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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.
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.
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.
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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.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $127,137 | $61.12 |
| 2 | Oregon | $131,125 | $63.04 |
| 3 | Washington | $130,281 | $62.64 |
| 4 | Idaho | $118,696 | $57.07 |
| 5 | California | $134,716 | $64.77 |
| 6 | Arizona | $118,834 | $57.13 |
| 7 | Utah | $115,397 | $55.48 |
| 8 | Virginia | $115,296 | $55.43 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $108,752 | $52.28 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $111,226 | $53.47 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $106,744 | $51.32 |
| 12 | Vermont | $109,698 | $52.74 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $113,125 | $54.39 |
| 14 | Texas | $108,157 | $52.00 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $108,058 | $51.95 |
| 16 | Colorado | $107,728 | $51.79 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $109,230 | $52.51 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $126,753 | $60.94 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $110,041 | $52.90 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $102,616 | $49.33 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $103,732 | $49.87 |
| 22 | Ohio | $106,612 | $51.26 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $108,994 | $52.40 |
| 24 | Delaware | $106,629 | $51.26 |
| 25 | Michigan | $99,201 | $47.69 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $109,472 | $52.63 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $102,997 | $49.52 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $101,385 | $48.74 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $100,294 | $48.22 |
| 30 | Kansas | $99,137 | $47.66 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $104,911 | $50.44 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $99,692 | $47.93 |
| 33 | New York | $106,516 | $51.21 |
| 34 | Maryland | $99,566 | $47.87 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $99,729 | $47.95 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $94,813 | $45.58 |
| 37 | Maine | $99,643 | $47.91 |
| 38 | Georgia | $100,197 | $48.17 |
| 39 | Montana | $95,537 | $45.93 |
| 40 | Alaska | $90,219 | $43.37 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $97,348 | $46.80 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $96,306 | $46.30 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $95,533 | $45.93 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $97,657 | $46.95 |
| 45 | Florida | $95,963 | $46.14 |
| 46 | Iowa | $94,448 | $45.41 |
| 47 | Alabama | $91,253 | $43.87 |
| 48 | Illinois | $95,924 | $46.12 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $91,440 | $43.96 |
| 50 | Missouri | $92,817 | $44.62 |
| 51 | Indiana | $92,313 | $44.38 |
The highest-paying cities for senior lead systems engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and McLean, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $142,614 | $68.56 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $130,988 | $62.98 |
| 3 | McLean, VA | $115,636 | $55.59 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $113,218 | $54.43 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $109,635 | $52.71 |
| 6 | Woodbridge, NJ | $109,518 | $52.65 |
| 7 | Boulder, CO | $107,902 | $51.88 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $106,743 | $51.32 |
| 9 | Cambridge, MA | $104,778 | $50.37 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $99,971 | $48.06 |
| 11 | Silver Spring, MD | $99,527 | $47.85 |
| 12 | Novi, MI | $99,318 | $47.75 |
| 13 | Boca Raton, FL | $96,652 | $46.47 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $96,123 | $46.21 |
| 15 | Albuquerque, NM | $95,017 | $45.68 |
| 16 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $94,723 | $45.54 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $92,131 | $44.29 |
| 18 | Huntsville, AL | $90,582 | $43.55 |
A senior lead systems engineer's salary ranges from $86,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly 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 |
The highest paying types of senior lead systems engineers are principal systems engineer, senior principal engineer, and manager, systems engineering.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Administrator Lead | $99,956 | $8,330 | $48.06 | 132,285 |
| Systems Integration Engineer | $106,065 | $8,839 | $50.99 | 217,599 |
| Systems Support Engineer | $82,561 | $6,880 | $39.69 | 182,434 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Team Lead Engineer | $114,867 | $9,572 | $55.22 | 235,155 |
| Manager, Systems Engineering | $130,127 | $10,844 | $62.56 | 174,962 |
Top companies hiring senior lead systems engineers now:
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.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $149,545 | $71.90 |
| 2 | Akamai Technologies | $137,681 | $66.19 |
| 3 | Electronic Arts | $135,230 | $65.01 |
| 4 | Fanatics | $133,432 | $64.15 |
| 5 | Motion Recruitment | $129,475 | $62.25 |
| 6 | La Jolla Group | $125,876 | $60.52 |
| 7 | Medidata | $125,257 | $60.22 |
| 8 | Ball | $122,041 | $58.67 |
| 9 | Science | $120,428 | $57.90 |
| 10 | Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation | $119,152 | $57.28 |
| 11 | Travelport | $117,593 | $56.54 |
| 12 | M.E.I | $117,180 | $56.34 |
| 13 | Integrity Solution Services, Inc. | $115,393 | $55.48 |
| 14 | KBR | $114,944 | $55.26 |
| 15 | The Vanguard Group | $114,609 | $55.10 |
| 16 | Salesforce | $114,588 | $55.09 |
| 17 | CenturyLink | $114,515 | $55.06 |
| 18 | VIA Motors | $111,939 | $53.82 |
| 19 | Peraton | $111,891 | $53.79 |
| 20 | The Aerospace Corporation | $110,272 | $53.02 |
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.
Compare senior lead systems engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly 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% |
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