Entry-Level Engineer salary

Q: How much do entry-level entry-level engineers make?

Entry-level entry-level engineers (0–2 years) earn about $56,000 per year, rising to roughly $78,000 at mid-level and $97,000+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Q: Do entry-level engineers make good money?

Yes. The median entry-level engineer salary of $72,000 is 38% below the roughly $116,537 median across engineering occupations, and experienced entry-level engineers can earn $95,000 or more.

Q: Which cities pay entry-level engineers the most?

Estimated entry-level engineer pay is highest in San Jose ($106,560), San Francisco ($102,240), Seattle ($93,600). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

Mapped est.

Updated January 2025

Entry-level engineers are early-career engineers, typically with 0–2 years of experience — the starting pay band across most engineering disciplines.

Median pay

$72,000

U.S. typical

Top earners

$95,000

90th percentile

Entry level

$56,000

0–2 yrs

Senior

$97,000

15+ yrs

The median entry-level engineer salary in the U.S. is about $72,000 per year. Entry-level pay starts near $60,000, while top earners (90th percentile) make $95,000 or more. Entry-Level Engineeris a newer title that standard salary surveys don't track on its own, so this figure is a labeled estimate benchmarked against closely related engineering work.

Median annual wage

$72,000

Mean

$74,000

10th pct · $60,00090th pct · $95,000

What entry-level engineers do

Support designs and analysis under supervision, learn tools and standards, and take on growing project responsibility.

Entry-level engineers are early-career engineers, typically with 0–2 years of experience — the starting pay band across most engineering disciplines.

What affects entry-level engineer pay

▹Discipline (software and petroleum start higher)
▹Degree and internships
▹Metro and state cost of labor
▹Company type
▹Co-op / prior experience

Entry-Level Engineer salary by experience

Pay typically climbs from about $56,000 for entry level engineers to $97,000+ at the principal / staff level.

Entry level 0–2 yrs

$56,000

Early career 3–5 yrs

$67,500

Mid level 6–9 yrs

$78,000

Senior 10–14 yrs

$88,000

Principal / Staff 15+ yrs

$97,000

Your actual offer depends on company, location, and specialization — run the calculator for a tailored range.

Highest-paying cities for entry-level engineers

Estimated entry-level engineer pay in the top-paying metros, vs the national median.

8results

Metro	State	Median	90th pct	vs U.S.	Data
San Jose California	CA	$106,560	$140,600	+48%	Estimate
San Francisco California	CA	$102,240	$134,900	+42%	Estimate
Seattle Washington	WA	$93,600	$123,500	+30%	Estimate
New York City New York	NY	$90,720	$119,700	+26%	Estimate
Boston Massachusetts	MA	$87,840	$115,900	+22%	Estimate
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia	DC	$86,400	$114,000	+20%	Estimate
Los Angeles California	CA	$84,960	$112,100	+18%	Estimate
San Diego California	CA	$82,800	$109,250	+15%	Estimate

Entry-Level Engineer salary by state

State	Est. median	Est. 90th pct
California	$89,280	$117,800
Texas	$74,880	$98,800
New York	$82,080	$108,300
Washington	$84,960	$112,100
Massachusetts	$83,520	$110,200

State figures are estimates — open a state for its full city-by-city breakdown.

Entry-Level Engineer salary — frequently asked questions

How much does an entry-level engineer make?

The median entry-level engineer salary in the U.S. is about $72,000 per year. Most entry-level engineers earn between $60,000 and $95,000, and top earners (90th percentile) make $95,000 or more. Entry-Level Engineer is a newer title that standard salary surveys don't track on its own, so these figures are labeled, mapped estimates benchmarked against closely related engineering work.

What is the highest entry-level engineer salary?

Top-earning entry-level engineers (90th percentile) make about $95,000 or more nationally. In the highest-paying metros, estimated pay can run even higher — for example around $106,560 in San Jose. Metro figures are cost-of-labor estimates, not direct BLS metro data.

How much do entry-level entry-level engineers make?

Entry-level entry-level engineers (0–2 years) earn about $56,000 per year, rising to roughly $78,000 at mid-level and $97,000+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Do entry-level engineers make good money?

Yes. The median entry-level engineer salary of $72,000 is 38% below the roughly $116,537 median across engineering occupations, and experienced entry-level engineers can earn $95,000 or more.

Which cities pay entry-level engineers the most?

Estimated entry-level engineer pay is highest in San Jose ($106,560), San Francisco ($102,240), and Seattle ($93,600). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

How can an entry-level engineer earn more?

Entry-Level Engineer pay rises most with discipline (software and petroleum start higher), degree and internships, and metro and state cost of labor. Moving to a higher-cost metro, specializing, and taking on senior or lead scope are the biggest levers — the salary calculator lets you model each one.

Source details

Entry-level is an experience band, not a BLS occupation. Mapped to BLS engineering occupations (10th–25th percentile band). Not a direct BLS-tracked title — treat as an estimate.

Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →