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The average salary for a Systems Engineer Staff is approximately $129,611 per year, translating to about $62 per hour. This rate reflects the demand for skilled professionals in the technology sector. As you gain more experience, your salary can increase significantly. For instance, entry-level positions might start lower, while seasoned experts can earn much more depending on their expertise and the complexity of their roles.
Salary levels vary by state, reflecting local demand and cost of living. For example, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to their robust tech markets. Additionally, cities like San Francisco and Seattle are known for their competitive compensation packages, encouraging professionals to relocate for better opportunities.
As a Systems Engineer Staff, you can explore various roles, from software development to network architecture. Staying informed about industry trends and continuously upgrading your skills can enhance your career prospects and salary potential. Many companies also provide ongoing training and advancement opportunities, making this a promising field for new graduates and seasoned professionals alike.
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The highest-paying states for systems engineers staff are California, Maryland, and Nevada. The lowest average systems engineer staff salary states are Iowa, Indiana, and South Carolina.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $125,334 | $60.26 |
| 2 | Nevada | $125,454 | $60.31 |
| 3 | Delaware | $125,126 | $60.16 |
| 4 | Maryland | $128,124 | $61.60 |
| 5 | Vermont | $120,887 | $58.12 |
| 6 | Virginia | $123,190 | $59.23 |
| 7 | Washington | $123,199 | $59.23 |
| 8 | Oregon | $121,779 | $58.55 |
| 9 | California | $129,790 | $62.40 |
| 10 | Alabama | $119,269 | $57.34 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $118,478 | $56.96 |
| 12 | Utah | $117,071 | $56.28 |
| 13 | Alaska | $123,887 | $59.56 |
| 14 | Texas | $115,819 | $55.68 |
| 15 | Georgia | $118,233 | $56.84 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $117,781 | $56.63 |
| 17 | Ohio | $115,151 | $55.36 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $117,976 | $56.72 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $113,681 | $54.65 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $112,540 | $54.11 |
| 21 | Idaho | $114,060 | $54.84 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $107,724 | $51.79 |
| 23 | Michigan | $112,293 | $53.99 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $111,224 | $53.47 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $113,522 | $54.58 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $110,994 | $53.36 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $116,140 | $55.84 |
| 28 | Maine | $111,067 | $53.40 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $115,353 | $55.46 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $108,981 | $52.39 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $109,769 | $52.77 |
| 32 | Florida | $111,720 | $53.71 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $106,511 | $51.21 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $106,166 | $51.04 |
| 35 | Illinois | $107,742 | $51.80 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $108,676 | $52.25 |
| 37 | Colorado | $103,213 | $49.62 |
| 38 | New York | $106,352 | $51.13 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $107,095 | $51.49 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $106,676 | $51.29 |
| 41 | Missouri | $107,385 | $51.63 |
| 42 | Kansas | $104,586 | $50.28 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $102,291 | $49.18 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $106,220 | $51.07 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $101,993 | $49.04 |
| 46 | Indiana | $100,070 | $48.11 |
| 47 | Iowa | $100,187 | $48.17 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $92,471 | $44.46 |
| 49 | Montana | $92,698 | $44.57 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $99,743 | $47.95 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $98,581 | $47.39 |
The highest-paying cities for systems engineers staff are San Francisco, CA, Annapolis, MD, and Bellevue, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $135,599 | $65.19 |
| 2 | Annapolis, MD | $128,625 | $61.84 |
| 3 | Bellevue, WA | $124,803 | $60.00 |
| 4 | Reston, VA | $122,578 | $58.93 |
| 5 | Huntsville, AL | $118,388 | $56.92 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | $118,032 | $56.75 |
| 7 | Round Rock, TX | $116,546 | $56.03 |
| 8 | Roy, UT | $115,892 | $55.72 |
| 9 | Bridgewater, NJ | $115,835 | $55.69 |
| 10 | Melbourne, FL | $112,830 | $54.25 |
| 11 | Bentonville, AR | $111,081 | $53.40 |
| 12 | Rockford, IL | $107,201 | $51.54 |
| 13 | Colorado Springs, CO | $104,538 | $50.26 |
| 14 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $100,828 | $48.48 |
A systems engineer staff's salary ranges from $95,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $175,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $175,000 | $14,583 | $84 |
| 75th Percentile | $152,000 | $12,667 | $73 |
| Average | $129,611 | $10,801 | $62 |
| 25th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| 10th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
The highest paying types of systems engineers staff are senior staff engineer, principal systems engineer, and senior principal engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal Engineer | $130,213 | $10,851 | $62.60 | 312,683 |
| Embedded Software Engineer | $102,143 | $8,512 | $49.11 | 171,613 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Software Engineer | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48.20 | 339,938 |
Top companies hiring systems engineers staff now:
Systems engineer staff salaries at Cheniere Energy and Medallia are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average systems engineer staff salary at companies like PayPal and VMware are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cheniere Energy | $167,617 | $80.59 |
| 2 | Medallia | $160,327 | $77.08 |
| 3 | PayPal | $156,074 | $75.04 |
| 4 | VMware | $153,690 | $73.89 |
| 5 | Vonage | $152,758 | $73.44 |
| 6 | Rivian | $149,604 | $71.92 |
| 7 | Über | $148,083 | $71.19 |
| 8 | NVIDIA | $148,022 | $71.16 |
| 9 | Argo AI | $146,281 | $70.33 |
| 10 | $145,593 | $70.00 | |
| 11 | Cruise Automation | $145,259 | $69.84 |
| 12 | Platfora | $144,869 | $69.65 |
| 13 | Tesla | $140,808 | $67.70 |
| 14 | Riot Games | $140,480 | $67.54 |
| 15 | ServiceNow | $140,449 | $67.52 |
| 16 | Futurewei Technologies | $139,525 | $67.08 |
| 17 | PacBio | $139,178 | $66.91 |
| 18 | NIO | $138,993 | $66.82 |
| 19 | Renesas Electronics | $138,585 | $66.63 |
| 20 | Cadence Design Systems | $138,301 | $66.49 |
The average systems engineer staff salary has risen by $23,651 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average systems engineer staff earned $105,960 annually, but today, they earn $129,611 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for systems engineers staff over the last decade.
Compare systems engineer staff salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare systems engineer staff salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $130,000 | $62.31 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $125,000 | $60.26 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $123,000 | $58.90 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $121,000 | $58.21 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $119,000 | $57.21 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northrop Grumman | Staff Systems Engineer-Requirements | Annapolis, MD | 06/28/2025 | $155,400 |
| Northrop Grumman | Staff Cybersecurity Systems Engineer | San Antonio, TX | 06/28/2025 | $171,000 |
| Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. | Staff Systems Engineer | Carlsbad, CA | 06/28/2025 | $110,500 |
| Shield Ai | Staff Fluid Systems Engineer | Dallas, TX | 06/28/2025 | $141,305 |
| General Motors | Staff Evaluation Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles | Jefferson City, MO | 06/27/2025 | $253,200 |
| General Motors | Staff Evaluation Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles | Sacramento, CA | 06/27/2025 | $253,200 |
| General Motors | Staff Evaluation Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/27/2025 | $253,200 |
| General Motors | Staff Evaluation Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles | Concord, NH | 06/27/2025 | $253,200 |
| General Motors | Staff Evaluation Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles | Augusta, ME | 06/27/2025 | $253,200 |
| General Motors | Staff Evaluation Systems Engineer, Autonomous Vehicles | Olympia, WA | 06/27/2025 | $253,200 |
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