Substation Design Engineer Salary in the United States

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

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Substation Design Engineer in the United States is $98,768 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $47.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $115,274
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $88,839 to $107,408
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $79,799

Key Factors That Influence Substation Design Engineer Salaries

A Substation Design 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 Substation Design Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Substation Design 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): $100,506
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $125,563
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $99,458
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $126,983
  • Expert (over 8 years): $166,772
Levels Salary
Digital P... Level Substation Design Engineer$100,506
Digital P... Level Substation Design Engineer$125,563
Substatio... Level Substation Design Engineer$99,458
Digital P... Level Substation Design Engineer$126,983
Digital P... Level Substation Design Engineer$166,772

Top Paying Cities for Substation Design 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: $124,576
  • San Francisco: $123,212
  • Oakland: $120,616

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 14.04% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Kaizen (Mentioned in 3.51% Job Postings): Creating continuous improvement productivity by engaging employees to eliminate waste and increase the profitability of our business.
  • CSS (Mentioned in 1.75% Job Postings): Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language such as HTML or XML. CSS is a cornerstone technology of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and JavaScript.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 14.04%
Kaizen 3.51%
CSS 1.75%

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 Substation Design Engineer's salary.

  • Content Management Systems: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
  • Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
  • HTML: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Content Management Systems $123,460
25%
Coordination $117,534
19%
HTML $109,633
11%

Substation Design Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Substation Design Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 27% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 12% above the average. In contrast, Substation Design Engineer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Substation Design Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Substation Design Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities$110,620$53.012%
Biotechnology$108,645$52.010%
Internet$106,670$51.08%
Software & Networking$105,682$51.07%
Aerospace & Defense$103,707$50.05%

How Education impacts a Substation Design Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Substation Design Engineers 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 Substation Design Engineer with a No Diploma is between $85,027 and $97,506).

Substation Design Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Substation Design Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.5%
High School 3.9%
Associates 6.9%
Bachelors 76.8%
Masters 10.8%
Doctorate 1.0%

Substation Design Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Substation Design 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 October 01, 2026
$88,839
Average $98,768/year
$107,408
$7,403
Average $8,231/month
$8,951
$1,708
Average $1,899/week
$2,066
$43
Average $47/hour
$52
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $107,408 $8,951 $2,066 $52
Average $98,768 $8,231 $1,899 $47
25th Percentile $88,839 $7,403 $1,708 $43

Most common benefits for Substation Design Engineer

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

Common company salaries for Substation Design Engineer

Here are companies hiring for Substation Design Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Substation Design Engineer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Substation Design Engineer?

The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Substation Design Engineer roles, with salaries approximately 12% 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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