Design Engineer Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Design Engineer Manager make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a Design Engineer Manager in the United States is $177,674 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $85.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $207,540
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $161,990 to $193,307
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $147,711
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View as table View as graph 25% $161,990 10% $147,711 90% $207,540 75% $193,307 $177,674 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Design Engineer Manager Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $193,307 $16,109 $3,717 $93
Average $177,674 $14,806 $3,417 $85
25th Percentile $161,990 $13,499 $3,115 $78
Check out Design Engineer Manager Job Openings in the United States
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Senior Principal Engineer

Raytheon - TEWKSBURY, MA

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Key Factors That Influence Design Engineer Manager Salaries

A Design Engineer Manager'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 Design Engineer Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Design Engineer Manager'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): $100,705
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $127,018
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $150,475
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $178,763
  • Expert (over 8 years): $196,099
Levels Salary
Electrica... Level Design Engineer Manager$100,705
Electrica... Level Design Engineer Manager$127,018
Electrica... Level Design Engineer Manager$150,475
Design En... Level Design Engineer Manager$178,763
Electrica... Level Design Engineer Manager$196,099
$100,705 0 yr
$127,018 < 2 yrs
$150,475 2-4 yrs
$178,763 5-8 yrs
$196,099 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Design Engineer Managers

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: $224,100
  • San Francisco: $221,897
  • Oakland: $216,975

What Skills Can Increase a Design Engineer Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Project Management (Mentioned in 37.89% Job Postings): Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are constrained to a finite timescale and budget.
  • Construction Estimating (Mentioned in 1.19% Job Postings): Forecasting the total costs of building a structure to prevent business loss and protect profit margin.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 0.73% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Project Management 37.89%
Construction Estimating 1.19%
Microsoft Office 0.73%
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 Design Engineer Manager's salary.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
  • Analytical Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Artificial Intelligence
$202,548
14%
Analytical Skills
$190,111
7%
Analysis
$188,334
6%
People Management
$188,334
6%
Collaboration
$188,334
6%
Dedication
$186,558
5%
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How Education impacts a Design Engineer Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Design Engineer Managers enter the field with a No Diploma 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 Design Engineer Manager with a No Diploma is between $179,616 and $189,222).

Design Engineer Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Design Engineer Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.0%
High School 3.1%
Associates 1.0%
Bachelors 49.0%
Masters 36.5%
Doctorate 9.4%
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Design Engineer Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Design Engineer Manager'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 March 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Design Engineer Manager

Salaries for a Design Engineer Manager can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $180,793 in 2023 to around $172,380 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Design Engineer Manager salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Design Engineer Manager Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$180,793
2024
$176,692
2025
$172,380
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $180,793
2024 $176,692
2025 $172,380
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Design Engineer Manager

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

Here are companies hiring for Design Engineer Manager 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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