrumentation engineers now:
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.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $134,120 | $64.48 |
| 2 | Masimo | $109,733 | $52.76 |
| 3 | PBF Energy | $108,549 | $52.19 |
| 4 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $101,541 | $48.82 |
| 5 | Cigna | $99,644 | $47.91 |
| 6 | General Electric | $96,952 | $46.61 |
| 7 | Formosa Plastics | $96,141 | $46.22 |
| 8 | Technip USA Corporation | $93,527 | $44.96 |
| 9 | Woods Services | $93,356 | $44.88 |
| 10 | Chan Zuckerberg Initiative | $91,418 | $43.95 |
| 11 | The Research Corporation of the University of Hawai'i | $91,253 | $43.87 |
| 12 | Valero Energy | $90,987 | $43.74 |
| 13 | Westlake Chemical | $90,107 | $43.32 |
| 14 | Vicarious Surgical | $89,137 | $42.85 |
| 15 | Goodwin Recruiting | $89,072 | $42.82 |
| 16 | Amec Foster Wheeler | $89,020 | $42.80 |
| 17 | HDR | $88,985 | $42.78 |
| 18 | GRAIL | $88,971 | $42.77 |
| 19 | WorleyParsons | $88,736 | $42.66 |
| 20 | Planet Labs | $88,464 | $42.53 |
The average senior instrumentation engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $98,644 | $47.42 |
| 2 | Energy | $91,164 | $43.83 |
| 3 | Technology | $88,973 | $42.78 |
| 4 | Construction | $86,797 | $41.73 |
| 5 | Retail | $86,678 | $41.67 |
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.
Compare senior instrumentation engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly 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% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relativity | Senior Instrumentation Engineer | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $133,000 |
| Masimo | SR Engineer, Instrument Software | Irvine, CA | 06/26/2025 | $120,000 |
| Actalent | Senior Instrumentation Engineer | Brandermill, VA | 06/20/2025 | $100,176 |
| Brindley Engineering | SR. Instrumentation Engineer | Lisle, IL | 06/16/2025 | $140,000 |
| Hanson Professional Services | Senior Instrumentation Engineer | Houston, TX | 06/03/2025 | $146,090 |
| Brindley Engineering | SR. Instrumentation Engineer | Lisle, IL | 04/30/2025 | $140,000 |
| Relativity | Senior Instrumentation Engineer | Long Beach, CA | 04/28/2025 | $133,000 |
| Hanson Professional Services | Senior Instrumentation Engineer | Houston, TX | 04/28/2025 | $146,090 |
| Arbor Energy | Senior Instrumentation Engineer | El Segundo, CA | 04/28/2025 | $125,000 |
| MMT | Senior Instrument Data Engineer | Natick, MA | 04/23/2025 | $110,000 |
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