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Lead Sales Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Sales Engineer make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Sales Engineer in the United States is $140,307 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $67.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $166,862
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $125,646 to $154,207
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $112,298
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Lead Sales Engineer Salaries

A Lead Sales 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 Lead Sales Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Sales 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): $95,322
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $112,086
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $139,285
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $165,544
  • Expert (over 8 years): $121,628
Levels Salary
Sales Eng... Level Lead Sales Engineer$95,322
Sales Eng... Level Lead Sales Engineer$112,086
Lead Sale... Level Lead Sales Engineer$139,285
Sales Eng... Level Lead Sales Engineer$165,544
Sales Eng... Level Lead Sales Engineer$121,628
View as Graph

How Do Lead Sales 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 Lead Sales Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $155,348.
  • California: $154,759.
  • Massachusetts: $152,696.

Top Paying Cities for Lead Sales 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: $176,969
  • San Francisco: $175,032
  • Oakland: $171,343

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Sales Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Presentation (Mentioned in 10.17% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
  • AWS (Mentioned in 2.68% Job Postings): Amazon Web Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies, and governments, on a metered pay-as-you-go basis.
  • Use Cases (Mentioned in 1.73% Job Postings): A use case is a written description of how users will perform tasks on your website. It is a methodology used in system analysis to identify, clarify and organize system requirements.
Skills Demand Percentage
Presentation 10.17%
AWS 2.68%
Use Cases 1.73%
See More Skills

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 Lead Sales Engineer's salary.

  • Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 26%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Planning: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Risk Management $176,787
26%
Commitment $154,338
10%
Planning $152,935
9%
Get Latest Data

Lead Sales Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Lead Sales Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Lead Sales Engineer positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Lead Sales Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Lead Sales Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$182,399$88.030%
Pharmaceuticals$175,384$84.025%
Energy & Utilities$168,368$81.020%
Insurance$161,353$78.015%
Aerospace & Defense$157,144$76.012%

How Education impacts a Lead Sales Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Sales Engineers enter the field with a Bachelor'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 Lead Sales Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $136,762 and $145,789).

Lead Sales Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Sales Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 7.7%
High School 7.7%
Associates 6.6%
Bachelors 58.5%
Masters 25.1%
Doctorate 2.2%
View as Graph

Lead Sales Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Sales 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 September 01, 2026
$125,646
Average $140,307/year
$154,207
$10,471
Average $11,692/month
$12,851
$2,416
Average $2,698/week
$2,966
$60
Average $67/hour
$74
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $154,207 $12,851 $2,966 $74
Average $140,307 $11,692 $2,698 $67
25th Percentile $125,646 $10,471 $2,416 $60

Most common benefits for Lead Sales Engineer

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Lead Sales Engineer

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

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FAQ about Lead Sales Engineer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Lead Sales Engineer?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Lead Sales Engineer roles, with salaries approximately 30% 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.

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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