The salary of an Engineer I in the United States varies depending on several factors, including experience, location, education level, marketing trend and company sizes.
As of May 01, 2025, the average annual salary for an Engineer I in the United States is $79,701. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $72,286 to $85,421, with most professionals earning between $65,535 and $90,629.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $85,421 | $7,118 | $1,643 | $41 |
| Average | $79,701 | $6,642 | $1,533 | $38 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,286 | $6,024 | $1,390 | $35 |
An entry-level Engineer I with less than 1 year of experience earns about $79,148. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $79,872. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $81,152. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $81,408, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $81,579.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Engineer I | $79,148 |
| Intermediate Level Engineer I | $79,872 |
| Senior Level Engineer I | $81,152 |
| Specialist Level Engineer I | $81,408 |
| Expert Level Engineer I | $81,579 |
| Entry Level | 1% |
| Mid Level | 0% |
| Senior Level | 2% |
| Top Level | 2% |
| Experienced | 2% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of May 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Engineer I compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $81,458 in 2023 to approximately $81,168 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Engineer I salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Engineer I information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Engineer I job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Engineer I and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $79,701 | 70.5% | ||
| Bonus | $-94 | -0.1% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $6,090 | 5.4% | ||
| 401K/403B | $3,343 | 3.0% | ||
| Disability | $1,592 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 7.4% | ||
| Pension | $4,299 | 3.8% | ||
| Time Off | $9,798 | 8.7% | ||
| Total Compensation | $113,081 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 0.6% |
| High School | 5.4% |
| Associates | 6.4% |
| Bachelors | 57.2% |
| Masters | 26.5% |
| Doctorate | 3.9% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Engineer I is $79,701. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Engineer I is $38; the average weekly pay of Engineer I is $1,533; the average monthly pay of Engineer I is $6,642.
An Engineer I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, an Engineer I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of an Engineer I is $100,527.
The highest pay for Engineer I is $90,629.
The lowest pay for Engineer I is $65,535.
Utilizes engineering methodologies, principles, and tools to develop or improve technical products, systems, or processes that meet specified requirements and standards. Researches and identifies optimal materials and processes to ensure product quality, performance, and manufacturability. Utilizes CAD software and engineering methodologies to create blueprints, drawings, or models and communicate designs and specifications to stakeholders. Collaborates with stakeholders to understand requirements and ensure specifications are captured. Oversees prototype testing to evaluate the performance and reliability of designs, collect feedback, and draw meaningful insight for product improvements. Maintains detailed documentation of test results, processes, and specifications for future needs. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a manager. Work is closely managed. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Typically requires 0-2 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Analysis: Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Carpentry: Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters traditionally worked with natural wood and did the rougher work such as framing, but today many other materials are also used and sometimes the finer trades of cabinetmaking and furniture building are considered carpentry. In the United States, 98.5% of carpenters are male, and it was the fourth most male-dominated occupation in the country in 1999. In 2006 in the United States, there were about 1.5 million carpentry positions. Carpenters are usually the first tradesmen on a job and the last to leave. Carpenters normally framed post-and-beam buildings until the end of the 19th century; now this old fashioned carpentry is called timber framing. Carpenters learn this trade by being employed through an apprenticeship training—normally 4 years—and qualify by successfully completing that country's competence test in places such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa. It is also common that the skill can be learned by gaining work experience other than a formal training program, which may be the case in many places.
Transportation: Refers to the mode of travel used to get from home to work most frequently. The transportation are bus, train, aeroplane, ship, car, etc while the mode of transportation refers to road, air, sea/ocean, etc.
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)
With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.
