How much does a Cognizant Engineer make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cognizant Engineer in the United States is $91,931 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.
However, a Cognizant Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $105,842
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,660 to $99,213
Key Factors That Influence Cognizant Engineer Salaries
A Cognizant Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Cognizant Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Cognizant Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Cognizant Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Cognizant Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $115,952
San Francisco: $114,683
Oakland: $112,266
San Jose, CA$115,952
San Francisco, CA$114,683
Oakland, CA$112,266
New York, NY$105,848
Paramus, NJ$104,561
Queens Village, NY$104,556
Passaic, NJ$104,469
Bergenfield, NJ$104,461
Stamford, CT$104,259
Huntington, NY$104,221
Newark, NJ$103,542
Bridgeport, CT$103,348
Vallejo, CA$103,165
New Brunswick, NJ$103,128
Petaluma, CA$103,073
Middlesex, NJ$102,898
Somerset, NJ$102,834
Santa Cruz, CA$102,714
Boston, MA$102,153
Monterey, CA$101,831
Seattle, WA$101,620
Santa Rosa, CA$101,602
Los Angeles, CA$101,574
Juneau, AK$101,335
Washington, DC$101,234
Orange, CA$100,907
Santa Ana, CA$100,664
Long Beach, CA$100,572
Anaheim, CA$100,554
Anchorage, AK$100,508
Santa Maria, CA$100,232
Everett, WA$100,214
Danbury, CT$99,890
Bremerton, WA$99,763
Tacoma, WA$99,432
New Suffolk, NY$99,430
Sacramento, CA$99,405
Santa Barbara, CA$99,304
Trenton, NJ$99,202
San Diego, CA$99,202
Brockton, MA$99,101
Fairbanks, AK$98,876
Lompoc, CA$98,642
Lowell, MA$98,567
Ventura, CA$98,550
Nashua, NH$98,531
Stockton, CA$98,522
Modesto, CA$97,851
Poughkeepsie, NY$97,649
Olympia, WA$97,474
Kennewick, WA$97,474
New Haven, CT$97,437
Lawrence, MA$97,106
Hartford, CT$97,014
Riverside, CA$96,996
New Bedford, MA$96,904
Richland, WA$96,904
Bakersfield, CA$96,775
San Bernardino, CA$96,739
New Britain, CT$96,729
Atlantic City, NJ$96,729
New London, CT$96,693
Norwich, CT$96,665
Portsmouth, NH$96,647
Boulder, CO$96,452
Portland, OR$96,325
Worcester, MA$96,316
Minneapolis, MN$96,031
Philadelphia, PA$95,902
Honolulu, HI$95,599
Saint Paul, MN$95,555
Vineland, NJ$95,534
Providence, RI$95,268
Chicago, IL$95,001
Bellingham, WA$94,891
Springfield, MA$94,817
Baltimore, MD$94,790
Chico, CA$94,560
Pittsfield, MA$94,312
Manchester, NH$94,137
Spokane, WA$93,733
Denver, CO$93,723
Albany, NY$93,291
Troy, NY$93,255
Nassau, NY$93,156
Schenectady, NY$93,061
Wilmington, DE$92,988
Burlington, VT$92,859
Salem, OR$92,822
Portland, ME$92,537
Yakima, WA$92,446
Rochester, MN$92,161
Reno, NV$92,115
Fresno, CA$92,115
Milwaukee, WI$92,032
Detroit, MI$91,940
Ann Arbor, MI$91,924
Allentown, PA$91,912
Colorado Springs, CO$91,756
Syracuse, NY$91,710
Carson City, NV$91,710
Houston, TX$91,581
Eugene, OR$91,535
Gary, IN$91,425
Springfield, OR$91,352
Bismarck, ND$91,333
Galveston, TX$91,269
Medford, OR$91,131
Fort Collins, CO$91,094
Concord, NH$91,048
Austin, TX$91,021
Mesa, AZ$90,828
Reading, PA$90,818
Phoenix, AZ$90,809
Dallas, TX$90,782
Saint Cloud, MN$90,693
Madison, WI$90,570
Utica, NY$90,322
Rochester, NY$90,175
Des Moines, IA$90,166
Raleigh, NC$90,156
Atlanta, GA$90,019
Battle Creek, MI$89,991
Salt Lake City, UT$89,963
Lancaster, PA$89,825
Harrisburg, PA$89,697
Kansas City, MO$89,605
Champaign, IL$89,586
Kansas City, KS$89,586
Fort Worth, TX$89,577
Columbus, OH$89,562
Boca Raton, FL$89,541
Pittsburgh, PA$89,504
Richmond, VA$89,467
Indianapolis, IN$89,449
Cleveland, OH$89,439
Las Vegas, NV$89,329
Cincinnati, OH$89,329
Petersburg, VA$89,191
Huntsville, AL$89,053
Lansing, MI$88,992
Lebanon, PA$88,980
Pueblo, CO$88,971
Appleton, WI$88,943
Buffalo, NY$88,906
Dayton, OH$88,879
Racine, WI$88,860
Charlotte, NC$88,851
Saint Louis, MO$88,823
York, PA$88,768
Elkhart, IN$88,768
Gastonia, NC$88,751
Billings, MT$88,729
Beaumont, TX$88,704
Lorain, OH$88,686
Benton Harbor, MI$88,667
Toledo, OH$88,649
Binghamton, NY$88,603
Rock Hill, SC$88,594
Rockford, IL$88,548
Springfield, IL$88,511
Elyria, OH$88,502
Fargo, ND$88,502
Flagstaff, AZ$88,437
Fort Lauderdale, FL$88,382
Duluth, MN$88,327
Miami, FL$88,327
Cheyenne, WY$88,263
Grand Forks, ND$88,263
Bangor, ME$88,060
Cedar Rapids, IA$87,959
Durham, NC$87,921
Louisville, KY$87,913
Grand Rapids, MI$87,895
Hialeah, FL$87,886
Casper, WY$87,757
Scranton, PA$87,647
New Orleans, LA$87,619
Virginia Beach, VA$87,610
Akron, OH$87,564
Peoria, IL$87,444
Sarasota, FL$87,426
Nashville, TN$87,362
Omaha, NE$87,362
Green Bay, WI$87,362
Baton Rouge, LA$87,316
Charleston, SC$87,297
Jamestown, NY$87,251
Davenport, IA$87,251
Tucson, AZ$87,205
Saint Petersburg, FL$87,150
Tampa, FL$87,132
Evansville, IN$87,077
Port Arthur, TX$87,077
Bradenton, FL$87,040
Santa Fe, NM$86,875
Orlando, FL$86,709
Clearwater, FL$86,681
Canton, OH$86,488
La Crosse, WI$86,488
Albuquerque, NM$86,433
Newport News, VA$86,424
High Point, NC$86,396
Ogden, UT$86,360
Corpus Christi, TX$86,286
Norfolk, VA$86,231
Laramie, WY$86,231
Rock Island, IL$86,176
Saginaw, MI$86,157
Jacksonville, FL$86,148
Salisbury, NC$86,130
Boise, ID$86,111
Moline, IL$86,066
Fort Myers, FL$86,038
Memphis, TN$86,020
Tulsa, OK$85,974
Waterloo, IA$85,918
Spartanburg, SC$85,827
Lincoln, NE$85,781
Fort Wayne, IN$85,762
Provo, UT$85,753
Cedar Falls, IA$85,643
San Antonio, TX$85,606
Greensboro, NC$85,569
South Bend, IN$85,560
Savannah, GA$85,459
Muskegon, MI$85,422
Birmingham, AL$85,413
Winston Salem, NC$85,368
Lake Charles, LA$85,146
Anderson, IN$85,128
Lexington, KY$85,100
Augusta, GA$85,073
Greenville, SC$85,073
Lima, OH$84,999
Wichita, KS$84,990
Tuscaloosa, AL$84,990
Columbia, SC$84,907
Springfield, OH$84,889
Asheville, NC$84,742
Bloomington, IN$84,677
Knoxville, TN$84,346
Shreveport, LA$84,337
Wilmington, NC$84,218
Roanoke, VA$84,218
Topeka, KS$84,052
Frankfort, KY$84,042
Oklahoma City, OK$83,979
Chillicothe, OH$83,942
Longview, TX$83,933
Melbourne, FL$83,924
Sioux Falls, SD$83,776
Mobile, AL$83,767
Terre Haute, IN$83,730
Altoona, PA$83,675
Amarillo, TX$83,611
Killeen, TX$83,583
Fayetteville, AR$83,510
Chattanooga, TN$83,482
Sioux City, IA$83,400
Idaho Falls, ID$83,381
Lynchburg, VA$83,308
Gainesville, FL$83,188
Portsmouth, OH$83,142
Little Rock, AR$83,124
Lafayette, LA$83,087
Youngstown, OH$83,087
Daytona Beach, FL$83,032
Clarksville, TN$83,023
Pensacola, FL$83,013
Temple, TX$83,007
Hopkinsville, KY$82,738
Erie, PA$82,719
Florence, SC$82,682
Charleston, WV$82,535
Great Falls, MT$82,489
Macon, GA$82,361
Tallahassee, FL$82,352
Fayetteville, NC$82,333
Waco, TX$82,315
Helena, MT$82,250
Pine Bluff, AR$82,215
Vincennes, IN$82,103
Lubbock, TX$82,067
Alamogordo, NM$82,011
Twin Falls, ID$81,929
Rapid City, SD$81,901
Jackson, MS$81,736
Huntington, WV$81,729
Greenville, MS$81,726
Parkersburg, WV$81,633
Montgomery, AL$81,616
Wichita Falls, TX$81,524
Springfield, MO$81,524
Biloxi, MS$81,478
Monroe, LA$81,386
Johnstown, PA$81,322
Sumter, SC$81,285
Columbus, GA$81,276
Pascagoula, MS$81,101
Abilene, TX$81,101
Kingsport, TN$80,862
Albany, GA$80,862
Gulfport, MS$80,835
Alexandria, LA$80,531
Fort Smith, AR$80,301
El Paso, TX$80,053
Las Cruces, NM$79,640
Harlingen, TX$79,406
Pocatello, ID$79,391
Florence, AL$79,272
Brownsville, TX$79,253
Mcallen, TX$79,060
Dothan, AL$78,932
Columbus, MS$78,386
Altus, OK$77,957
Lawton, OK$77,783
Pierre, SD$77,452
What Skills Can Increase a Cognizant Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Scheduling (Mentioned in 16.98% Job Postings): Scheduling is the process of arranging, controlling and optimizing work and workloads in a production process or manufacturing process.
Logistics (Mentioned in 1.92% Job Postings): In a general business sense, logistics is the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of customers or corporations.
Administrative Support (Mentioned in 1.15% Job Postings): Administrative support means technical assistance, studies, surveys, or securing volunteers to assist the department in fulfilling its administrative responsibilities.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Cognizant Engineer's salary.
Acute Care: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Sense Of Urgency: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Cognizant Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Cognizant Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 75% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 35% above the average.
In contrast, Cognizant Engineer positions in Financial Services or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Cognizant Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Cognizant Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$124,106
$60.0
35%
Biotechnology
$119,510
$57.0
30%
Insurance
$114,913
$55.0
25%
Energy & Utilities
$110,317
$53.0
20%
Software & Networking
$110,317
$53.0
20%
Cognizant Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Cognizant Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Cognizant Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $98,588 in 2023
to around $98,090 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Cognizant Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Cognizant Engineer Over Time
$???
$98,588
$98,813
$98,090
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$98,588
2024
$98,813
2025
$98,090
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Cognizant Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Cognizant Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Cognizant Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Cognizant Engineer Job
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FAQ about Cognizant Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Cognizant Engineer?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Cognizant Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 35% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
