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As of October 2025, the average salary for a Stress Engineer stands at approximately $107,036 per year. This figure reflects a wide range of salaries influenced by various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and specific industries. Stress engineers with advanced skills and significant experience can command higher salaries, particularly in high-demand areas like aerospace and automotive engineering.
In terms of experience, entry-level stress engineers typically start at a lower salary, gradually increasing as they gain expertise. For example, those with 1-5 years of experience may earn about $80,000, while those with over a decade in the field can see salaries exceeding $120,000.
Moreover, certain states offer higher compensation for stress engineers. States like California, Texas, and New York tend to pay more due to the higher cost of living and demand for specialized skills. Exploring job openings in these areas can provide candidates with lucrative opportunities. Understanding these salary dynamics is essential for professionals navigating their career paths in this field.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level stress engineer | $70,900 | $34.08 |
| Mid-level stress engineer | $97,400 | $46.84 |
| Senior-level stress engineer | $154,000 | $74.14 |
The average stress engineer salary in Washington, Texas, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average stress engineer salary states are Iowa, Arkansas, and Maryland.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $120,079 | $57.73 |
| 2 | Arizona | $112,759 | $54.21 |
| 3 | Texas | $116,718 | $56.11 |
| 4 | Utah | $109,362 | $52.58 |
| 5 | Nevada | $113,325 | $54.48 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $112,553 | $54.11 |
| 7 | Georgia | $106,752 | $51.32 |
| 8 | California | $107,700 | $51.78 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $105,672 | $50.80 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $99,768 | $47.97 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $105,890 | $50.91 |
| 12 | Oregon | $100,962 | $48.54 |
| 13 | Idaho | $106,822 | $51.36 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $101,134 | $48.62 |
| 15 | Vermont | $99,324 | $47.75 |
| 16 | Montana | $100,667 | $48.40 |
| 17 | Alabama | $94,602 | $45.48 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $102,939 | $49.49 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $98,529 | $47.37 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $102,712 | $49.38 |
| 21 | Florida | $99,533 | $47.85 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $95,123 | $45.73 |
| 23 | Alaska | $95,525 | $45.93 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $98,871 | $47.53 |
| 25 | Delaware | $92,761 | $44.60 |
| 26 | Colorado | $95,560 | $45.94 |
| 27 | Indiana | $92,351 | $44.40 |
| 28 | New York | $97,756 | $47.00 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $94,087 | $45.23 |
| 30 | Virginia | $90,419 | $43.47 |
| 31 | Maine | $94,812 | $45.58 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $93,301 | $44.86 |
| 33 | Michigan | $89,010 | $42.79 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $88,612 | $42.60 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $87,861 | $42.24 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $88,517 | $42.56 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $89,082 | $42.83 |
| 38 | Illinois | $85,496 | $41.10 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $84,856 | $40.80 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $82,934 | $39.87 |
| 41 | Maryland | $78,964 | $37.96 |
| 42 | Ohio | $82,645 | $39.73 |
| 43 | Missouri | $87,447 | $42.04 |
| 44 | New Jersey | $84,172 | $40.47 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $84,446 | $40.60 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $80,628 | $38.76 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $77,450 | $37.24 |
| 48 | Kansas | $82,974 | $39.89 |
| 49 | Iowa | $82,223 | $39.53 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $78,817 | $37.89 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $65,960 | $31.71 |
The highest-paying cities for stress engineers are Seattle, WA, Fort Worth, TX, and Santa Cruz, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $120,749 | $58.05 |
| 2 | Fort Worth, TX | $116,795 | $56.15 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz, CA | $113,023 | $54.34 |
| 4 | Tempe, AZ | $112,934 | $54.30 |
| 5 | Savannah, GA | $107,730 | $51.79 |
| 6 | Chattanooga, TN | $99,485 | $47.83 |
| 7 | Mobile, AL | $97,614 | $46.93 |
| 8 | Ann Arbor, MI | $88,929 | $42.75 |
| 9 | Greensboro, NC | $88,444 | $42.52 |
| 10 | Greenville, SC | $87,617 | $42.12 |
| 11 | Hazelwood, MO | $86,996 | $41.83 |
| 12 | Wichita, KS | $84,447 | $40.60 |
| 13 | Little Rock, AR | $81,028 | $38.96 |
| 14 | Oklahoma City, OK | $79,319 | $38.13 |
| 15 | Appleton, WI | $66,231 | $31.84 |
A stress engineer's salary ranges from $73,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $156,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $156,000 | $13,000 | $75 |
| 75th Percentile | $130,000 | $10,833 | $63 |
| Average | $107,036 | $8,920 | $51 |
| 25th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 10th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
The highest paying types of stress engineers are senior engineer, tool engineer, and research and development engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research And Development Engineer | $100,169 | $8,347 | $48.16 | 187,910 |
| Product Development Engineer | $86,075 | $7,173 | $41.38 | 202,155 |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | $75,821 | $6,318 | $36.45 | 120,258 |
| Development Engineer | $93,206 | $7,767 | $44.81 | 224,881 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $75,352 | $6,279 | $36.23 | 105,618 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $78,522 | $6,543 | $37.75 | 115,384 |
Top companies hiring stress engineers now:
Stress engineer salaries at CTS and Apollo Professional Solutions are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average stress engineer salary at companies like Axis and Hi-Tec Systems are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CTS Corporation | $130,579 | $62.78 |
| 2 | Apollo Professional Solutions | $129,620 | $62.32 |
| 3 | Axis | $128,532 | $61.79 |
| 4 | Hi-Tec Systems | $127,144 | $61.13 |
| 5 | Honeywell | $126,731 | $60.93 |
| 6 | Gulfstream Aerospace | $126,261 | $60.70 |
| 7 | Romeo Power, Inc. | $125,102 | $60.15 |
| 8 | Andromeda Systems Incorporated | $125,069 | $60.13 |
| 9 | Jacobs Enterprises | $124,972 | $60.08 |
| 10 | (i)Structure | $124,967 | $60.08 |
| 11 | Hi-Tek | $124,967 | $60.08 |
| 12 | PDS Tech | $124,948 | $60.07 |
| 13 | Driessen Aircraft Interior Systems, Inc. | $124,847 | $60.02 |
| 14 | Valdes Engineering | $123,522 | $59.39 |
| 15 | S & B Engineers and Constructors | $123,286 | $59.27 |
| 16 | Labinal Inc | $123,286 | $59.27 |
| 17 | Joby Aviation | $120,374 | $57.87 |
| 18 | System One | $119,488 | $57.45 |
| 19 | Learjet | $119,264 | $57.34 |
| 20 | Day & Zimmermann | $118,309 | $56.88 |
The average stress engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $110,420 | $53.09 |
| 2 | Technology | $100,573 | $48.35 |
| 3 | Transportation | $98,948 | $47.57 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $98,209 | $47.22 |
| 5 | Construction | $92,793 | $44.61 |
The average stress engineer salary has risen by $14,611 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average stress engineer earned $92,425 annually, but today, they earn $107,036 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for stress engineers over the last decade.
Compare stress engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare stress engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $107,000 | $51.46 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $105,000 | $50.54 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $104,000 | $49.99 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $102,000 | $49.04 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $98,900 | $47.57 | +1.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actalent | Stress Engineer | Wichita, KS | 06/29/2025 | $135,655 |
| St. Engineering North America | Stress Engineer | Baltimore, MD | 06/28/2025 | $64,400 |
| Sargent & Lundy | Lead Piping Stress Engineer 1-Nuclear | Chattanooga, TN | 06/24/2025 | $116,620 |
| Enercon | Pipe Stress Engineer | Kennesaw, GA | 06/19/2025 | $80,800 |
| Joby Aviation Inc. | Stress Engineer, Methods and Allowables | Santa Cruz, CA | 06/18/2025 | $113,900 |
| Kiewit | SR. Pipe Stress Engineer-Power Generation | Atlanta, GA | 06/13/2025 | $140,000 |
| The Structures Company, LLC | Senior Stress Engineer | Greensboro, NC | 06/12/2025 | $166,960 |
| Genesis | Senior Piping Stress Engineer | Claremont, CA | 06/12/2025 | $110,400 |
| Technip Energies N.V | Senior Piping Stress Engineer | Claremont, CA | 06/12/2025 | $110,400 |
| Atkinsrealis | Pipe Stress Engineer | Tempe, AZ | 06/11/2025 | $110,000 |
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