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Senior systems engineer salary
Average senior systems engineer salary
$108,121
Understanding Senior Systems Engineer Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Senior Systems Engineer is around $108,121 annually. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, industry, and individual experience levels. For instance, senior systems engineers in leading tech hubs like San Francisco typically earn significantly more due to the high cost of living and competitive job market.
Salary by State
The salary for senior systems engineers varies by state. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $120,000, while in states like Texas or Florida, it may range around $100,000. These differences are influenced by local demand for engineering talent and the presence of major tech companies.
Job Opportunities and Growth
In addition to a competitive salary, senior systems engineers can find diverse job opportunities across various industries, including technology, finance, and healthcare. The demand for skilled engineers is on the rise, creating a favorable job market with opportunities for advancement. Professionals in this field are encouraged to continuously develop their skills and stay updated on industry trends to maximize their earning potential.
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Where can a Senior Systems Engineer earn more?
Senior systems engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior systems engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior systems engineers are Washington, California, and Oregon. The lowest average senior systems engineer salary states are Kentucky, Kansas, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior systems engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $126,311 | $60.73 |
| 2 | Oregon | $113,621 | $54.63 |
| 3 | California | $122,979 | $59.12 |
| 4 | Vermont | $106,751 | $51.32 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $104,250 | $50.12 |
| 6 | Nevada | $106,495 | $51.20 |
| 7 | Idaho | $106,705 | $51.30 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $108,308 | $52.07 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $104,474 | $50.23 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $100,785 | $48.45 |
| 11 | Virginia | $102,069 | $49.07 |
| 12 | Texas | $98,541 | $47.38 |
| 13 | Maine | $104,149 | $50.07 |
| 14 | New York | $105,658 | $50.80 |
| 15 | Maryland | $102,393 | $49.23 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $96,379 | $46.34 |
| 17 | Arizona | $97,514 | $46.88 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $98,041 | $47.14 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $97,021 | $46.64 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $98,965 | $47.58 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $95,760 | $46.04 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $99,729 | $47.95 |
| 23 | Michigan | $95,894 | $46.10 |
| 24 | Alaska | $98,877 | $47.54 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $96,070 | $46.19 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $95,291 | $45.81 |
| 27 | Utah | $93,235 | $44.82 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $106,651 | $51.27 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $95,980 | $46.14 |
| 30 | Delaware | $95,731 | $46.02 |
| 31 | Colorado | $94,341 | $45.36 |
| 32 | Ohio | $93,645 | $45.02 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $98,113 | $47.17 |
| 34 | Alabama | $90,556 | $43.54 |
| 35 | Florida | $95,031 | $45.69 |
| 36 | Iowa | $94,548 | $45.46 |
| 37 | Illinois | $94,681 | $45.52 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $92,428 | $44.44 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $92,414 | $44.43 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $93,589 | $44.99 |
| 41 | Georgia | $92,985 | $44.70 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $90,812 | $43.66 |
| 43 | Montana | $92,553 | $44.50 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $88,708 | $42.65 |
| 45 | Missouri | $88,030 | $42.32 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $86,364 | $41.52 |
| 47 | Kansas | $85,809 | $41.25 |
| 48 | Indiana | $84,817 | $40.78 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $82,896 | $39.85 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $83,347 | $40.07 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $84,195 | $40.48 |
Highest paying cities for senior systems engineers
The highest-paying cities for senior systems engineers are Redwood City, CA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood City, CA | $132,069 | $63.49 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $127,007 | $61.06 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $108,413 | $52.12 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $105,882 | $50.90 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $104,507 | $50.24 |
| 6 | Annapolis, MD | $102,716 | $49.38 |
| 7 | Springfield, VA | $102,613 | $49.33 |
| 8 | Bellevue, NE | $100,856 | $48.49 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $100,224 | $48.18 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $98,692 | $47.45 |
| 11 | Memphis, TN | $98,439 | $47.33 |
| 12 | Middletown, NJ | $98,272 | $47.25 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $97,482 | $46.87 |
| 14 | Washington, MI | $96,132 | $46.22 |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN | $96,128 | $46.22 |
| 16 | Tampa, FL | $95,315 | $45.82 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $94,831 | $45.59 |
| 18 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $94,730 | $45.54 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $94,376 | $45.37 |
| 20 | Durham, NC | $92,966 | $44.70 |
Senior Systems Engineers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Senior systems engineer salary details
A senior systems engineer's salary ranges from $82,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $141,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior systems engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $141,000 | $11,750 | $68 |
| 75th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| Average | $108,121 | $9,010 | $52 |
| 25th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| 10th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
Highest paying senior systems engineer jobs
The highest paying types of senior systems engineers are principal systems engineer, senior principal engineer, and senior systems software engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Integrator | $102,867 | $8,572 | $49.46 | 98,466 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Team Lead Engineer | $114,867 | $9,572 | $55.22 | 235,155 |
| Systems Integration Engineer | $106,065 | $8,839 | $50.99 | 217,599 |
| Systems Manager | $107,156 | $8,930 | $51.52 | 145,551 |
| Solutions Engineer | $95,482 | $7,957 | $45.91 | 123,287 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior systems engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring senior systems engineers now:
Which companies pay senior systems engineers the most?
Senior systems engineer salaries at Roku and Cloudflare are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior systems engineer salary at companies like Netflix and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roku | $178,187 | $85.67 |
| 2 | Cloudflare | $166,846 | $80.21 |
| 3 | Netflix | $163,945 | $78.82 |
| 4 | $161,545 | $77.67 | |
| 5 | CrowdStrike | $161,097 | $77.45 |
| 6 | Snowflake Computing | $158,037 | $75.98 |
| 7 | Conning | $156,633 | $75.30 |
| 8 | Atlassian | $153,992 | $74.03 |
| 9 | eBay | $153,553 | $73.82 |
| 10 | Microsoft | $152,219 | $73.18 |
| 11 | Quantcast | $151,948 | $73.05 |
| 12 | Box | $151,230 | $72.71 |
| 13 | VerticalResponse | $149,931 | $72.08 |
| 14 | Palo Alto Networks | $149,193 | $71.73 |
| 15 | NVIDIA | $147,794 | $71.05 |
| 16 | Apple | $147,504 | $70.92 |
| 17 | The Walt Disney Company | $147,241 | $70.79 |
| 18 | Sumo Logic | $147,212 | $70.78 |
| 19 | Dotdash | $147,173 | $70.76 |
| 20 | Uber Technologies | $146,999 | $70.67 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Systems Engineer salary by industry
The average senior systems engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior systems engineer salary in the retail industry is $116,608, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior systems engineer salary in the finance industry is $113,102.
- Senior systems engineers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $100,437, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior systems engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $116,608 | $56.06 |
| 2 | Automotive | $113,102 | $54.38 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $110,127 | $52.95 |
| 4 | Professional | $108,356 | $52.09 |
| 5 | Health Care | $108,059 | $51.95 |
| 6 | Finance | $107,947 | $51.90 |
| 7 | Manufacturing | $106,419 | $51.16 |
| 8 | Technology | $100,437 | $48.29 |
High paying senior systems engineer jobs
Senior systems engineer salary trends
The average senior systems engineer salary has risen by $18,379 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior systems engineer earned $89,742 annually, but today, they earn $108,121 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for senior systems engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior systems engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior systems engineer salary over time
Compare senior systems engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior systems engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $108,000 | $51.98 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $105,000 | $50.27 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $102,000 | $49.13 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $100,000 | $48.06 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | $99,300 | $47.73 | +1.2% |
Recently added senior systems engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eversource Energy | Senior Engineer, Transmission System Planning (Hybrid) | Hartford, CT | 06/30/2025 | $125,680 |
| F5 Networks | SR. Systems Engineer | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $128,800 |
| Walt Disney Imagineering | Resort Wide Systems Engineer Senior-Project | Glendale, CA | 06/30/2025 | $113,800 |
| Axos Bank | SR. Systems Engineer | Centennial, CO | 06/30/2025 | $100,000 |
| Carrier | SR Systems Engineer | East Syracuse, NY | 06/30/2025 | $74,181 |
| Jeppesen | Senior Systems Engineer (Comm & Network Systems) | Boone, CO | 06/30/2025 | $147,050 |
| Jeppesen | Design and Analysis Systems Engineer (Mid-Level or Senior) | China Lake Acres, CA | 06/30/2025 | $128,350 |
| Sierra Nevada | SR Systems Engineer-Mbse | Lone Tree, CO | 06/30/2025 | $143,487 |
| Blue Origin | Senior Systems Engineer-Honeybee Robotics | Longmont, CO | 06/30/2025 | $129,611 |
| Blue Origin | SR Vehicle Systems Engineer-New Glenn Stage 2 & Payload Accommodations | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $140,959 |
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