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The average salary for a Usability Engineer in the United States is $98,689 per year. This figure represents an hourly wage of approximately $47. Variations in salary are influenced by factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which one works.
Salaries for usability engineers can differ significantly by state. For instance, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in tech hubs. Understanding these regional differences is crucial for job seekers aiming to maximize their earning potential.
As the demand for user-centered design increases, usability engineers are finding expanded opportunities in various sectors, including technology, healthcare, and finance. This growth opens doors for higher-paying positions and specialized roles, making it an ideal time to pursue a career in usability engineering.
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The highest-paying states for usability engineers are Oregon, California, and Nevada. The lowest average usability engineer salary states are Kansas, Hawaii, and Missouri.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $115,898 | $55.72 |
| 2 | Washington | $107,474 | $51.67 |
| 3 | California | $111,975 | $53.83 |
| 4 | Vermont | $97,234 | $46.75 |
| 5 | Nevada | $110,516 | $53.13 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $95,919 | $46.11 |
| 7 | New York | $100,566 | $48.35 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $93,063 | $44.74 |
| 9 | Idaho | $98,604 | $47.41 |
| 10 | Utah | $91,346 | $43.92 |
| 11 | Delaware | $92,674 | $44.55 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $93,224 | $44.82 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $97,383 | $46.82 |
| 14 | Maryland | $94,572 | $45.47 |
| 15 | Alaska | $94,071 | $45.23 |
| 16 | Arizona | $89,615 | $43.08 |
| 17 | Florida | $92,980 | $44.70 |
| 18 | Virginia | $89,403 | $42.98 |
| 19 | Texas | $87,757 | $42.19 |
| 20 | Maine | $90,504 | $43.51 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $84,686 | $40.71 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $91,943 | $44.20 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $86,800 | $41.73 |
| 24 | Michigan | $86,733 | $41.70 |
| 25 | Georgia | $86,363 | $41.52 |
| 26 | Illinois | $86,358 | $41.52 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $85,307 | $41.01 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $85,742 | $41.22 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $86,009 | $41.35 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $83,472 | $40.13 |
| 31 | Iowa | $84,574 | $40.66 |
| 32 | Colorado | $80,975 | $38.93 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $83,824 | $40.30 |
| 34 | Montana | $80,671 | $38.78 |
| 35 | Ohio | $80,224 | $38.57 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $82,472 | $39.65 |
| 37 | Indiana | $76,022 | $36.55 |
| 38 | Alabama | $76,190 | $36.63 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $80,520 | $38.71 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $78,185 | $37.59 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $79,644 | $38.29 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $77,118 | $37.08 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $75,048 | $36.08 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $75,894 | $36.49 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $72,440 | $34.83 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $74,019 | $35.59 |
| 47 | Kansas | $74,612 | $35.87 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $75,455 | $36.28 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $73,236 | $35.21 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $72,566 | $34.89 |
| 51 | Missouri | $73,329 | $35.25 |
The highest-paying cities for usability engineers are San Francisco, CA, Redmond, WA, and Annapolis, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $120,781 | $58.07 |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | $108,252 | $52.04 |
| 3 | Annapolis, MD | $94,826 | $45.59 |
| 4 | Tempe, AZ | $89,666 | $43.11 |
| 5 | Round Rock, TX | $87,784 | $42.20 |
| 6 | Warren, MI | $86,991 | $41.82 |
| 7 | Alpharetta, GA | $85,929 | $41.31 |
| 8 | Bridgeport, CT | $85,919 | $41.31 |
| 9 | Waukesha, WI | $83,658 | $40.22 |
A usability engineer's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $145,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $145,000 | $12,083 | $70 |
| 75th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| Average | $98,689 | $8,224 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
The highest paying types of usability engineers are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and software engineer lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | $100,076 | $8,340 | $48.11 | 262,570 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Software Engineer Lead | $125,565 | $10,464 | $60.37 | 342,462 |
| Software Development Engineer | $109,147 | $9,096 | $52.47 | 356,971 |
| Software Systems Engineer | $107,102 | $8,925 | $51.49 | 370,518 |
Top companies hiring usability engineers now:
Usability engineer salaries at Varian Medical Systems and General Electric are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average usability engineer salary at companies like Dell and iNovex are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varian Medical Systems | $111,786 | $53.74 |
| 2 | General Electric | $108,787 | $52.30 |
| 3 | Dell | $107,926 | $51.89 |
| 4 | iNovex | $105,894 | $50.91 |
| 5 | The Apollo Group | $98,743 | $47.47 |
| 6 | General Motors | $96,158 | $46.23 |
| 7 | Virtue Group | $93,315 | $44.86 |
| 8 | Raytheon Technologies | $81,257 | $39.07 |
The average usability engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $108,628 | $52.23 |
| 2 | Technology | $104,410 | $50.20 |
| 3 | Media | $92,940 | $44.68 |
| 4 | Professional | $90,766 | $43.64 |
The average usability engineer salary has risen by $18,321 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average usability engineer earned $80,368 annually, but today, they earn $98,689 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for usability engineers over the last decade.
Compare usability engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare usability engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $98,700 | $47.45 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $95,400 | $45.88 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $93,300 | $44.84 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $91,600 | $44.05 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $90,100 | $43.31 | +1.8% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carestream | Usability Engineer | Rochester, NY | 06/07/2025 | $99,900 |
| Philips | Senior Usability Engineer-Medical Device | Cambridge, MA | 12/09/2024 | $130,000 |
| Brainport Eindhoven | Senior Usability Engineer-Medical Device | Cambridge, MA | 12/09/2024 | $130,000 |
| Amentum | Usability Engineer 2 | Annapolis, MD | 12/06/2024 | $149,000 |
| SIRA Consulting Inc. | Usability Engineer/Architect | Orlando, FL | 05/13/2024 | $74,464 |
| Caci International Inc. | Usability Engineer | Arlington, VA | 03/05/2024 | $94,400 |
| Philips | Senior Usability Engineer-Ultrasound | Cambridge, MA | 01/24/2024 | $130,000 |
| Philips | Senior Usability Engineer-Ultrasound | Cambridge, MA | 01/24/2024 | $130,000 |
| Philips | Senior Usability Engineer-Ultrasound | Bothell, WA | 01/23/2024 | $130,000 |
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