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A Shift Engineer typically earns an average salary of $91,237 annually. This figure can fluctuate significantly based on geographic location, industry, and years of experience. In states such as California and Texas, salaries often exceed the national average due to higher demand for skilled professionals. For instance, experienced engineers in metropolitan areas can command higher pay due to cost-of-living adjustments and industry competition.
Entry-level engineers may start at lower salaries, approximately $60,000, while those with extensive experience can earn upwards of $120,000 annually. This salary progression highlights the value of ongoing education and certification, which can enhance earning potential.
Shift Engineers are essential in various industries, from manufacturing to energy. Their responsibilities include monitoring equipment, conducting maintenance, and ensuring compliance with safety regulations. With a growing emphasis on efficiency and sustainability, opportunities in this field are expanding. Resources like Zippia can help you navigate job listings and salary insights to find the right fit for your career goals.
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The average shift engineer salary in California, Nevada, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average shift engineer salary states are Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $100,522 | $48.33 |
| 2 | Nevada | $100,803 | $48.46 |
| 3 | Delaware | $99,615 | $47.89 |
| 4 | California | $108,139 | $51.99 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $99,654 | $47.91 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $100,296 | $48.22 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $95,509 | $45.92 |
| 8 | Alaska | $95,855 | $46.08 |
| 9 | Vermont | $97,791 | $47.01 |
| 10 | Maryland | $99,203 | $47.69 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $100,040 | $48.10 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $99,072 | $47.63 |
| 13 | Illinois | $98,863 | $47.53 |
| 14 | Indiana | $89,200 | $42.88 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $90,574 | $43.55 |
| 16 | Kansas | $94,011 | $45.20 |
| 17 | New York | $96,904 | $46.59 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $89,014 | $42.80 |
| 19 | Maine | $95,965 | $46.14 |
| 20 | Ohio | $89,330 | $42.95 |
| 21 | Utah | $84,080 | $40.42 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $88,316 | $42.46 |
| 23 | Arizona | $86,405 | $41.54 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $84,225 | $40.49 |
| 25 | Virginia | $85,312 | $41.02 |
| 26 | Colorado | $86,180 | $41.43 |
| 27 | Iowa | $86,624 | $41.65 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $78,354 | $37.67 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $85,558 | $41.13 |
| 30 | Idaho | $86,436 | $41.56 |
| 31 | Washington | $83,697 | $40.24 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $85,315 | $41.02 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $83,350 | $40.07 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $80,938 | $38.91 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $73,994 | $35.57 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $78,935 | $37.95 |
| 37 | Georgia | $81,811 | $39.33 |
| 38 | Oregon | $80,748 | $38.82 |
| 39 | Missouri | $81,566 | $39.21 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $81,288 | $39.08 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $79,468 | $38.21 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $76,487 | $36.77 |
| 43 | Florida | $79,081 | $38.02 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $74,205 | $35.68 |
| 45 | Texas | $71,884 | $34.56 |
| 46 | Montana | $74,674 | $35.90 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $72,593 | $34.90 |
| 48 | Alabama | $73,349 | $35.26 |
| 49 | Michigan | $66,525 | $31.98 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $66,401 | $31.92 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $61,628 | $29.63 |
The highest-paying cities for shift engineers are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Wilmington, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $110,812 | $53.27 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $100,376 | $48.26 |
| 3 | Wilmington, DE | $99,630 | $47.90 |
| 4 | Annapolis, MD | $99,372 | $47.77 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $99,197 | $47.69 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $97,090 | $46.68 |
| 7 | Richmond, KY | $91,343 | $43.91 |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | $90,487 | $43.50 |
| 9 | Jersey City, NJ | $88,464 | $42.53 |
| 10 | Pueblo, CO | $86,939 | $41.80 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $86,480 | $41.58 |
| 12 | Manassas, VA | $85,649 | $41.18 |
| 13 | Bellingham, WA | $84,617 | $40.68 |
| 14 | Lehi, UT | $83,966 | $40.37 |
| 15 | Memphis, TN | $83,404 | $40.10 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $82,317 | $39.58 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $81,742 | $39.30 |
| 18 | New Orleans, LA | $81,057 | $38.97 |
| 19 | Tulsa, OK | $78,695 | $37.83 |
| 20 | Jacksonville, FL | $77,669 | $37.34 |
A shift engineer's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $128,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $128,000 | $10,667 | $62 |
| 75th Percentile | $109,000 | $9,083 | $52 |
| Average | $91,237 | $7,603 | $44 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
The highest paying types of shift engineers are watch engineer, steam engineer, and air plant engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler Operator | $49,782 | $4,149 | $23.93 | 32,715 |
| Boiler Plant Operator | $46,119 | $3,843 | $22.17 | 36,427 |
| Engine Room Operator | $37,546 | $3,129 | $18.05 | 61,977 |
| Maintenance Engineer | $47,133 | $3,928 | $22.66 | 97,957 |
| Stationary Engineer | $69,163 | $5,764 | $33.25 | 5,010 |
| Watch Engineer | $91,906 | $7,659 | $44.19 | 4,923 |
Top companies hiring shift engineers now:
Shift engineer salaries at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average shift engineer salary at companies like Baxter International and ASML Holding are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $116,801 | $56.15 |
| 2 | Amazon | $108,882 | $52.35 |
| 3 | Baxter International | $104,873 | $50.42 |
| 4 | ASML Holding | $102,151 | $49.11 |
| 5 | Children's National Medical Center | $101,662 | $48.88 |
| 6 | Bank of America | $100,801 | $48.46 |
| 7 | Accenture | $100,452 | $48.29 |
| 8 | Intel | $100,447 | $48.29 |
| 9 | SYSMIND | $100,372 | $48.26 |
| 10 | CSC Holdings LLC | $99,364 | $47.77 |
| 11 | Micron Technology | $99,009 | $47.60 |
| 12 | ConvergeOne | $98,715 | $47.46 |
| 13 | IBM | $97,421 | $46.84 |
| 14 | Northrop Grumman | $97,025 | $46.65 |
| 15 | PPG | $96,769 | $46.52 |
| 16 | Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display) | $96,266 | $46.28 |
| 17 | Swedish Hospital | $95,503 | $45.91 |
| 18 | Keste | $95,242 | $45.79 |
| 19 | JNIT | $94,079 | $45.23 |
| 20 | J.F. Shea Co | $93,395 | $44.90 |
The average shift engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $94,852 | $45.60 |
| 2 | Transportation | $92,250 | $44.35 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $91,649 | $44.06 |
| 4 | Energy | $91,636 | $44.06 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $91,462 | $43.97 |
| 6 | Real Estate | $86,042 | $41.37 |
| 7 | Hospitality | $83,464 | $40.13 |
The average shift engineer salary has risen by $16,377 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average shift engineer earned $74,860 annually, but today, they earn $91,237 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for shift engineers over the last decade.
Compare shift engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare shift engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $91,200 | $43.86 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $87,700 | $42.15 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $85,300 | $40.99 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $84,500 | $40.62 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $83,800 | $40.28 | +1.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco | Openshift Engineer-Advanced | Richmond, VA | 06/30/2025 | $130,000 |
| CBRE | Union Engineer-3Rd Shift-Thurs-Mon | New York, NY | 06/28/2025 | $107,397 |
| Hilton Worldwide | Shift Engineer-Hilton SAN Diego Bayfront | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $58,707 |
| SDAC | Shift Engineer | Ione, WA | 06/27/2025 | $90,367 |
| Cantor Fitzgerald | Engineer, Building/Electrician-2Nd Shift | Somerville, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $78,200 |
| Newmark Group Inc. | Engineer, Building/Electrician-2Nd Shift | Branchburg, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $78,200 |
| Seagate Technology LLC | Development Off Shift Engineer-Early Career | Bloomington, MN | 06/17/2025 | $57,699 |
| Duluth Public Schools, ISD 709 | Second Shift Engineer II | Duluth, MN | 06/17/2025 | $46,039 |
| Matlen Silver, Inc. | Openshift Engineer/Architect | Boone, NC | 06/12/2025 | $135,655 |
| Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics | Manufacturing Shift Engineer I | Rochester, NY | 06/11/2025 | $45,000 |
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