Contracting Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Contracting Engineer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Contracting Engineer in the United States is $78,411 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, a Contracting Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $88,762
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $71,769 to $83,829
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $65,722
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View as table View as graph 25% $71,769 10% $65,722 90% $88,762 75% $83,829 $78,411 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Contracting Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $83,829 $6,986 $1,612 $40
Average $78,411 $6,534 $1,508 $38
25th Percentile $71,769 $5,981 $1,380 $35
Check out Contracting Engineer Job Openings in the United States
HVAC Sr Field Engineer

Motus Power - HAMEL, MN

Test Engineer

RNR Industries - ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL

Systems Engineer

ManTech International - ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION, MD

Systems Engineer

ManTech International - STAFFORD, VA

Search More Contracting Engineer Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Contracting Engineer Salaries

A Contracting 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Contracting Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Contracting 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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $79,795
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $92,278
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $110,924
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $140,332
  • Expert (over 8 years): $162,087
Levels Salary
Contracti... Level Contracting Engineer$79,795
Engineer ... Level Contracting Engineer$92,278
Engineer ... Level Contracting Engineer$110,924
Engineer ... Level Contracting Engineer$140,332
Engineer ... Level Contracting Engineer$162,087
$79,795 0 yr
$92,278 < 2 yrs
$110,924 2-4 yrs
$140,332 5-8 yrs
$162,087 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Contracting 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 Contracting Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $86,816.
  • California: $86,487.
  • Massachusetts: $85,334.

Top Paying Cities for Contracting Engineers

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: $98,900
  • San Francisco: $97,927
  • Oakland: $95,755

What Skills Can Increase a Contracting Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 6.26% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Carpentry (Mentioned in 2.27% Job Postings): 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.
  • Python (Mentioned in 1.69% Job Postings): Applying the concepts and algorithms of Python to design, develop and maintain software applications to comply with business requirements.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 6.26%
Carpentry 2.27%
Python 1.69%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
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 Contracting Engineer's salary.
  • JavaScript: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • AWS: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • API: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
JavaScript
$87,036
11%
AWS
$87,036
11%
API
$86,252
10%
Python
$85,468
9%
Linux
$85,468
9%
Java
$85,468
9%
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How Education impacts a Contracting Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Contracting Engineers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Contracting Engineer with a Associate's Degree is between $73,281 and $76,434).

Contracting Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Contracting Engineer
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%
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Contracting Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Contracting 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.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Contracting Engineer

Salaries for a Contracting Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $81,572 in 2023 to around $79,909 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Contracting Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Contracting Engineer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$81,572
2024
$81,282
2025
$79,909
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $81,572
2024 $81,282
2025 $79,909
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Contracting Engineer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Contracting Engineer

Here are companies hiring for Contracting Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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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.

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.

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