Systems Engineer salary

Q: How much does a systems engineer make?

The median systems engineer salary in the U.S. is about $117,750 per year. Most systems engineers earn between $62,840 and $183,510, and top earners (90th percentile) make $183,510 or more. Systems 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.

Q: What is the highest systems engineer salary?

Top-earning systems engineers (90th percentile) make about $183,510 or more nationally. In the highest-paying metros, estimated systems engineer pay can run even higher — for example around $162,610 (median) in Washington, D.C.. Metro figures are cost-of-labor estimates, not direct BLS metro data.

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

Entry-level systems engineers (0–2 years) earn about $92,000 per year, rising to roughly $127,000 at mid-level and $159,000+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Q: Do systems engineers make good money?

Yes. The median systems engineer salary of $117,750 is 2% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced systems engineers can earn $183,510 or more.

Q: Which cities pay systems engineers the most?

Estimated systems engineer pay is highest in Washington, D.C. ($162,610), San Jose ($157,770), Lexington Park ($157,330). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

Mapped est.

Updated March 2025

Systems engineers design and manage complex systems across their full life cycle, integrating hardware, software, and processes so the whole thing works as one.

Median pay

$117,750

U.S. typical

Top earners

$183,510

90th percentile

Entry level

$92,000

0–2 yrs

Senior

$159,000

15+ yrs

The median systems engineer salary in the U.S. is about $117,750 per year. Entry-level pay starts near $62,840, while top earners (90th percentile) make $183,510 or more. Systems 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

$117,750

Mean

$121,720

10th pct · $62,84090th pct · $183,510

What systems engineers do

Define system requirements, manage interfaces and integration across subsystems, and verify that complete systems meet objectives.

Systems engineers design and manage complex systems across their full life cycle, integrating hardware, software, and processes so the whole thing works as one.

What affects systems engineer pay

▹Defense/aerospace clearance
▹INCOSE certification
▹Years of experience
▹Hardware-heavy vs. IT/software systems
▹Metro cost of labor

Systems Engineer salary by experience

Pay typically climbs from about $92,000 for entry level engineers to $159,000+ at the principal / staff level.

Entry level 0–2 yrs

$92,000

Early career 3–5 yrs

$110,500

Mid level 6–9 yrs

$127,000

Senior 10–14 yrs

$143,500

Principal / Staff 15+ yrs

$159,000

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

Highest-paying cities for systems engineers

systems engineer pay in the top-paying metros, mapped from the nearest tracked occupation, vs the national benchmark.

15results

Metro	State	Median	90th pct	vs U.S.	Data
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia	DC	$162,610	$198,580	+38%	Estimate
San Jose California	CA	$157,770	$222,300	+34%	Estimate
Lexington Park Maryland	MD	$157,330	$191,880	+34%	Estimate
San Francisco California	CA	$156,140	$239,200	+33%	Estimate
Huntsville Alabama	AL	$148,430	$191,880	+26%	Estimate
Albuquerque New Mexico	NM	$143,050	$197,540	+21%	Estimate
Bakersfield California	CA	$142,400	$191,880	+21%	Estimate
Bremerton Washington	WA	$140,130	$191,880	+19%	Estimate
Dayton Ohio	OH	$139,380	$187,660	+18%	Estimate
Kennewick Washington	WA	$139,080	$176,310	+18%	Estimate
Bridgeport Connecticut	CT	$137,720	$178,860	+17%	Estimate
Palm Bay Florida	FL	$135,320	$178,440	+15%	Estimate
Colorado Springs Colorado	CO	$134,690	$187,720	+14%	Estimate
Boise Idaho	ID	$134,540	$205,430	+14%	Estimate
Gulfport Mississippi	MS	$134,430	$177,260	+14%	Estimate

Systems Engineer salary by state

Systems Engineer pay by state, mapped from the nearest tracked occupation.

Rank	State	Median	90th pct
1	District of Columbia	$167,270	$191,880
2	Alabama	$146,480	$191,880
3	New Mexico	$142,520	$198,940
4	Virginia	$142,110	$195,080
5	Wyoming	$139,010	$139,700
6	Maryland	$135,990	$191,880
7	Alaska	$132,410	$179,440
8	Massachusetts	$132,020	$188,730
9	New Jersey	$131,960	$191,880
10	Rhode Island	$131,830	$226,870
11	Idaho	$131,390	$205,430
12	California	$128,830	$212,930
13	Oregon	$125,920	$186,260
14	Colorado	$125,330	$178,150
15	Washington	$125,080	$174,060
16	Hawaii	$120,330	$167,360
17	Connecticut	$119,220	$178,860
18	New Hampshire	$118,630	$181,960
19	South Carolina	$117,980	$175,430
20	Minnesota	$116,660	$161,720
21	Texas	$115,950	$181,830
22	Georgia	$115,790	$165,730
23	Maine	$114,610	$151,860
24	Ohio	$113,880	$174,450
25	New York	$113,380	$170,760
26	Utah	$113,290	$160,370
27	Mississippi	$112,100	$158,850
28	Oklahoma	$111,230	$151,990
29	Vermont	$110,640	$177,430
30	Arizona	$110,160	$183,130
31	Illinois	$109,380	$164,040
32	Wisconsin	$107,400	$141,360
33	North Carolina	$106,960	$170,710
34	Indiana	$106,040	$162,980
35	Florida	$103,920	$164,980
36	Michigan	$103,800	$158,060
37	Pennsylvania	$103,580	$164,100
38	West Virginia	$103,400	$168,460
39	Nevada	$101,660	$164,960
40	Iowa	$100,200	$125,710
41	Tennessee	$97,990	$168,870
42	Louisiana	$95,550	$160,220
43	Missouri	$93,020	$146,640
44	Kentucky	$89,650	$147,280
45	North Dakota	$88,100	$149,890
46	Montana	$87,130	$134,430
47	Delaware	$85,530	$158,150
48	South Dakota	$82,970	$135,950
49	Nebraska	$76,910	$130,980
50	Arkansas	$75,000	$125,160
51	Kansas	$69,210	$122,530

Mapped from the nearest tracked occupation; treat as an estimate.

Systems Engineer salary — frequently asked questions

How much does a systems engineer make?

The median systems engineer salary in the U.S. is about $117,750 per year. Most systems engineers earn between $62,840 and $183,510, and top earners (90th percentile) make $183,510 or more. Systems 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 systems engineer salary?

Top-earning systems engineers (90th percentile) make about $183,510 or more nationally. In the highest-paying metros, estimated pay can run even higher — for example around $162,610 in Washington, D.C.. Metro figures are cost-of-labor estimates, not direct BLS metro data.

How much do entry-level systems engineers make?

Entry-level systems engineers (0–2 years) earn about $92,000 per year, rising to roughly $127,000 at mid-level and $159,000+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Do systems engineers make good money?

Yes. The median systems engineer salary of $117,750 is 2% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced systems engineers can earn $183,510 or more.

Which cities pay systems engineers the most?

Estimated systems engineer pay is highest in Washington, D.C. ($162,610), San Jose ($157,770), and Lexington Park ($157,330). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

How can a systems engineer earn more?

Systems Engineer pay rises most with defense/aerospace clearance, incose certification, and years of experience. 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

Systems engineering spans multiple occupations and is not a standalone BLS title. BLS does not publish a separate wage for this title, so the figures shown are the published wage for BLS SOC 17-2199 Engineers, All Other — the closest tracked occupation. Actual pay for this specialization can sit above or below it.

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