Systems Engineer
Systems Engineer Salary
$53.5K - $64K
2% of jobs
$64K - $74.5K
4% of jobs
$74.5K - $85K
7% of jobs
$85K - $95.5K
9% of jobs
$97.8K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$95.5K - $106K
9% of jobs
$106K - $116.5K
8% of jobs
$116.5K - $127K
9% of jobs
The median wage is $127.7K / yr.
$127K - $137.5K
6% of jobs
$137.5K - $148K
4% of jobs
$157.6K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$148K - $158.5K
17% of jobs
$158.5K - $169K
24% of jobs
$53.5K
$130K
$167.5K
$127,215
/year
$61.16
/hour
Systems Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$127,215
Columbus
Ohio
$122,877
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How much does a Systems Engineer make?
As of Jun 10, 2026, the average annual pay for a Systems Engineer in the United States is $127,215 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $61.16 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,446/week or $10,601/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $167,500 and as low as $53,500, the majority of Systems Engineer salaries currently range between $98,000 (25th percentile) to $157,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $157,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Systems Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 59000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Systems Engineer in your area makes on average $122,877 per year, or $4,338 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $127,215. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Systems Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Systems Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Systems Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Systems Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Systems Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $28,552 (22.4%), and Barrow, AK, furthers that trend with another $31,266 (24.6%) above the $127,215 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Systems Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Barrow, AK, and Justin, TX, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Systems Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Barrow, AK | $158,481 | $76.19 |
Cupertino, CA | $156,950 | $75.46 |
Berkeley, CA | $155,767 | $74.89 |
Redwood City, CA | $155,756 | $74.88 |
Belmont, CA | $153,858 | $73.97 |
South San Francisco, CA | $152,871 | $73.50 |
Wyoming, WY | $151,720 | $72.94 |
Bodega Bay, CA | $150,974 | $72.58 |
Los Altos, CA | $150,661 | $72.43 |
Justin, TX | $150,238 | $72.23 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Systems Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Systems Engineer category.
For example Software Configuration Engineer jobs pay as much as $16,051 (12.6%) more than the average Systems Engineer salary of $127,215. If you're qualified, finding work as a Software Configuration Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Systems Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Software Configuration Engineer | $143,266 | $68.88 |
Cloud Systems Engineer | $130,802 | $62.89 |
Robotics Software Engineer | $124,523 | $59.87 |
Systems Programmer | $103,470 | $49.75 |
Automotive Hardware Engineer | $99,999 | $48.08 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
