Post job

Senior lead systems engineer salary

Average senior lead systems engineer salary

$114,766

$55.18 hourly rate

Entry-level senior lead systems engineer salary
$86,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Senior Lead Systems Engineer Salaries

The average salary for a Senior Lead Systems Engineer in the United States is approximately $114,766 per year. This figure reflects various factors, including geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, engineers in tech hubs like San Francisco or New York often command higher salaries due to the demand for skilled professionals in these areas.

Salary by State

States such as California and Washington frequently offer some of the highest salaries for this role, often exceeding the national average. Cities like San Jose and Seattle are particularly noteworthy for their competitive pay scales.

Career Opportunities

As companies increasingly rely on advanced technology solutions, the need for experienced systems engineers continues to grow. Opportunities abound in sectors including healthcare, finance, and information technology. Professionals seeking to advance their careers can explore roles that combine leadership with technical expertise, further enhancing their earning potential.

On this page
Senior lead systems engineer salary by: 

Let Zippia find your next senior lead systems engineer job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippia find your next senior lead systems engineer job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Senior Lead Systems Engineer earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
161k
141k
121k
101k
81k
61k
Columbus, OH$142,614
Huntsville, AL$90,582
Compare salary by company
Vs
160k
140k
120k
100k
80k
Apple$149,545
The Aerospace Corporation$110,272

Average senior lead systems engineer salary by state

The average senior lead systems engineer salary in California, Oregon, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior lead systems engineer salary states are Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for senior lead systems engineers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Nevada$127,137$61.12
2Oregon$131,125$63.04
3Washington$130,281$62.64
4Idaho$118,696$57.07
5California$134,716$64.77
6Arizona$118,834$57.13
7Utah$115,397$55.48
8Virginia$115,296$55.43
9Wyoming$108,752$52.28
10North Carolina$111,226$53.47
11South Dakota$106,744$51.32
12Vermont$109,698$52.74
13District of Columbia$113,125$54.39
14Texas$108,157$52.00
15Rhode Island$108,058$51.95
16Colorado$107,728$51.79
17Wisconsin$109,230$52.51
18Hawaii$126,753$60.94
19Connecticut$110,041$52.90
20Nebraska$102,616$49.33
21Arkansas$103,732$49.87
22Ohio$106,612$51.26
23South Carolina$108,994$52.40
24Delaware$106,629$51.26
25Michigan$99,201$47.69
26New Jersey$109,472$52.63
27Pennsylvania$102,997$49.52
28West Virginia$101,385$48.74
29Oklahoma$100,294$48.22
30Kansas$99,137$47.66
31Massachusetts$104,911$50.44
32North Dakota$99,692$47.93
33New York$106,516$51.21
34Maryland$99,566$47.87
35New Hampshire$99,729$47.95
36New Mexico$94,813$45.58
37Maine$99,643$47.91
38Georgia$100,197$48.17
39Montana$95,537$45.93
40Alaska$90,219$43.37
41Kentucky$97,348$46.80
42Mississippi$96,306$46.30
43Minnesota$95,533$45.93
44Louisiana$97,657$46.95
45Florida$95,963$46.14
46Iowa$94,448$45.41
47Alabama$91,253$43.87
48Illinois$95,924$46.12
49Tennessee$91,440$43.96
50Missouri$92,817$44.62
51Indiana$92,313$44.38
Top senior lead systems engineer jobs near you

Highest paying cities for senior lead systems engineers

The highest-paying cities for senior lead systems engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and McLean, VA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Francisco, CA$142,614$68.56
2Seattle, WA$130,988$62.98
3McLean, VA$115,636$55.59
4Washington, DC$113,218$54.43
5Austin, TX$109,635$52.71
6Woodbridge, NJ$109,518$52.65
7Boulder, CO$107,902$51.88
8New York, NY$106,743$51.32
9Cambridge, MA$104,778$50.37
10Atlanta, GA$99,971$48.06
11Silver Spring, MD$99,527$47.85
12Novi, MI$99,318$47.75
13Boca Raton, FL$96,652$46.47
14Chicago, IL$96,123$46.21
15Albuquerque, NM$95,017$45.68
16Cedar Rapids, IA$94,723$45.54
17Indianapolis, IN$92,131$44.29
18Huntsville, AL$90,582$43.55

Senior lead systems engineer salary details

A senior lead systems engineer's salary ranges from $86,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average senior lead systems engineer salary graph
Average senior lead systems engineer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a senior lead systems engineer's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$151,000$12,583$73
75th Percentile$132,000$11,000$63
Average$114,766$9,564$55
25th Percentile$99,000$8,250$48
10th Percentile$86,000$7,167$41

Highest paying senior lead systems engineer jobs

The highest paying types of senior lead systems engineers are principal systems engineer, senior principal engineer, and manager, systems engineering.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Systems Administrator Lead$99,956$8,330$48.06132,285
Systems Integration Engineer$106,065$8,839$50.99217,599
Systems Support Engineer$82,561$6,880$39.69182,434
Lead Engineer$84,927$7,077$40.83301,777
Team Lead Engineer$114,867$9,572$55.22235,155
Manager, Systems Engineering$130,127$10,844$62.56174,962

Top companies hiring senior lead systems engineers now:

  1. Akamai Technologies jobs (7)
  2. Medidata jobs (7)
  3. Ball jobs (5)
  4. Salesforce jobs (23)
  5. Bank of America jobs (11)

Which companies pay senior lead systems engineers the most?

Senior lead systems engineer salaries at Apple and Akamai Technologies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior lead systems engineer salary at companies like Electronic Arts and Fanatics are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Apple$149,545$71.90
2Akamai Technologies$137,681$66.19
3Electronic Arts$135,230$65.01
4Fanatics$133,432$64.15
5Motion Recruitment$129,475$62.25
6La Jolla Group$125,876$60.52
7Medidata$125,257$60.22
8Ball$122,041$58.67
9Science$120,428$57.90
10Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation$119,152$57.28
11Travelport$117,593$56.54
12M.E.I$117,180$56.34
13Integrity Solution Services, Inc.$115,393$55.48
14KBR$114,944$55.26
15The Vanguard Group$114,609$55.10
16Salesforce$114,588$55.09
17CenturyLink$114,515$55.06
18VIA Motors$111,939$53.82
19Peraton$111,891$53.79
20The Aerospace Corporation$110,272$53.02

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$118,000$116,400$114,800$113,200$111,600$110,000
MaleFemale

Senior lead systems engineer salary trends

The average senior lead systems engineer salary has risen by $20,942 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior lead systems engineer earned $93,824 annually, but today, they earn $114,766 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for senior lead systems engineers over the last decade.

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

Average senior lead systems engineer salary over time

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

Senior lead systems engineer salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$115,000$55.18+3.3%
2024$111,000$53.36+2.3%
2023$108,000$52.15+1.2%
2022$107,000$51.55+1.7%
2021$105,000$50.66+2.4%

Recently added senior lead systems engineer salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
JeppesenGround Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) Lead Systems Engineer (Experienced or Senior)El Segundo, CA06/30/2025$128,350
Logistics Management InstituteSenior Lead Systems EngineerTysons Corner, VA06/29/2025$131,733
Wells FargoPlatform Support-Senior Lead Systems Operations EngineerChandler, AZ06/28/2025$120,400
Wells FargoPlatform Support-Senior Lead Systems Operations EngineerWestlake, TX06/28/2025$120,400
Wells FargoPlatform Support-Senior Lead Systems Operations EngineerIselin, NJ06/28/2025$120,400
Wells FargoPlatform Support-Senior Lead Systems Operations EngineerCharlotte, NC06/28/2025$120,400
Stellar Solutions, Inc.SR. Systems Engineer, Program Bus System LeadPortland, OR06/27/2025$160,000
BoeingGround Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) Lead Systems Engineer (Experienced or Senior)Los Angeles, CA06/24/2025$128,350
Summit Staffing PartnersSenior Lead System EngineerNew York, NY06/24/2025$265,000
MoogSR. Lead Systems EngineerGilbert, AZ06/21/2025$110,000

Senior lead systems engineer salary FAQs

Search for senior lead systems engineer jobs

Browse computer and mathematical jobs