Certified Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Certified Engineer make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Certified Engineer in the United States is $78,554 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $89,081
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $72,646 to $84,064
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $67,268
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View as table View as graph 25% $72,646 10% $67,268 90% $89,081 75% $84,064 $78,554 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Certified Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $84,064 $7,005 $1,617 $40
Average $78,554 $6,546 $1,511 $38
25th Percentile $72,646 $6,054 $1,397 $35
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Key Factors That Influence Certified Engineer Salaries

A Certified 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 Certified Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Certified 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): $78,148
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $90,374
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $108,635
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $137,470
  • Expert (over 8 years): $158,750
Levels Salary
Certified... Level Certified Engineer$78,148
Engineer ... Level Certified Engineer$90,374
Engineer ... Level Certified Engineer$108,635
Engineer ... Level Certified Engineer$137,470
Engineer ... Level Certified Engineer$158,750
$78,148 0 yr
$90,374 < 2 yrs
$108,635 2-4 yrs
$137,470 5-8 yrs
$158,750 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

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

  • District of Columbia: $86,974.
  • California: $86,645.
  • Massachusetts: $85,490.

Top Paying Cities for Certified 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: $99,080
  • San Francisco: $97,995
  • Oakland: $95,930

What Skills Can Increase a Certified Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 6.26% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Carpentry (Mentioned in 2.27% Job Postings): Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters traditionally worked with natural wood and did the rougher work such as framing, but today many other materials are also used and sometimes the finer trades of cabinetmaking and furniture building are considered carpentry. In the United States, 98.5% of carpenters are male, and it was the fourth most male-dominated occupation in the country in 1999. In 2006 in the United States, there were about 1.5 million carpentry positions. Carpenters are usually the first tradesmen on a job and the last to leave. Carpenters normally framed post-and-beam buildings until the end of the 19th century; now this old fashioned carpentry is called timber framing. Carpenters learn this trade by being employed through an apprenticeship training—normally 4 years—and qualify by successfully completing that country's competence test in places such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa. It is also common that the skill can be learned by gaining work experience other than a formal training program, which may be the case in many places.
  • Python (Mentioned in 1.69% Job Postings): Applying the concepts and algorithms of Python to design, develop and maintain software applications to comply with business requirements.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 6.26%
Carpentry 2.27%
Python 1.69%
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 Certified Engineer's salary.
  • JavaScript: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • AWS: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • API: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
JavaScript
$87,194
11%
AWS
$87,194
11%
API
$86,409
10%
Python
$85,623
9%
Linux
$85,623
9%
Java
$85,623
9%
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How Education impacts a Certified Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Certified Engineers enter the field with a Associate's Degree 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 Certified Engineer with a Associate's Degree is between $73,281 and $76,434).

Certified Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Certified Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.6%
High School 5.4%
Associates 6.4%
Bachelors 57.2%
Masters 26.5%
Doctorate 3.9%
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Certified Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Certified 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 May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Certified Engineer

Salaries for a Certified Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $79,902 in 2023 to around $78,273 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Certified Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Certified Engineer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$79,902
2024
$79,618
2025
$78,273
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $79,902
2024 $79,618
2025 $78,273
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Certified Engineer

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

Here are companies hiring for Certified Engineer 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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