What are the main factors that influence a Systems Design Engineer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Systems Design Engineer's salary?

A Systems Design Engineer's salary grows with experience: a Systems Design Engineer (0-2 years)earns $84,776, a Software Systems Engineer II (2-4 years)earns $104,101, a Software Systems Engineer III (4-7 years)earns $120,784, a Software Systems Engineer IV (7+ years)earns $147,812, a Software Systems Engineer V (7-10 years)earns $169,389,

What are the highest paying states for a Systems Design Engineer?

Systems Design Engineer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Systems Design Engineer roles are District of Columbia $93,261, California $92,907, Massachusetts $91,669. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Systems Design Engineer roles make?

Salaries for Systems Design Engineer level roles vary by specialization: Electronics Design Engineer III: $120,800; Electrical Design Engineer III: $120,760; Hardware Design Engineer III: $114,300; Senior Equipment Design Engineer: $109,300; Electronics Design Engineer II: $99,600.

How do different companies affect a Systems Design Engineer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Systems Design Engineer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Systems Design Engineer Salary in the United States

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

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Systems Design Engineer in the United States is $84,232 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $100,424
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $76,397 to $92,707
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $69,265

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Systems Design Engineer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$92,707	$7,726	$1,783	$45
Average	$84,232	$7,019	$1,620	$40
25th Percentile	$76,397	$6,366	$1,469	$37

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Key Factors That Influence Systems Design Engineer Salaries

A Systems 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 Systems Design Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Systems 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): $84,776
Early Career (1-2 years): $104,101
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $120,784
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $147,812
Expert (over 8 years): $169,389

Levels	Salary
Systems D... Level Systems Design Engineer	$84,776
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$104,101
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$120,784
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$147,812
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$169,389

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Systems Design 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 Design Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $93,261.
California: $92,907.
Massachusetts: $91,669.

District of Columbia $93,261 California $92,907 Massachusetts $91,669 Washington $91,332 New Jersey $91,299 Alaska $91,181 Connecticut $90,018 New York $89,547

Hawaii $88,039 Rhode Island $87,331 Maryland $86,851 Minnesota $86,194 Colorado $85,942 Illinois $85,857 Oregon $85,537 Delaware $85,301

New Hampshire $85,153 Virginia $84,821 Pennsylvania $83,853 Nevada $83,364 North Dakota $83,204 Michigan $82,951 Wisconsin $82,859 Vermont $82,673

Texas $82,160 Maine $82,126 Arizona $82,075 Ohio $82,016 Georgia $81,241 Indiana $80,854 Wyoming $80,778 Utah $80,660

Iowa $80,610 Kansas $80,205 Louisiana $80,087 North Carolina $80,045 Missouri $80,028 Florida $79,700 Montana $79,523 Nebraska $79,355

Kentucky $79,262 South Carolina $78,925 Tennessee $78,714 Idaho $78,630 New Mexico $78,015 Oklahoma $77,881 Alabama $77,384 South Dakota $76,550

Arkansas $76,095 West Virginia $75,851 Mississippi $75,118

Top Paying Cities for Systems 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: $106,241
San Francisco: $105,197
Oakland: $102,864

San Jose, CA $106,241

San Francisco, CA $105,197

Oakland, CA $102,864

New York, NY $97,616

Queens Village, NY $96,984

Paramus, NJ $96,310

Passaic, NJ $96,226

Bergenfield, NJ $96,142

Stamford, CT $96,016

Huntington, NY $95,931

Newark, NJ $95,384

Bridgeport, CT $95,215

New Brunswick, NJ $94,937

Vallejo, CA $94,761

Middlesex, NJ $94,710

Somerset, NJ $94,634

Petaluma, CA $94,440

Santa Cruz, CA $94,112

Boston, MA $93,944

Monterey, CA $93,522

Fairbanks, AK $93,463

Los Angeles, CA $93,303

Washington, DC $93,261

Seattle, WA $93,110

Santa Rosa, CA $93,093

Juneau, AK $92,848

Orange, CA $92,571

Anchorage, AK $92,419

Anaheim, CA $92,360

Santa Ana, CA $92,234

Nassau, NY $92,183

Long Beach, CA $92,149

Danbury, CT $92,124

Santa Maria, CA $91,838

Everett, WA $91,821

Bremerton, WA $91,408

Trenton, NJ $91,248

Sacramento, CA $91,214

San Diego, CA $91,172

Brockton, MA $91,139

Tacoma, WA $91,105

Santa Barbara, CA $90,987

Lowell, MA $90,650

New Suffolk, NY $90,616

Nashua, NH $90,515

Lompoc, CA $90,381

Ventura, CA $90,296

Stockton, CA $90,271

New Haven, CT $90,103

Atlantic City, NJ $89,884

Hartford, CT $89,698

Modesto, CA $89,656

Poughkeepsie, NY $89,471

New Britain, CT $89,429

Olympia, WA $89,311

Kennewick, WA $89,311

New London, CT $89,294

Norwich, CT $89,269

Lawrence, MA $89,227

Bakersfield, CA $88,991

Riverside, CA $88,873

New Bedford, MA $88,873

Richland, WA $88,789

Portsmouth, NH $88,721

Vineland, NJ $88,704

San Bernardino, CA $88,637

Boulder, CO $88,401

Worcester, MA $88,334

Portland, OR $88,258

Saint Paul, MN $88,157

Minneapolis, MN $88,157

Philadelphia, PA $88,039

Honolulu, HI $87,592

Springfield, MA $87,298

Providence, RI $87,289

Chicago, IL $87,045

Bellingham, WA $86,944

Baltimore, MD $86,851

Chico, CA $86,641

Wilmington, DE $86,497

Pittsfield, MA $86,413

Manchester, NH $86,253

Spokane, WA $85,883

Denver, CO $85,874

Albany, NY $85,478

Troy, NY $85,445

Schenectady, NY $85,268

Burlington, VT $85,082

Portland, ME $84,788

Salem, OR $84,720

Yakima, WA $84,703

Ann Arbor, MI $84,678

Rochester, MN $84,442

Fresno, CA $84,400

Reno, NV $84,400

Milwaukee, WI $84,324

Detroit, MI $84,240

Allentown, PA $84,215

Carson City, NV $84,206

Houston, TX $84,080

Colorado Springs, CO $84,072

Syracuse, NY $84,029

Eugene, OR $83,869

Bismarck, ND $83,768

Gary, IN $83,768

Galveston, TX $83,768

Springfield, OR $83,701

Medford, OR $83,499

Fort Collins, CO $83,465

Austin, TX $83,398

Mesa, AZ $83,221

Phoenix, AZ $83,204

Dallas, TX $83,179

Reading, PA $83,128

Saint Cloud, MN $83,094

Concord, NH $83,019

Madison, WI $82,985

Utica, NY $82,758

Raleigh, NC $82,690

Las Vegas, NV $82,682

Rochester, NY $82,623

Des Moines, IA $82,614

Atlanta, GA $82,480

Battle Creek, MI $82,454

Salt Lake City, UT $82,429

Lancaster, PA $82,303

Champaign, IL $82,286

Harrisburg, PA $82,185

Durham, NC $82,109

Kansas City, MO $82,101

Kansas City, KS $82,084

Fort Worth, TX $82,075

Boca Raton, FL $82,042

Cleveland, OH $82,033

Columbus, OH $82,016

Pittsburgh, PA $82,008

Richmond, VA $81,974

Indianapolis, IN $81,957

Cincinnati, OH $81,848

Petersburg, VA $81,721

Billings, MT $81,536

Lansing, MI $81,536

Huntsville, AL $81,536

Lebanon, PA $81,528

Dayton, OH $81,519

Pueblo, CO $81,519

Appleton, WI $81,494

Buffalo, NY $81,460

Racine, WI $81,418

Charlotte, NC $81,410

Saint Louis, MO $81,385

Springfield, IL $81,351

Elkhart, IN $81,334

York, PA $81,334

Gastonia, NC $81,326

Benton Harbor, MI $81,326

Beaumont, TX $81,275

Lorain, OH $81,258

Toledo, OH $81,225

Binghamton, NY $81,182

Rock Hill, SC $81,174

Rockford, IL $81,132

Fargo, ND $81,090

Elyria, OH $81,090

Flagstaff, AZ $81,031

Fort Lauderdale, FL $80,980

Miami, FL $80,930

Duluth, MN $80,795

Bangor, ME $80,685

Cedar Rapids, IA $80,593

Louisville, KY $80,551

Grand Rapids, MI $80,534

Hialeah, FL $80,525

Casper, WY $80,407

Scranton, PA $80,306

New Orleans, LA $80,281

Virginia Beach, VA $80,273

Akron, OH $80,231

Peoria, IL $80,121

Sarasota, FL $80,104

Green Bay, WI $80,045

Baton Rouge, LA $80,003

Charleston, SC $79,986

Nashville, TN $79,961

Jamestown, NY $79,944

Davenport, IA $79,944

Tucson, AZ $79,902

Cheyenne, WY $79,877

Saint Petersburg, FL $79,852

Tampa, FL $79,835

Omaha, NE $79,818

Port Arthur, TX $79,784

Evansville, IN $79,784

Bradenton, FL $79,750

Santa Fe, NM $79,599

Orlando, FL $79,515

Clearwater, FL $79,422

Canton, OH $79,245

La Crosse, WI $79,245

Grand Forks, ND $79,220

Albuquerque, NM $79,195

Tulsa, OK $79,195

Newport News, VA $79,186

High Point, NC $79,161

Ogden, UT $79,127

Corpus Christi, TX $79,060

Laramie, WY $79,009

Norfolk, VA $79,009

Rock Island, IL $78,959

Saginaw, MI $78,942

Jacksonville, FL $78,933

Salisbury, NC $78,917

Memphis, TN $78,900

Moline, IL $78,858

Fort Myers, FL $78,832

Waterloo, IA $78,723

Spartanburg, SC $78,639

Lincoln, NE $78,597

Fort Wayne, IN $78,580

Birmingham, AL $78,487

Cedar Falls, IA $78,470

Provo, UT $78,462

Springfield, OH $78,453

San Antonio, TX $78,436

Greensboro, NC $78,403

South Bend, IN $78,394

Winston Salem, NC $78,386

Boise, ID $78,361

Savannah, GA $78,302

Muskegon, MI $78,150

Lima, OH $78,049

Lake Charles, LA $78,015

Anderson, IN $77,998

Lexington, KY $77,973

Augusta, GA $77,948

Greenville, SC $77,948

Wichita, KS $77,872

Tuscaloosa, AL $77,872

Columbia, SC $77,796

Bloomington, IN $77,586

Roanoke, VA $77,535

Asheville, NC $77,426

Knoxville, TN $77,282

Shreveport, LA $77,274

Wilmington, NC $77,165

Frankfort, KY $77,005

Oklahoma City, OK $76,946

Chillicothe, OH $76,912

Longview, TX $76,903

Topeka, KS $76,878

Mobile, AL $76,752

Terre Haute, IN $76,718

Erie, PA $76,710

Altoona, PA $76,668

Melbourne, FL $76,642

Amarillo, TX $76,609

Killeen, TX $76,583

Fayetteville, AR $76,516

Sioux Falls, SD $76,457

Chattanooga, TN $76,406

Idaho Falls, ID $76,398

Gainesville, FL $76,221

Portsmouth, OH $76,179

Little Rock, AR $76,162

Lynchburg, VA $76,162

Lafayette, LA $76,129

Youngstown, OH $76,129

Temple, TX $76,095

Daytona Beach, FL $76,078

Clarksville, TN $76,070

Pensacola, FL $76,061

Hopkinsville, KY $75,808

Charleston, WV $75,800

Florence, SC $75,758

Sioux City, IA $75,707

Macon, GA $75,463

Tallahassee, FL $75,455

Fayetteville, NC $75,438

Waco, TX $75,421

Wichita Falls, TX $75,421

Pine Bluff, AR $75,387

Vincennes, IN $75,227

Lubbock, TX $75,194

Great Falls, MT $75,143

Alamogordo, NM $75,135

Abilene, TX $75,067

Rapid City, SD $74,958

Monroe, LA $74,958

Albany, GA $74,907

Huntington, WV $74,899

Jackson, MS $74,890

Greenville, MS $74,882

Parkersburg, WV $74,798

Montgomery, AL $74,781

Johnstown, PA $74,764

Springfield, MO $74,697

Biloxi, MS $74,654

Sumter, SC $74,478

Columbus, GA $74,469

Twin Falls, ID $74,419

Pascagoula, MS $74,309

Kingsport, TN $74,090

Gulfport, MS $74,065

Alexandria, LA $73,787

Fort Smith, AR $73,576

El Paso, TX $73,349

Helena, MT $73,239

Las Cruces, NM $72,970

Harlingen, TX $72,734

Pocatello, ID $72,658

Florence, AL $72,633

Brownsville, TX $72,616

Dothan, AL $72,481

Mcallen, TX $72,439

Columbus, MS $71,816

Altus, OK $71,428

Lawton, OK $71,268

Pierre, SD $70,965

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 7.02% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Azure (Mentioned in 2.71% Job Postings): Microsoft Azure, often referred to as Azure, is a cloud computing service operated by Microsoft for application management via Microsoft-managed data centers.
Cisco (Mentioned in 1.62% Job Postings): Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	7.02%
Azure	2.71%
Cisco	1.62%

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 Systems Design Engineer's salary.

IT Infrastructure: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Python: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
AWS: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
IT Infrastructure	$92,655	10%
Python	$92,655	10%
AWS	$92,655	10%
Risk Management	$92,655	10%
Team Development	$91,812	9%
Collaboration	$91,812	9%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Systems Design Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Systems 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 Systems Design Engineer with a No Diploma is between $68,885 and $75,174).

Systems Design Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Systems Design Engineer

No Diploma 1.3%

High School 14.3%

Associates 10.4%

Bachelors 61.0%

Masters 13.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.3%
High School	14.3%
Associates	10.4%
Bachelors	61.0%
Masters	13.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Systems 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 April 01, 2026

$76,397

Average $84,232/year

$92,707

$6,366

Average $7,019/month

$7,726

$1,469

Average $1,620/week

$1,783

$37

Average $40/hour

$45

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$92,707	$7,726	$1,783	$45
Average	$84,232	$7,019	$1,620	$40
25th Percentile	$76,397	$6,366	$1,469	$37

Salaries of jobs related to Systems Design Engineer

Salary Trends for Systems Design Engineer

Salaries for a Systems Design Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $85,573 in 2023 to around $85,347 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Systems Design Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Systems Design Engineer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$85,573

2024

$85,851

2025

$85,347

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$85,573
2024	$85,851
2025	$85,347
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Systems Design Engineer

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