Know your market value with insights across roles — from individual contributors to executive pay and overall company compensation trends.
Access a suite of powerful calculators to make data-driven career decisions.
Automate pay cycles, manage job architectures, and ensure pay equity with AI-powered compensation platforms.
Access validated salary benchmarks, labor market trends, and minimum wage data to stay competitive.
Participate in and purchase industry-specific salary surveys to obtain the most accurate, peer-reported pay data.
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Performance Engineer in California is $92,999 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $45.
However, a Performance Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI Onboarding
AI-Powered HR
Performance Engineer Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $100,055 | $8,338 | $1,924 | $48 |
| Average | $92,999 | $7,750 | $1,788 | $45 |
| 25th Percentile | $85,359 | $7,113 | $1,642 | $41 |
Nuro - Mountain View, CA
DensityAI - Mountain View, CA
Harrison Consulting Solutions - San Diego, CA
Harrison Consulting Solutions - San Francisco, CA
A Performance 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.
Experience is a primary driver of a Performance 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:
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Performan... Level Performance Engineer | $92,480 |
| Software ... Level Performance Engineer | $119,014 |
| Software ... Level Performance Engineer | $145,749 |
| Software ... Level Performance Engineer | $168,625 |
| Software ... Level Performance Engineer | $193,848 |
What Am I Worth?
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 Performance 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:
For Performance Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Insurance sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Performance Engineer positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Performance Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
| Industry Sector | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Rate | Pay vs.Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biotechnology | $116,249 | $56.0 | 25% |
| Insurance | $111,599 | $54.0 | 20% |
| Aerospace & Defense | $106,949 | $51.0 | 15% |
| Internet | $106,949 | $51.0 | 15% |
| Energy & Utilities | $102,299 | $49.0 | 10% |
Understanding how a Performance 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.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $100,055 | $8,338 | $1,924 | $48 |
| Average | $92,999 | $7,750 | $1,788 | $45 |
| 25th Percentile | $85,359 | $7,113 | $1,642 | $41 |
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Performance Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Computer Task Group, Inc
Redwood City, CA
Computer Task Group, Inc | Redwood City, CA
Job Description. Job Description. Overview. CTG is seeking to fill an. Application Performance Engineer. opening for a client in Redwood Shores, CA. Locati... more
6 Days Ago
Harrison Consulting Solutions
Sacramento, CA
Harrison Consulting Solutions | Sacramento, CA
Job Description. Job Description. Leading architectural and engineering firm is adding a Senior Building Performance Engineer to their Sacramento team. Res... more
6 Days Ago
Harrison Consulting Solutions
San Jose, CA
Harrison Consulting Solutions | San Jose, CA
Job Description. Job Description. Leading architectural and engineering firm is adding a Senior Building Performance Engineer to their San Jose team. Respo... more
6 Days Ago
Apple
San Diego, CA
Apple | San Diego, CA
Role Number: 200551465-3543SummaryImagine what you could do at Apple. Everyday, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and cust... more
7 Days Ago
ALTEN Technology USA
Foster City, CA
ALTEN Technology USA | Foster City, CA
Job Description. Job Description. We're ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing spac... more
7 Days Ago
Etched
San Jose, CA
Etched | San Jose, CA
Job Description. Job Description. About Etched. Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturi... more
8 Days Ago
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.
Explore Cost of Living CalculatorSalary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.
Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:
