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Senior research engineer salary
Average senior research engineer salary
$115,047
Average Senior Research Engineer Salary
The role of a Senior Research Engineer is critical in various sectors, with an average salary of $115,047 per year. This figure reflects a combination of experience, education, and industry-specific demands. Many senior engineers hold advanced degrees, which often correlates with higher pay.
Where Can a Senior Research Engineer Earn More?
Salary levels vary significantly by location. For instance, states with high demand for engineering talent, such as California and New York, typically offer higher pay. Other factors contributing to salary differences include years of experience, with more seasoned professionals commanding higher salaries.
Highest Paying Industries
Industries such as technology, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace frequently provide the highest salaries for Senior Research Engineers. In these fields, engineers are pivotal in driving innovation and product development, thereby justifying the elevated pay scales.
Overall, understanding the salary landscape is essential for job seekers looking to maximize their earning potential while aligning their career goals with industry demands.
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Where can a Senior Research Engineer earn more?
Senior research engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior research engineer salary by state
The average senior research engineer salary in California, Washington, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior research engineer salary states are North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior research engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $147,816 | $71.07 |
| 2 | Washington | $134,743 | $64.78 |
| 3 | Idaho | $127,115 | $61.11 |
| 4 | Delaware | $114,564 | $55.08 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $129,200 | $62.12 |
| 6 | Arizona | $110,646 | $53.20 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $111,482 | $53.60 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $116,995 | $56.25 |
| 9 | Texas | $109,103 | $52.45 |
| 10 | Nevada | $116,058 | $55.80 |
| 11 | Virginia | $105,597 | $50.77 |
| 12 | Maryland | $114,584 | $55.09 |
| 13 | Iowa | $108,324 | $52.08 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $103,534 | $49.78 |
| 15 | Oregon | $100,467 | $48.30 |
| 16 | New York | $105,406 | $50.68 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $105,232 | $50.59 |
| 18 | Utah | $98,975 | $47.58 |
| 19 | Alaska | $111,113 | $53.42 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $106,584 | $51.24 |
| 21 | Illinois | $101,965 | $49.02 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $102,176 | $49.12 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $104,681 | $50.33 |
| 24 | Colorado | $100,082 | $48.12 |
| 25 | Michigan | $96,119 | $46.21 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $107,482 | $51.67 |
| 27 | Vermont | $96,130 | $46.22 |
| 28 | Georgia | $97,594 | $46.92 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $102,349 | $49.21 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $91,135 | $43.81 |
| 31 | Maine | $98,145 | $47.19 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $92,455 | $44.45 |
| 33 | Florida | $94,975 | $45.66 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $94,045 | $45.21 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $93,679 | $45.04 |
| 36 | Alabama | $90,746 | $43.63 |
| 37 | Indiana | $89,091 | $42.83 |
| 38 | Montana | $91,113 | $43.80 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $88,339 | $42.47 |
| 40 | Missouri | $89,942 | $43.24 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $87,409 | $42.02 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $86,130 | $41.41 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $87,833 | $42.23 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $85,673 | $41.19 |
| 45 | Ohio | $84,106 | $40.44 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $79,884 | $38.41 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $86,666 | $41.67 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $85,884 | $41.29 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $80,658 | $38.78 |
| 50 | Kansas | $78,115 | $37.56 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $76,544 | $36.80 |
Highest paying cities for senior research engineers
The highest-paying cities for senior research engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $156,711 | $75.34 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $135,945 | $65.36 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $116,985 | $56.24 |
| 4 | San Antonio, TX | $110,245 | $53.00 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $106,628 | $51.26 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $105,582 | $50.76 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $102,277 | $49.17 |
| 8 | East Hartford, CT | $102,084 | $49.08 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $99,984 | $48.07 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $97,359 | $46.81 |
| 11 | Warren, MI | $96,299 | $46.30 |
| 12 | Saint Paul, MN | $94,108 | $45.24 |
| 13 | Allentown, PA | $92,729 | $44.58 |
| 14 | East Chicago, IN | $89,996 | $43.27 |
| 15 | Huntsville, AL | $89,235 | $42.90 |
| 16 | Cleveland, OH | $85,181 | $40.95 |
| 17 | Wichita, KS | $78,565 | $37.77 |
Senior research engineer salary details
A senior research engineer's salary ranges from $87,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior research engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $151,000 | $12,583 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $133,000 | $11,083 | $64 |
| Average | $115,047 | $9,587 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
Highest paying senior research engineer jobs
The highest paying types of senior research engineers are senior staff engineer, senior principal engineer, and principal engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Chief Engineer | $108,050 | $9,004 | $51.95 | 88,473 |
| Tool Engineer | $101,135 | $8,428 | $48.62 | 98,936 |
| Design Engineer | $77,134 | $6,428 | $37.08 | 138,173 |
| Principal Engineer | $130,213 | $10,851 | $62.60 | 312,683 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior research engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring senior research engineers now:
Which companies pay senior research engineers the most?
Senior research engineer salaries at Netflix and Houzz are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior research engineer salary at companies like eBay and Twitter are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netflix | $173,715 | $83.52 |
| 2 | Houzz | $158,745 | $76.32 |
| 3 | eBay | $158,183 | $76.05 |
| 4 | $156,421 | $75.20 | |
| 5 | Apple | $153,787 | $73.94 |
| 6 | Walmart | $152,900 | $73.51 |
| 7 | Microsoft | $152,752 | $73.44 |
| 8 | Amazon | $148,484 | $71.39 |
| 9 | Palo Alto Networks | $144,013 | $69.24 |
| 10 | Vicarious | $143,742 | $69.11 |
| 11 | MySpace NYC | $142,782 | $68.65 |
| 12 | Automattic | $141,740 | $68.14 |
| 13 | Dolby Laboratories | $141,264 | $67.92 |
| 14 | NVIDIA | $141,169 | $67.87 |
| 15 | VMware | $138,671 | $66.67 |
| 16 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $137,260 | $65.99 |
| 17 | Zynga | $135,701 | $65.24 |
| 18 | Adobe | $135,593 | $65.19 |
| 19 | Fortinet | $134,990 | $64.90 |
| 20 | Tencent | $134,498 | $64.66 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Research Engineer salary by industry
The average senior research engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior research engineer salary in the finance industry is $131,185, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior research engineer salary in the finance industry is $125,670.
- Senior research engineers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $97,735, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior research engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $131,185 | $63.07 |
| 2 | Professional | $125,670 | $60.42 |
| 3 | Energy | $120,594 | $57.98 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $118,933 | $57.18 |
| 5 | Technology | $117,733 | $56.60 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $104,261 | $50.13 |
| 7 | Hospitality | $97,735 | $46.99 |
High paying senior research engineer jobs
Senior research engineer salary trends
The average senior research engineer salary has risen by $13,947 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior research engineer earned $101,100 annually, but today, they earn $115,047 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for senior research engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior research engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior research engineer salary over time
Compare senior research engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior research engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $115,000 | $55.31 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $113,000 | $54.25 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $111,000 | $53.60 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $110,000 | $52.69 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $107,000 | $51.65 | +0.7% |
Recently added senior research engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat | Senior Engineer-Research | Raleigh, NC | 06/28/2025 | $111,260 |
| Red Hat Inc. | Senior Engineer-Research | Boston, MA | 06/27/2025 | $111,260 |
| Open Roles | Senior ML Engineer, Foundation Model Research | Mountain View, CA | 06/27/2025 | $204,000 |
| Workshub | Senior Research Engineer | Palo Alto, CA | 06/27/2025 | $200,000 |
| Microsoft Corporation | Senior Researcher-Multimodal AI-Microsoft Research AI Frontiers | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $158,400 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Senior Research Engineer, Advanced Technology Laboratories | Arlington, TX | 06/23/2025 | $90,200 |
| Lockheed Martin | Senior Research Engineer, Advanced Technology Laboratories | North Arlington, NJ | 06/22/2025 | $91,000 |
| TRC Companies, Inc. | Senior Research Engineer | Oakland, CA | 06/19/2025 | $102,877 |
| Lockheed Martin | Senior Research Engineer, Advanced Technology Laboratories | Arlington, VA | 06/18/2025 | $90,200 |
| Microsoft | Senior ML Research Engineer-LLM Quantization & Model Optimization | Mountain View, CA | 06/18/2025 | $158,400 |
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