Mission Systems Engineer Salary in the United States
How much does a Mission Systems Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Mission Systems Engineer in the United States is $79,496 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.
However, a Mission Systems Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $96,352
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $70,510 to $88,319
Key Factors That Influence Mission Systems Engineer Salaries
A Mission Systems 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 Mission Systems Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Mission Systems 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 Mission Systems 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 Mission Systems Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $88,018.
California: $87,684.
Massachusetts: $86,515.
District of Columbia$88,018
California$87,684
Massachusetts$86,515
Washington$86,197
New Jersey$86,166
Alaska$86,054
Connecticut$84,957
New York$84,512
Hawaii$83,089
Rhode Island$82,421
Maryland$81,968
Minnesota$81,348
Colorado$81,110
Illinois$81,030
Oregon$80,728
Delaware$80,505
New Hampshire$80,366
Virginia$80,052
Pennsylvania$79,138
Nevada$78,677
North Dakota$78,526
Michigan$78,288
Wisconsin$78,200
Vermont$78,025
Texas$77,540
Maine$77,509
Arizona$77,461
Ohio$77,405
Georgia$76,674
Indiana$76,308
Wyoming$76,237
Utah$76,125
Iowa$76,078
Kansas$75,696
Louisiana$75,585
North Carolina$75,545
Missouri$75,529
Florida$75,219
Montana$75,052
Nebraska$74,893
Kentucky$74,806
South Carolina$74,488
Tennessee$74,289
Idaho$74,209
New Mexico$73,629
Oklahoma$73,502
Alabama$73,033
South Dakota$72,246
Arkansas$71,817
West Virginia$71,586
Mississippi$70,894
Top Paying Cities for Mission Systems 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: $100,268
San Francisco: $99,170
Oakland: $97,080
San Jose, CA$100,268
San Francisco, CA$99,170
Oakland, CA$97,080
New York, NY$91,531
Paramus, NJ$90,418
Queens Village, NY$90,414
Passaic, NJ$90,338
Bergenfield, NJ$90,331
Stamford, CT$90,156
Huntington, NY$90,124
Newark, NJ$89,536
Bridgeport, CT$89,368
Vallejo, CA$89,210
New Brunswick, NJ$89,179
Petaluma, CA$89,131
Middlesex, NJ$88,980
Somerset, NJ$88,924
Santa Cruz, CA$88,821
Boston, MA$88,336
Monterey, CA$88,057
Seattle, WA$87,875
Santa Rosa, CA$87,859
Los Angeles, CA$87,835
Juneau, AK$87,628
Washington, DC$87,541
Orange, CA$87,258
Santa Ana, CA$87,048
Long Beach, CA$86,969
Anaheim, CA$86,953
Anchorage, AK$86,913
Santa Maria, CA$86,674
Everett, WA$86,658
Danbury, CT$86,379
Bremerton, WA$86,269
Tacoma, WA$85,983
New Suffolk, NY$85,981
Sacramento, CA$85,959
Santa Barbara, CA$85,871
Trenton, NJ$85,784
San Diego, CA$85,784
Brockton, MA$85,697
Fairbanks, AK$85,502
Lompoc, CA$85,299
Lowell, MA$85,235
Ventura, CA$85,220
Nashua, NH$85,204
Stockton, CA$85,196
Modesto, CA$84,615
Poughkeepsie, NY$84,441
Olympia, WA$84,290
Kennewick, WA$84,290
New Haven, CT$84,258
Lawrence, MA$83,972
Hartford, CT$83,892
Riverside, CA$83,876
New Bedford, MA$83,797
Richland, WA$83,797
Bakersfield, CA$83,685
San Bernardino, CA$83,654
New Britain, CT$83,646
Atlantic City, NJ$83,646
New London, CT$83,614
Norwich, CT$83,590
Portsmouth, NH$83,574
Boulder, CO$83,406
Portland, OR$83,296
Worcester, MA$83,288
Minneapolis, MN$83,041
Philadelphia, PA$82,930
Honolulu, HI$82,668
Saint Paul, MN$82,630
Vineland, NJ$82,612
Providence, RI$82,382
Chicago, IL$82,151
Bellingham, WA$82,056
Springfield, MA$81,992
Baltimore, MD$81,968
Chico, CA$81,769
Pittsfield, MA$81,555
Manchester, NH$81,404
Spokane, WA$81,054
Denver, CO$81,046
Albany, NY$80,672
Troy, NY$80,641
Nassau, NY$80,556
Schenectady, NY$80,474
Wilmington, DE$80,410
Burlington, VT$80,299
Salem, OR$80,267
Portland, ME$80,021
Yakima, WA$79,941
Rochester, MN$79,695
Reno, NV$79,655
Fresno, CA$79,655
Milwaukee, WI$79,583
Detroit, MI$79,504
Ann Arbor, MI$79,490
Allentown, PA$79,480
Colorado Springs, CO$79,345
Syracuse, NY$79,305
Carson City, NV$79,305
Houston, TX$79,194
Eugene, OR$79,154
Gary, IN$79,059
Springfield, OR$78,995
Bismarck, ND$78,979
Galveston, TX$78,924
Medford, OR$78,804
Fort Collins, CO$78,772
Concord, NH$78,733
Austin, TX$78,709
Mesa, AZ$78,542
Reading, PA$78,534
Phoenix, AZ$78,526
Dallas, TX$78,502
Saint Cloud, MN$78,426
Madison, WI$78,319
Utica, NY$78,105
Rochester, NY$77,978
Des Moines, IA$77,970
Raleigh, NC$77,962
Atlanta, GA$77,842
Battle Creek, MI$77,819
Salt Lake City, UT$77,795
Lancaster, PA$77,675
Harrisburg, PA$77,564
Kansas City, MO$77,485
Champaign, IL$77,469
Kansas City, KS$77,469
Fort Worth, TX$77,461
Columbus, OH$77,447
Boca Raton, FL$77,429
Pittsburgh, PA$77,397
Richmond, VA$77,365
Indianapolis, IN$77,350
Cleveland, OH$77,342
Las Vegas, NV$77,246
Cincinnati, OH$77,246
Petersburg, VA$77,127
Huntsville, AL$77,008
Lansing, MI$76,954
Lebanon, PA$76,944
Pueblo, CO$76,936
Appleton, WI$76,912
Buffalo, NY$76,880
Dayton, OH$76,857
Racine, WI$76,841
Charlotte, NC$76,833
Saint Louis, MO$76,809
York, PA$76,761
Elkhart, IN$76,761
Gastonia, NC$76,746
Billings, MT$76,727
Beaumont, TX$76,706
Lorain, OH$76,690
Benton Harbor, MI$76,674
Toledo, OH$76,658
Binghamton, NY$76,618
Rock Hill, SC$76,610
Rockford, IL$76,570
Springfield, IL$76,539
Elyria, OH$76,531
Fargo, ND$76,531
Flagstaff, AZ$76,475
Fort Lauderdale, FL$76,427
Duluth, MN$76,380
Miami, FL$76,380
Cheyenne, WY$76,324
Grand Forks, ND$76,324
Bangor, ME$76,149
Cedar Rapids, IA$76,062
Durham, NC$76,028
Louisville, KY$76,022
Grand Rapids, MI$76,006
Hialeah, FL$75,998
Casper, WY$75,887
Scranton, PA$75,791
New Orleans, LA$75,768
Virginia Beach, VA$75,760
Akron, OH$75,720
Peoria, IL$75,617
Sarasota, FL$75,601
Nashville, TN$75,545
Omaha, NE$75,545
Green Bay, WI$75,545
Baton Rouge, LA$75,505
Charleston, SC$75,489
Jamestown, NY$75,450
Davenport, IA$75,450
Tucson, AZ$75,410
Saint Petersburg, FL$75,362
Tampa, FL$75,346
Evansville, IN$75,299
Port Arthur, TX$75,299
Bradenton, FL$75,267
Santa Fe, NM$75,124
Orlando, FL$74,981
Clearwater, FL$74,957
Canton, OH$74,790
La Crosse, WI$74,790
Albuquerque, NM$74,742
Newport News, VA$74,734
High Point, NC$74,710
Ogden, UT$74,678
Corpus Christi, TX$74,615
Norfolk, VA$74,567
Laramie, WY$74,567
Rock Island, IL$74,519
Saginaw, MI$74,504
Jacksonville, FL$74,496
Salisbury, NC$74,480
Boise, ID$74,464
Moline, IL$74,424
Fort Myers, FL$74,400
Memphis, TN$74,384
Tulsa, OK$74,345
Waterloo, IA$74,297
Spartanburg, SC$74,217
Lincoln, NE$74,178
Fort Wayne, IN$74,162
Provo, UT$74,154
Cedar Falls, IA$74,058
San Antonio, TX$74,027
Greensboro, NC$73,995
South Bend, IN$73,987
Savannah, GA$73,899
Muskegon, MI$73,868
Birmingham, AL$73,860
Winston Salem, NC$73,821
Lake Charles, LA$73,629
Anderson, IN$73,613
Lexington, KY$73,589
Augusta, GA$73,566
Greenville, SC$73,566
Lima, OH$73,502
Wichita, KS$73,494
Tuscaloosa, AL$73,494
Columbia, SC$73,422
Springfield, OH$73,407
Asheville, NC$73,279
Bloomington, IN$73,224
Knoxville, TN$72,937
Shreveport, LA$72,930
Wilmington, NC$72,826
Roanoke, VA$72,826
Topeka, KS$72,683
Frankfort, KY$72,674
Oklahoma City, OK$72,620
Chillicothe, OH$72,588
Longview, TX$72,580
Melbourne, FL$72,572
Sioux Falls, SD$72,445
Mobile, AL$72,437
Terre Haute, IN$72,405
Altoona, PA$72,357
Amarillo, TX$72,302
Killeen, TX$72,278
Fayetteville, AR$72,214
Chattanooga, TN$72,190
Sioux City, IA$72,119
Idaho Falls, ID$72,103
Lynchburg, VA$72,039
Gainesville, FL$71,936
Portsmouth, OH$71,896
Little Rock, AR$71,880
Lafayette, LA$71,848
Youngstown, OH$71,848
Daytona Beach, FL$71,801
Clarksville, TN$71,793
Pensacola, FL$71,785
Temple, TX$71,779
Hopkinsville, KY$71,546
Erie, PA$71,530
Florence, SC$71,499
Charleston, WV$71,371
Great Falls, MT$71,332
Macon, GA$71,220
Tallahassee, FL$71,212
Fayetteville, NC$71,197
Waco, TX$71,181
Helena, MT$71,125
Pine Bluff, AR$71,095
Vincennes, IN$70,998
Lubbock, TX$70,966
Alamogordo, NM$70,918
Twin Falls, ID$70,847
Rapid City, SD$70,823
Jackson, MS$70,680
Huntington, WV$70,674
Greenville, MS$70,672
Parkersburg, WV$70,591
Montgomery, AL$70,576
Wichita Falls, TX$70,497
Springfield, MO$70,497
Biloxi, MS$70,457
Monroe, LA$70,378
Johnstown, PA$70,322
Sumter, SC$70,290
Columbus, GA$70,282
Pascagoula, MS$70,131
Abilene, TX$70,131
Kingsport, TN$69,925
Albany, GA$69,925
Gulfport, MS$69,901
Alexandria, LA$69,638
Fort Smith, AR$69,440
El Paso, TX$69,225
Las Cruces, NM$68,867
Harlingen, TX$68,665
Pocatello, ID$68,653
Florence, AL$68,549
Brownsville, TX$68,533
Mcallen, TX$68,366
Dothan, AL$68,255
Columbus, MS$67,783
Altus, OK$67,413
Lawton, OK$67,261
Pierre, SD$66,975
What Skills Can Increase a Mission Systems Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 4.67% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Energy Efficiency (Mentioned in 1.06% Job Postings): Energy efficiency is the use of less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result. Energy efficient homes and buildings use less energy to heat, cool, and run appliances and electronics
Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 0.85% 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.
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 Mission Systems Engineer's salary.
Process Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Benchmarking: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Mission Systems Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Mission Systems 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 Energy & Utilities and Pharmaceuticals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Mission Systems Engineer positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Mission Systems Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Mission Systems Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities
$95,395
$46.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$95,395
$46.0
20%
Biotechnology
$91,420
$44.0
15%
Insurance
$91,420
$44.0
15%
Aerospace & Defense
$87,445
$42.0
10%
Mission Systems Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Mission Systems 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
$70,510
Average$79,496/year
$88,319
$5,876
Average$6,625/month
$7,360
$1,356
Average$1,529/week
$1,698
$34
Average$38/hour
$42
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$88,319
$7,360
$1,698
$42
Average
$79,496
$6,625
$1,529
$38
25th Percentile
$70,510
$5,876
$1,356
$34
Salaries of Jobs related to Mission Systems Engineer
Director of Healthcare System Mission and Values Implementation$264,800
Ethics and Mission Integration Director - Systems$264,762
Ethics and Mission Integration Director$176,487
Mission Director$161,581
Systems Engineer$118,930
Mission Manager$109,350
Mission Assurance Engineer$97,791
Industrial Systems Engineer$90,282
Mission Specialist$70,739
Mission Coordinator$68,331
Airborne Mission Systems Specialist$49,885
Salary Trends for Mission Systems Engineer
Salaries for a Mission Systems Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $64,702 in 2023
to around $64,984 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Mission Systems Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Mission Systems Engineer Over Time
$???
$64,702
$65,090
$64,984
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$64,702
2024
$65,090
2025
$64,984
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Mission Systems Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Mission Systems Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Mission Systems 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 Mission Systems Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Mission Systems Engineer?
The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Mission Systems 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.
