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Staff engineer demographics and statistics in the US

Staff engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates staff engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our staff engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about staff engineers after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 81,848 staff engineers currently employed in the United States.
  • 12.1% of all staff engineers are women, while 87.9% are men.
  • The average staff engineer age is 40 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of staff engineers is White (67.6%), followed by Asian (16.8%), Hispanic or Latino (7.8%) and Unknown (4.5%).
  • In 2022, women earned 104% of what men earned.
  • 5% of all staff engineers are LGBT.
  • Staff engineers are 51% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
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Staff engineer demographics by:

Staff engineer gender statistics

12.1% of staff engineers are women and 87.9% of staff engineers are men.
  • Male, 87.9%
  • Female, 12.1%

Staff engineer gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male87.9%
Female12.1%

Staff engineer gender pay gap

Women earn $1.04 for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$103,345
female-income
Female income
$107,306

Staff engineer gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in staff engineer positions over time. Currently, 12.1% of staff engineers are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Staff engineer gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201089.83%10.17%
201192.81%7.19%
201290.77%9.23%
201391.30%8.70%
201490.24%9.76%
201589.44%10.56%
201690.59%9.41%
201788.72%11.28%
201889.31%10.69%
201989.19%10.81%
202086.82%13.18%
202187.86%12.14%

Staff engineer related jobs gender ratio

We compared staff engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, senior electronics design engineer and refrigeration engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Domestic Engineer11%89%
Staff Engineer88%12%
Machine Tool Designer99%1%
Refrigeration Engineer99%1%
Senior Electronics Design Engineer99%1%

Staff engineer demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among staff engineers is White, which makes up 67.6% of all staff engineers. Comparatively, 16.8% of staff engineers are Asian and 7.8% of staff engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
  • White, 67.6%
  • Asian, 16.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 7.8%
  • Unknown, 4.5%
  • Black or African American, 3.1%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%

Staff engineer race

Staff engineer racePercentages
White67.6%
Asian16.8%
Hispanic or Latino7.8%
Unknown4.5%
Black or African American3.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%

Staff engineer race and ethnicity over time

See how staff engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Staff engineer race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201074.83%3.16%14.73%5.49%
201174.90%3.16%14.51%5.79%
201275.33%3.39%13.67%6.12%
201374.90%2.64%15.16%5.54%
201472.93%2.74%16.28%6.54%
201573.40%2.98%14.89%7.13%
201671.43%3.18%15.98%7.72%
201772.15%2.46%15.70%7.65%
201872.93%2.77%15.34%6.88%
201971.39%3.02%15.84%7.16%
202067.88%2.72%17.34%8.51%
202167.62%3.07%16.85%7.84%

Staff engineer wage gap by race

According to our data, hispanic or latino staff engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american staff engineers have the lowest average salary at $96,101.
$109,000
$106,000
$103,000
$100,000
$97,000
$94,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$103,533
White$105,241
Black or African American$96,101
Asian$104,144
Hispanic or Latino$108,099

Average staff engineer age

See how the average age of staff engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Staff engineer age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown3936
White4033
Black or African American4048
Asian38.534
Hispanic or Latino3926

Staff engineer age breakdown

The average age of staff engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 49% of the staff engineer population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Staff engineer age breakdown

Staff Engineer YearsPercentages
40+ years49%
30-40 years31%
20-30 years20%

Staff engineer educational attainment

The most common degree for staff engineers is bachelor's degree, with 74% of staff engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

Staff engineers by degree level

Staff engineer degreePercentages
Bachelor's74%
Master's16%
Associate5%
Doctorate3%
Other Degrees2%

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Staff engineer wage gap by degree level

According to the data, staff engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $140,852 annually. With a Master's degree, staff engineers earn a median annual income of $125,933 compared to $105,985 for staff engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
$141,000
$134,000
$127,000
$120,000
$113,000
$106,000
$99,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$125,933
Bachelor's Degree$105,985
Doctorate Degree$140,852

Staff engineer employment statistics

Most staff engineers work for a public in the technology industry.

Company size where staff engineers work

Below, you can see the size of companies where staff engineers work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Staff engineer jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees3%
50 - 100 employees7%
100 - 500 employees15%
500 - 1,000 employees9%
1,000 - 10,000 employees30%
> 10,000 employees36%

Staff engineer jobs by company type

Employees with the staff engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most staff engineers prefer to work at public companies over private companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Staff engineer jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education2%
Public51%
Private45%
Government3%

Staff engineer jobs by industry

The most common industries for staff engineers are technology, professional and manufacturing.

Technology

Fortune 500

Professional

Manufacturing

Internet

Staff engineer turnover and employment statistics

Staff engineer unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for staff engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Staff engineer unemployment rate by year

YearStaff engineer unemployment rate
20106.09%
20114.26%
20122.86%
20131.99%
20141.63%
20151.74%
20161.46%
20171.74%
20181.20%
20191.42%
20202.46%
20212.18%

Average staff engineer tenure

The average staff engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 7,977 staff engineers resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Staff engineer tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year11%
1-2 years35%
3-4 years19%
5-7 years17%
8-10 years8%
11+ years11%

Staff engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of staff engineers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Corporate Health, Safety, And Security Manager3.67%112,769
Staff Engineer4.55%-
Mine Safety Manager5.25%15,444
Contracted Controls Engineer6.39%18,569
Airplane Designer7.54%43,986
Plastics Engineer8.92%47,267
Materials Branch Chief10.43%25,705

Similar staff engineer jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Corporate Health, Safety, And Security Manager3.67%112,769
Mine Safety Manager5.25%15,444
Contracted Controls Engineer6.39%18,569
Airplane Designer7.54%43,986
Plastics Engineer8.92%47,267
Materials Branch Chief10.43%25,705

Foreign languages spoken by staff engineers

The most common foreign language among staff engineers is Spanish at 33.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.6% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 9.2%.
  • Spanish, 33.9%
  • French, 9.6%
  • Chinese, 9.2%
  • German, 8.5%
  • Japanese, 6.3%
  • Other, 32.5%

Staff engineer languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish33.9%
French9.6%
Chinese9.2%
German8.5%
Japanese6.3%
Other32.5%

Staff engineer jobs

Staff engineer location demographics

The amount you can make as a staff engineer can depend on where you live. For example, the highest salary of staff engineers is $159,350. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located.

Where do staff engineers earn the most?

Staff engineers earn the most in California, where the average staff engineer salary is $118,226. The map here shows where staff engineers earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Staff Engineers?

By looking through more than 7,977 resumes, we found that the most popular places for staff engineers are San Diego, CA and Houston, TX.
Number of Staff Engineers

Staff engineer jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California13,957$118,226
2Texas4,874$80,433
3Massachusetts3,417$99,704
4New York3,252$84,067
5Florida3,095$68,246
6Pennsylvania3,081$73,607
7Virginia2,899$82,420
8Illinois2,730$81,470
9Washington2,532$88,631
10Ohio2,164$71,537
11North Carolina2,104$77,291
12Georgia2,018$71,005
13Michigan1,899$78,570
14Maryland1,839$90,594
15New Jersey1,838$82,154
16Colorado1,810$84,950
17Arizona1,750$100,076
18Minnesota1,654$80,628
19Oregon1,493$87,924
20Indiana1,271$74,116
21Utah1,099$78,629
22Wisconsin1,076$72,156
23Missouri1,074$72,112
24Alabama1,049$73,299
25Tennessee909$77,552
26South Carolina789$70,040
27Connecticut781$89,704
28District of Columbia640$99,590
29Iowa594$72,256
30Kansas539$66,352
31Kentucky533$71,115
32Louisiana485$81,772
33Nevada470$86,077
34New Hampshire445$87,110
35Arkansas436$59,131
36New Mexico412$108,301
37Nebraska399$68,452
38Oklahoma396$80,416
39Rhode Island350$89,431
40Idaho311$73,894
41Delaware286$93,212
42Maine259$97,023
43Mississippi238$70,125
44West Virginia219$94,659
45Montana213$59,959
46Vermont195$72,248
47Hawaii157$49,119
48North Dakota127$78,234
49Alaska119$76,280
50Wyoming104$71,763
51South Dakota100$67,650

Where are staff engineers in high demand?

Staff engineers are in high demand in San Francisco, CA. There are currently 53 job openings for staff engineers here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country staff engineers are in the most demand.
Jobs openings

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