How much does a senior engineering manager make?

Senior engineering managers make an average of $175,900 annually, which is $84.57 hourly. The range reported is between $103,00 to $260,500 and varies based on location, industry, and company size. Senior engineering managers have strong work histories and are paid more for additional degrees or specialization.

What qualifications do you need to be a senior engineer?

The qualifications you need to be a senior engineer are: A Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an accredited university Professional Engineer (PE) license or certifications for working in your field Five years of industry experience A Masters in Business (MBA) may be necessary to work as a manager leading teams Strong communication, organization, and budgeting skills

What is a senior engineering manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted Experts

Andrea Welker Ph.D.,

Steven Fernandez

A senior engineering manager oversees the work of engineers in a company. They plan, coordinate, and manage engineering projects to ensure on-time completion while remaining within budget. Senior engineering managers lead teams of engineers, set project goals, assign tasks, and monitor progress. They also work with other departments to ensure that product designs meet business objectives. Success in this role requires strong technical knowledge, leadership, and communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What general advice would you give to a Senior Engineering Manager?

Andrea Welker Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

Be open to new experiences. Find a good mentor. Become a valued employee. Always remember that you are designing something for someone.

ScoreSenior Engineering ManagerUS Average

Salary

9.1

Avg. Salary $155,753

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.4

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 17.65%

Black or African American 2.92%

Hispanic or Latino 8.19%

Unknown 4.57%

White 66.53%

Gender

female 10.13%

male 89.87%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress Level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Senior Engineering Manager?

Pros

Influence over the direction of the company
Opportunities for networking and building industry connections
Flexibility in work schedule and location
Potential for significant bonuses or equity options
Ability to make a positive impact on society through engineering solutions

Cons

Difficult decisions regarding project priorities and resource allocation
Potential for conflict resolution among team members or with leadership
Risk of burnout or job dissatisfaction due to high demands
Limited autonomy in decision-making due to company policies or restrictions
High levels of competition in the industry

Key steps to become a senior engineering manager

Explore senior engineering manager education requirements

Most common senior engineering manager degrees

Bachelor's

67.6 %

Master's

21.9 %

Associate

5.9 %

Start to develop specific senior engineering manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Java	10.61%
Architecture	7.58%
Cloud	7.46%
Infrastructure	6.72%
Software Development	5.37%

Complete relevant senior engineering manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior engineering managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior engineering manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior engineering manager resumes.

Research senior engineering manager duties and responsibilities

Lead PCB design activities for achieving signal integrity and EMC/EMI compliances.
Manage and lead technical NPI cross-functional team, focal contact and liaison for manufacturing supply chain.
Direct and manage all FEA & CFD activities including hardware and software system activities.
Promote lead engineer to manage new internal SDLC, cutting bug-fix time from weeks to days.

Get senior engineering manager experience

Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become a senior engineering manager. The most common roles before becoming a senior engineering manager include engineering manager, project engineer team lead and senior engineer.

Prepare your senior engineering manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior engineering manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior engineering manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Senior Engineering Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Senior Engineering Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Senior Engineering Manager resume.

Apply for senior engineering manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior engineering manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do senior engineering managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Senior Engineering Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Cons

very little

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

Being able to solve technical problems and manage staff for work

Cons

Less pay and not being able to freely speak what's on my mind

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

Solving problems with the utmost educated confidence

Cons

Indecisive colleagues and related problems because if their lack of ability and skills

What is a senior engineering manager and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Senior Engineering Manager?

What are the pros and cons of being a Senior Engineering Manager?

Senior Engineering Manager career paths

Key steps to become a senior engineering manager

Explore senior engineering manager education requirements

Most common senior engineering manager degrees

Start to develop specific senior engineering manager skills

Complete relevant senior engineering manager training and internships

Research senior engineering manager duties and responsibilities

Get senior engineering manager experience

Prepare your senior engineering manager resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Senior Engineering Manager Resume templates

Apply for senior engineering manager jobs

How Did You Land Your First Senior Engineering Manager Job

Average senior engineering manager salary

How do senior engineering managers rate their job?

Senior Engineering Manager reviews

Senior Engineering Manager FAQs

How much does a senior engineering manager make?

What qualifications do you need to be a senior engineer?

Search for senior engineering manager jobs

Senior Engineering Manager jobs by state