Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The role of a wireless engineer involves designing and implementing wireless communication systems, a critical aspect of modern technology. As of October 2025, the average annual salary stands at $103,718. This compensation reflects the growing demand for skilled professionals in the telecommunications field.
Salary levels can vary significantly based on experience. Entry-level wireless engineers typically earn less, while those with advanced skills and years in the industry may command higher salaries. For instance:
Additionally, geographic location plays a significant role in salary variations. States with high demand for technology experts, such as California and New York, often offer higher compensation packages. For example, wireless engineers in San Francisco can earn upwards of $120,000 annually.
Furthermore, factors like the specific industry—ranging from telecommunications to defense—can influence salary packages. By considering these elements, aspiring wireless engineers can make informed decisions about their career paths.
Let Zippi find your next wireless engineer job
Let Zippi find your next wireless engineer job
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level wireless engineer | $92,800 | $44.63 |
| Mid-level wireless engineer | $116,000 | $55.54 |
| Senior-level wireless engineer | $146,000 | $70.11 |
The highest-paying states for wireless engineers are California, Washington, and Nevada. The lowest average wireless engineer salary states are North Carolina, Indiana, and Montana.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $132,867 | $63.88 |
| 2 | Washington | $130,967 | $62.96 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $126,831 | $60.98 |
| 4 | Arizona | $111,605 | $53.66 |
| 5 | Nevada | $115,465 | $55.51 |
| 6 | Colorado | $103,488 | $49.75 |
| 7 | Idaho | $104,732 | $50.35 |
| 8 | Virginia | $102,023 | $49.05 |
| 9 | Alaska | $102,520 | $49.29 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $101,460 | $48.78 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $99,571 | $47.87 |
| 12 | Michigan | $93,715 | $45.06 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $105,864 | $50.90 |
| 14 | Maryland | $100,903 | $48.51 |
| 15 | Texas | $93,937 | $45.16 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $95,887 | $46.10 |
| 17 | Delaware | $96,540 | $46.41 |
| 18 | Alabama | $90,729 | $43.62 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $97,089 | $46.68 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $101,337 | $48.72 |
| 21 | New York | $94,795 | $45.57 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $94,690 | $45.52 |
| 23 | Maine | $93,558 | $44.98 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $88,828 | $42.71 |
| 25 | Missouri | $92,825 | $44.63 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $88,978 | $42.78 |
| 27 | Georgia | $87,941 | $42.28 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $89,946 | $43.24 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $84,457 | $40.60 |
| 30 | Kansas | $88,703 | $42.65 |
| 31 | Oregon | $85,475 | $41.09 |
| 32 | Florida | $85,300 | $41.01 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $88,731 | $42.66 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $86,264 | $41.47 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $86,660 | $41.66 |
| 36 | Ohio | $81,619 | $39.24 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $86,791 | $41.73 |
| 38 | Illinois | $84,941 | $40.84 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $85,262 | $40.99 |
| 40 | Vermont | $81,757 | $39.31 |
| 41 | Utah | $77,291 | $37.16 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $81,349 | $39.11 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $77,206 | $37.12 |
| 44 | Iowa | $77,963 | $37.48 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $77,307 | $37.17 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $77,608 | $37.31 |
| 47 | Indiana | $76,740 | $36.89 |
| 48 | Montana | $72,372 | $34.79 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $64,924 | $31.21 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $70,057 | $33.68 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $66,809 | $32.12 |
The highest-paying cities for wireless engineers are Fairfield, CA, Redmond, WA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairfield, CA | $140,456 | $67.53 |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | $131,553 | $63.25 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $126,883 | $61.00 |
| 4 | Littleton, CO | $103,550 | $49.78 |
| 5 | Arlington, VA | $102,868 | $49.46 |
| 6 | Paramus, NJ | $101,348 | $48.73 |
| 7 | Idaho Falls, ID | $100,218 | $48.18 |
| 8 | Oklahoma City, OK | $97,704 | $46.97 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $95,001 | $45.67 |
| 10 | Arlington, TX | $94,075 | $45.23 |
| 11 | Warren, MI | $93,968 | $45.18 |
| 12 | Knoxville, TN | $88,951 | $42.76 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $87,781 | $42.20 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $86,715 | $41.69 |
| 15 | Tampa, FL | $85,749 | $41.23 |
| 16 | Downers Grove, IL | $84,943 | $40.84 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $77,541 | $37.28 |
A wireless engineer's salary ranges from $76,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $140,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $140,000 | $11,667 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $121,000 | $10,083 | $58 |
| Average | $103,718 | $8,643 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| 10th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
The highest paying types of wireless engineers are staff design engineer, asic design engineer, and circuit design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCB Designer | $74,841 | $6,237 | $35.98 | 72,971 |
| Engineering Trainee | $60,235 | $5,020 | $28.96 | 79,966 |
| Controls Designer | $91,944 | $7,662 | $44.20 | 79,729 |
| Communications Engineer | $83,540 | $6,962 | $40.16 | 71,942 |
| Telecommunication Engineer | $80,789 | $6,732 | $38.84 | 28,331 |
| Staff Design Engineer | $128,071 | $10,673 | $61.57 | 154,963 |
Top companies hiring wireless engineers now:
Wireless engineer salaries at Meta and The Knot are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average wireless engineer salary at companies like Apple and Netgear are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $160,654 | $77.24 |
| 2 | The Knot | $160,163 | $77.00 |
| 3 | Apple | $151,226 | $72.70 |
| 4 | Netgear | $139,192 | $66.92 |
| 5 | H-E-B | $123,459 | $59.36 |
| 6 | Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display) | $121,968 | $58.64 |
| 7 | Kforce | $121,485 | $58.41 |
| 8 | On-X Life Technologies | $120,263 | $57.82 |
| 9 | Robert Half | $117,075 | $56.29 |
| 10 | Tesla | $115,996 | $55.77 |
| 11 | Nokia | $115,535 | $55.55 |
| 12 | Integrated Resources | $113,627 | $54.63 |
| 13 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $113,576 | $54.60 |
| 14 | Federated Wireless | $112,267 | $53.97 |
| 15 | Qualcomm | $111,947 | $53.82 |
| 16 | Science | $111,656 | $53.68 |
| 17 | Mobis America Inc. | $111,656 | $53.68 |
| 18 | Alcatel Networks Inc | $111,656 | $53.68 |
| 19 | Votela | $111,524 | $53.62 |
| 20 | SGS | $110,249 | $53.00 |
The average wireless engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $126,690 | $60.91 |
| 2 | Retail | $111,550 | $53.63 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $109,362 | $52.58 |
| 4 | Automotive | $109,337 | $52.57 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $107,735 | $51.80 |
| 6 | Technology | $105,593 | $50.77 |
The average wireless engineer salary has risen by $15,470 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average wireless engineer earned $88,248 annually, but today, they earn $103,718 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for wireless engineers over the last decade.
Compare wireless engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare wireless engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $104,000 | $49.86 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $102,000 | $48.95 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $99,100 | $47.62 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $98,500 | $47.38 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $95,700 | $46.00 | +0.9% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NES Associates | Secure Wireless Engineer | Saint Louis, MO | 06/28/2025 | $115,786 |
| NES Associates | Secure Wireless Engineer | Springfield, VA | 06/28/2025 | $115,786 |
| CBTS | Aruba Wireless Engineer | Louisville, KY | 06/27/2025 | $135,655 |
| Insight Global | Wireless Engineer | Saint Louis, MO | 06/26/2025 | $83,480 |
| Meta | Wireless Certification Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/25/2025 | $139,000 |
| Meta | Wireless Certification Engineer | Redmond, WA | 06/25/2025 | $139,000 |
| Teksystems | Senior Wireless Engineer | Jackson, MS | 06/24/2025 | $104,350 |
| INL | Wireless Engineer | Idaho Falls, ID | 06/22/2025 | $93,204 |
| Idaho National Laboratory | Wireless Engineer | Idaho Falls, ID | 06/20/2025 | $93,204 |
| Dxxx | Wireless Engineer | Idaho City, ID | 06/20/2025 | $93,204 |
Search for wireless engineer jobs