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Senior engineer/scientist salary
Average senior engineer/scientist salary
$107,792
Average Senior Engineer/Scientist Salary
The average salary for a Senior Engineer/Scientist is currently $107,792 annually. However, this figure can fluctuate significantly depending on factors such as geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, professionals in high-demand areas like California and Texas often earn more due to the cost of living and competitive job markets.
Highest Paying States
States such as California, Washington, and Massachusetts rank among the highest paying for Senior Engineers/Scientists. In these regions, salaries can exceed the national average, reflecting the concentration of tech companies and research institutions.
Top Industries
Industries like technology, healthcare, and engineering services are notable for offering higher salaries. Companies in these sectors prioritize skilled professionals, often providing competitive compensation packages.
- Technology: Focus on innovation drives demand.
- Healthcare: Growth in biomedical engineering roles.
- Engineering Services: Diverse projects requiring specialized skills.
Focusing on these details can help prospective employees make informed decisions regarding their career paths and salary expectations.
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Where can a Senior Engineer/Scientist earn more?
Average senior engineer/scientist salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior engineers/scientist are California, Rhode Island, and Hawaii. The lowest average senior engineer/scientist salary states are Kentucky, Kansas, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior engineers/scientist
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $120,776 | $58.07 |
| 2 | California | $122,450 | $58.87 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $119,107 | $57.26 |
| 4 | Arizona | $110,758 | $53.25 |
| 5 | Nevada | $113,274 | $54.46 |
| 6 | Washington | $111,822 | $53.76 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $113,113 | $54.38 |
| 8 | Ohio | $113,262 | $54.45 |
| 9 | Vermont | $109,032 | $52.42 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $108,171 | $52.01 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $116,893 | $56.20 |
| 12 | Alabama | $106,739 | $51.32 |
| 13 | Texas | $106,582 | $51.24 |
| 14 | Michigan | $106,470 | $51.19 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $107,785 | $51.82 |
| 16 | Idaho | $105,789 | $50.86 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $103,024 | $49.53 |
| 18 | Montana | $104,486 | $50.23 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $100,788 | $48.46 |
| 20 | Missouri | $105,684 | $50.81 |
| 21 | Maine | $104,523 | $50.25 |
| 22 | Colorado | $102,330 | $49.20 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $102,349 | $49.21 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $103,684 | $49.85 |
| 25 | Oregon | $100,949 | $48.53 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $100,213 | $48.18 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $105,219 | $50.59 |
| 28 | Maryland | $102,181 | $49.13 |
| 29 | Illinois | $101,709 | $48.90 |
| 30 | Delaware | $98,310 | $47.26 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $100,089 | $48.12 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $99,871 | $48.01 |
| 33 | Utah | $94,470 | $45.42 |
| 34 | Virginia | $96,785 | $46.53 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $100,978 | $48.55 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $96,364 | $46.33 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $93,563 | $44.98 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $94,686 | $45.52 |
| 39 | Connecticut | $95,357 | $45.84 |
| 40 | New York | $92,912 | $44.67 |
| 41 | Alaska | $92,143 | $44.30 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $94,816 | $45.58 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $94,734 | $45.55 |
| 44 | Georgia | $91,565 | $44.02 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $90,684 | $43.60 |
| 46 | Kansas | $87,845 | $42.23 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $87,905 | $42.26 |
| 48 | Iowa | $87,025 | $41.84 |
| 49 | Florida | $85,125 | $40.93 |
| 50 | Indiana | $80,616 | $38.76 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $81,806 | $39.33 |
Highest paying cities for senior engineers/scientist
The highest-paying cities for senior engineers/scientist are South San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South San Francisco, CA | $130,222 | $62.61 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $119,116 | $57.27 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $112,406 | $54.04 |
| 4 | Cincinnati, OH | $111,132 | $53.43 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $110,834 | $53.29 |
| 6 | Albuquerque, NM | $108,205 | $52.02 |
| 7 | Norwood, MA | $107,778 | $51.82 |
| 8 | San Antonio, TX | $107,598 | $51.73 |
| 9 | Maple Grove, MN | $102,463 | $49.26 |
| 10 | North Chicago, IL | $102,455 | $49.26 |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $100,336 | $48.24 |
| 12 | Rahway, NJ | $100,105 | $48.13 |
| 13 | Arlington, VA | $97,788 | $47.01 |
| 14 | East Hartford, CT | $95,356 | $45.84 |
| 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | $93,936 | $45.16 |
| 16 | New York, NY | $92,931 | $44.68 |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC | $92,930 | $44.68 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $91,192 | $43.84 |
Senior engineer/scientist salary details
A senior engineer/scientist's salary ranges from $82,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $140,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior engineer/scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $140,000 | $11,667 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| Average | $107,792 | $8,983 | $52 |
| 25th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| 10th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
Highest paying senior engineer/scientist jobs
The highest paying types of senior engineers/scientist are principal systems engineer, senior principal engineer, and principal engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stress Analyst | $85,194 | $7,100 | $40.96 | 8,437 |
| Principal Systems Engineer | $133,208 | $11,101 | $64.04 | 146,444 |
| Flight Test Engineer | $90,538 | $7,545 | $43.53 | 26,384 |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | $98,208 | $8,184 | $47.22 | 26,462 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
Top companies hiring senior engineers/scientist now:
Which companies pay senior engineers/scientist the most?
Senior engineer/scientist salaries at Microsoft and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior engineer/scientist salary at companies like ICE Mortgage Technology and Best Buy are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | $149,286 | $71.77 |
| 2 | Amazon | $147,129 | $70.74 |
| 3 | ICE Mortgage Technology | $135,762 | $65.27 |
| 4 | Best Buy | $129,569 | $62.29 |
| 5 | Nexient | $125,754 | $60.46 |
| 6 | 23andMe | $125,652 | $60.41 |
| 7 | Mythic | $124,172 | $59.70 |
| 8 | Dev | $123,912 | $59.57 |
| 9 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $123,779 | $59.51 |
| 10 | Plexus Scientific | $121,671 | $58.50 |
| 11 | FireEye | $121,137 | $58.24 |
| 12 | AbbVie | $118,643 | $57.04 |
| 13 | Novartis | $118,158 | $56.81 |
| 14 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $118,047 | $56.75 |
| 15 | CoreLogic | $117,079 | $56.29 |
| 16 | Amd | $116,984 | $56.24 |
| 17 | Sutro Biopharma | $116,674 | $56.09 |
| 18 | Sanofi US | $116,269 | $55.90 |
| 19 | Jobot | $116,126 | $55.83 |
| 20 | Catalent Pharma Solutions | $115,824 | $55.68 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Engineer/Scientist salary by industry
The average senior engineer/scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average senior engineer/scientist salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $114,509, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior engineer/scientist salary in the finance industry is $105,009.
- Senior engineers/scientist in the technology industry earn an average salary of $98,918, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior engineers/scientist
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $114,509 | $55.05 |
| 2 | Health Care | $105,009 | $50.49 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $103,682 | $49.85 |
| 4 | Finance | $101,622 | $48.86 |
| 5 | Transportation | $100,474 | $48.30 |
| 6 | Retail | $100,112 | $48.13 |
| 7 | Technology | $98,918 | $47.56 |
High paying senior engineer/scientist jobs
Senior engineer/scientist salary trends
The average senior engineer/scientist salary has risen by $14,713 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior engineer/scientist earned $93,079 annually, but today, they earn $107,792 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for senior engineers/scientist over the last decade.
Compare senior engineer/scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior engineer/scientist salary over time
Compare senior engineer/scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior engineer/scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $108,000 | $51.82 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $106,000 | $50.90 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $105,000 | $50.34 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $103,000 | $49.39 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $99,600 | $47.91 | +1.7% |
Recently added senior engineer/scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter | Senior AI Engineer-Data Scientist | Milwaukee, WI | 06/26/2025 | $112,000 |
| Sigma Defense | 1526-Senior Engineering Scientist | Fayetteville, NC | 06/25/2025 | $105,000 |
| Boston Bioprocess Inc. | Senior Bioprocess Scientist/Engineer | Champaign, IL | 06/17/2025 | $90,000 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | SR. Applied Scientist, Workforce Intelligence Powered By Scientific Engineering | Seattle, WA | 06/16/2025 | $150,400 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | SR Applied Scientist/Machine Learning Engineer, Sponsored Products ADS Response Prediction | Palo Alto, CA | 06/16/2025 | $150,400 |
| Moffatt & Nichol | Sediment Engineer/Scientist-Mid-To-Senior Level | Long Beach, CA | 06/16/2025 | $95,000 |
| Abbvie | Senior Scientist II, Multispecific Engineering | Worcester, MA | 06/10/2025 | $106,500 |
| Montrose | Senior Engineer, Geologist or Scientist | Atlanta, GA | 06/07/2025 | $100,000 |
| Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. | Senior Scientist 1, Protein Engineering | San Rafael, CA | 06/05/2025 | $128,000 |
| Jeppesen | Senior Electrophysics/Electromagnetics Engineer-Scientist | Berkeley, MO | 05/27/2025 | $145,350 |
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