Systems Software Engineer Salary in the United States
How much does a Systems Software Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Systems Software Engineer in the United States is $79,069 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.
However, a Systems Software Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $91,493
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $72,522 to $85,572
Key Factors That Influence Systems Software Engineer Salaries
A Systems Software 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 Systems Software Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Systems Software 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 Systems Software 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 Systems Software 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: $99,729
San Francisco: $98,637
Oakland: $96,559
San Jose, CA$99,729
San Francisco, CA$98,637
Oakland, CA$96,559
New York, NY$91,039
Paramus, NJ$89,932
Queens Village, NY$89,928
Passaic, NJ$89,853
Bergenfield, NJ$89,846
Stamford, CT$89,672
Huntington, NY$89,639
Newark, NJ$89,055
Bridgeport, CT$88,888
Vallejo, CA$88,731
New Brunswick, NJ$88,699
Petaluma, CA$88,652
Middlesex, NJ$88,501
Somerset, NJ$88,446
Santa Cruz, CA$88,343
Boston, MA$87,861
Monterey, CA$87,583
Seattle, WA$87,402
Santa Rosa, CA$87,387
Los Angeles, CA$87,363
Juneau, AK$87,157
Washington, DC$87,070
Orange, CA$86,789
Santa Ana, CA$86,580
Long Beach, CA$86,501
Anaheim, CA$86,485
Anchorage, AK$86,446
Santa Maria, CA$86,208
Everett, WA$86,193
Danbury, CT$85,914
Bremerton, WA$85,805
Tacoma, WA$85,521
New Suffolk, NY$85,519
Sacramento, CA$85,497
Santa Barbara, CA$85,410
Trenton, NJ$85,323
San Diego, CA$85,323
Brockton, MA$85,236
Fairbanks, AK$85,042
Lompoc, CA$84,841
Lowell, MA$84,777
Ventura, CA$84,762
Nashua, NH$84,746
Stockton, CA$84,738
Modesto, CA$84,161
Poughkeepsie, NY$83,987
Olympia, WA$83,836
Kennewick, WA$83,836
New Haven, CT$83,805
Lawrence, MA$83,520
Hartford, CT$83,441
Riverside, CA$83,425
New Bedford, MA$83,346
Richland, WA$83,346
Bakersfield, CA$83,236
San Bernardino, CA$83,204
New Britain, CT$83,196
Atlantic City, NJ$83,196
New London, CT$83,164
Norwich, CT$83,141
Portsmouth, NH$83,125
Boulder, CO$82,957
Portland, OR$82,848
Worcester, MA$82,840
Minneapolis, MN$82,595
Philadelphia, PA$82,484
Honolulu, HI$82,223
Saint Paul, MN$82,185
Vineland, NJ$82,168
Providence, RI$81,939
Chicago, IL$81,709
Bellingham, WA$81,615
Springfield, MA$81,551
Baltimore, MD$81,528
Chico, CA$81,330
Pittsfield, MA$81,116
Manchester, NH$80,966
Spokane, WA$80,618
Denver, CO$80,610
Albany, NY$80,239
Troy, NY$80,207
Nassau, NY$80,123
Schenectady, NY$80,041
Wilmington, DE$79,978
Burlington, VT$79,867
Salem, OR$79,836
Portland, ME$79,590
Yakima, WA$79,511
Rochester, MN$79,266
Reno, NV$79,227
Fresno, CA$79,227
Milwaukee, WI$79,156
Detroit, MI$79,077
Ann Arbor, MI$79,063
Allentown, PA$79,053
Colorado Springs, CO$78,918
Syracuse, NY$78,879
Carson City, NV$78,879
Houston, TX$78,768
Eugene, OR$78,729
Gary, IN$78,634
Springfield, OR$78,570
Bismarck, ND$78,555
Galveston, TX$78,499
Medford, OR$78,381
Fort Collins, CO$78,349
Concord, NH$78,310
Austin, TX$78,286
Mesa, AZ$78,120
Reading, PA$78,112
Phoenix, AZ$78,104
Dallas, TX$78,080
Saint Cloud, MN$78,004
Madison, WI$77,898
Utica, NY$77,685
Rochester, NY$77,558
Des Moines, IA$77,550
Raleigh, NC$77,543
Atlanta, GA$77,424
Battle Creek, MI$77,400
Salt Lake City, UT$77,377
Lancaster, PA$77,258
Harrisburg, PA$77,147
Kansas City, MO$77,068
Champaign, IL$77,052
Kansas City, KS$77,052
Fort Worth, TX$77,044
Columbus, OH$77,031
Boca Raton, FL$77,013
Pittsburgh, PA$76,981
Richmond, VA$76,950
Indianapolis, IN$76,934
Cleveland, OH$76,926
Las Vegas, NV$76,831
Cincinnati, OH$76,831
Petersburg, VA$76,712
Huntsville, AL$76,594
Lansing, MI$76,541
Lebanon, PA$76,530
Pueblo, CO$76,523
Appleton, WI$76,499
Buffalo, NY$76,467
Dayton, OH$76,444
Racine, WI$76,428
Charlotte, NC$76,420
Saint Louis, MO$76,396
York, PA$76,349
Elkhart, IN$76,349
Gastonia, NC$76,334
Billings, MT$76,315
Beaumont, TX$76,293
Lorain, OH$76,277
Benton Harbor, MI$76,262
Toledo, OH$76,246
Binghamton, NY$76,206
Rock Hill, SC$76,198
Rockford, IL$76,159
Springfield, IL$76,127
Elyria, OH$76,119
Fargo, ND$76,119
Flagstaff, AZ$76,064
Fort Lauderdale, FL$76,017
Duluth, MN$75,969
Miami, FL$75,969
Cheyenne, WY$75,914
Grand Forks, ND$75,914
Bangor, ME$75,740
Cedar Rapids, IA$75,653
Durham, NC$75,620
Louisville, KY$75,613
Grand Rapids, MI$75,597
Hialeah, FL$75,590
Casper, WY$75,479
Scranton, PA$75,384
New Orleans, LA$75,360
Virginia Beach, VA$75,352
Akron, OH$75,313
Peoria, IL$75,210
Sarasota, FL$75,194
Nashville, TN$75,139
Omaha, NE$75,139
Green Bay, WI$75,139
Baton Rouge, LA$75,099
Charleston, SC$75,084
Jamestown, NY$75,044
Davenport, IA$75,044
Tucson, AZ$75,004
Saint Petersburg, FL$74,957
Tampa, FL$74,941
Evansville, IN$74,894
Port Arthur, TX$74,894
Bradenton, FL$74,862
Santa Fe, NM$74,720
Orlando, FL$74,578
Clearwater, FL$74,554
Canton, OH$74,388
La Crosse, WI$74,388
Albuquerque, NM$74,340
Newport News, VA$74,332
High Point, NC$74,309
Ogden, UT$74,277
Corpus Christi, TX$74,214
Norfolk, VA$74,166
Laramie, WY$74,166
Rock Island, IL$74,119
Saginaw, MI$74,103
Jacksonville, FL$74,095
Salisbury, NC$74,079
Boise, ID$74,064
Moline, IL$74,024
Fort Myers, FL$74,000
Memphis, TN$73,984
Tulsa, OK$73,945
Waterloo, IA$73,898
Spartanburg, SC$73,818
Lincoln, NE$73,779
Fort Wayne, IN$73,763
Provo, UT$73,755
Cedar Falls, IA$73,660
San Antonio, TX$73,629
Greensboro, NC$73,597
South Bend, IN$73,589
Savannah, GA$73,502
Muskegon, MI$73,471
Birmingham, AL$73,463
Winston Salem, NC$73,424
Lake Charles, LA$73,233
Anderson, IN$73,218
Lexington, KY$73,194
Augusta, GA$73,170
Greenville, SC$73,170
Lima, OH$73,107
Wichita, KS$73,099
Tuscaloosa, AL$73,099
Columbia, SC$73,028
Springfield, OH$73,012
Asheville, NC$72,885
Bloomington, IN$72,830
Knoxville, TN$72,545
Shreveport, LA$72,538
Wilmington, NC$72,435
Roanoke, VA$72,435
Topeka, KS$72,292
Frankfort, KY$72,284
Oklahoma City, OK$72,229
Chillicothe, OH$72,198
Longview, TX$72,190
Melbourne, FL$72,182
Sioux Falls, SD$72,055
Mobile, AL$72,047
Terre Haute, IN$72,016
Altoona, PA$71,968
Amarillo, TX$71,913
Killeen, TX$71,889
Fayetteville, AR$71,826
Chattanooga, TN$71,802
Sioux City, IA$71,731
Idaho Falls, ID$71,715
Lynchburg, VA$71,652
Gainesville, FL$71,549
Portsmouth, OH$71,510
Little Rock, AR$71,494
Lafayette, LA$71,462
Youngstown, OH$71,462
Daytona Beach, FL$71,415
Clarksville, TN$71,407
Pensacola, FL$71,399
Temple, TX$71,393
Hopkinsville, KY$71,162
Erie, PA$71,146
Florence, SC$71,114
Charleston, WV$70,988
Great Falls, MT$70,948
Macon, GA$70,838
Tallahassee, FL$70,830
Fayetteville, NC$70,814
Waco, TX$70,798
Helena, MT$70,743
Pine Bluff, AR$70,713
Vincennes, IN$70,616
Lubbock, TX$70,585
Alamogordo, NM$70,537
Twin Falls, ID$70,466
Rapid City, SD$70,442
Jackson, MS$70,300
Huntington, WV$70,294
Greenville, MS$70,292
Parkersburg, WV$70,211
Montgomery, AL$70,197
Wichita Falls, TX$70,118
Springfield, MO$70,118
Biloxi, MS$70,079
Monroe, LA$69,999
Johnstown, PA$69,944
Sumter, SC$69,912
Columbus, GA$69,905
Pascagoula, MS$69,754
Abilene, TX$69,754
Kingsport, TN$69,549
Albany, GA$69,549
Gulfport, MS$69,525
Alexandria, LA$69,264
Fort Smith, AR$69,066
El Paso, TX$68,853
Las Cruces, NM$68,497
Harlingen, TX$68,296
Pocatello, ID$68,284
Florence, AL$68,181
Brownsville, TX$68,165
Mcallen, TX$67,999
Dothan, AL$67,888
Columbus, MS$67,419
Altus, OK$67,050
Lawton, OK$66,900
Pierre, SD$66,615
What Skills Can Increase a Systems Software Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Risk Management (Mentioned in 4.09% Job Postings): Risk management is the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks (defined in ISO 31000 as the effect of uncertainty on objectives) followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. Risks can come from various sources including uncertainty in financial markets, threats from project failures (at any phase in design, development, production, or sustainment life-cycles), legal liabilities, credit risk, accidents, natural causes and disasters, deliberate attack from an adversary, or events of uncertain or unpredictable root-cause. There are two types of events i.e. negative events can be classified as risks while positive events are classified as opportunities. Several risk management standards have been developed including the Project Management Institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, actuarial societies, and ISO standards. Methods, definitions and goals vary widely according to whether the risk management method is in the context of project management, security, engineering, industrial processes, financial portfolios, actuarial assessments, or public health and safety.
Operating System (Mentioned in 2.44% Job Postings): Maintaining software that runs on a computer that serves as an interface between computer hardware components and the user.
ISO (Mentioned in 2.05% Job Postings): The International Organization for Standardization is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
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 Systems Software Engineer's salary.
Application Security: Can increase your salary by up to 29%.
Virtualization: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Information Security: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Systems Software Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Systems Software Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Systems Software Engineer positions in Retail & Wholesale or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Systems Software Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Systems Software Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense
$94,882
$46.0
20%
Biotechnology
$94,882
$46.0
20%
Energy & Utilities
$94,882
$46.0
20%
Financial Services
$94,882
$46.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$94,882
$46.0
20%
Systems Software Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Systems Software 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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$72,522
Average$79,069/year
$85,572
$6,043
Average$6,589/month
$7,131
$1,395
Average$1,521/week
$1,646
$35
Average$38/hour
$41
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$85,572
$7,131
$1,646
$41
Average
$79,069
$6,589
$1,521
$38
25th Percentile
$72,522
$6,043
$1,395
$35
Salaries of Jobs related to Systems Software Engineer
Salaries for a Systems Software Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $75,792 in 2023
to around $75,616 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Systems Software Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Systems Software Engineer Over Time
$???
$75,792
$76,089
$75,616
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$75,792
2024
$76,089
2025
$75,616
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Systems Software Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Systems Software Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Systems Software 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
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FAQ about Systems Software Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Systems Software Engineer?
The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Systems Software Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 20% 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.
