How much does a Licensed Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Licensed Engineer in the United States is $81,638 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.
However, a Licensed Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $92,581
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,509 to $87,366
Key Factors That Influence Licensed Engineer Salaries
A Licensed 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 Licensed Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Licensed 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 Licensed 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 Licensed Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $102,971
San Francisco: $101,843
Oakland: $99,697
San Jose, CA$102,971
San Francisco, CA$101,843
Oakland, CA$99,697
New York, NY$93,998
Paramus, NJ$92,855
Queens Village, NY$92,851
Passaic, NJ$92,773
Bergenfield, NJ$92,766
Stamford, CT$92,586
Huntington, NY$92,553
Newark, NJ$91,949
Bridgeport, CT$91,777
Vallejo, CA$91,615
New Brunswick, NJ$91,582
Petaluma, CA$91,533
Middlesex, NJ$91,378
Somerset, NJ$91,321
Santa Cruz, CA$91,215
Boston, MA$90,717
Monterey, CA$90,430
Seattle, WA$90,243
Santa Rosa, CA$90,227
Los Angeles, CA$90,202
Juneau, AK$89,990
Washington, DC$89,900
Orange, CA$89,610
Santa Ana, CA$89,394
Long Beach, CA$89,312
Anaheim, CA$89,296
Anchorage, AK$89,255
Santa Maria, CA$89,010
Everett, WA$88,994
Danbury, CT$88,707
Bremerton, WA$88,594
Tacoma, WA$88,300
New Suffolk, NY$88,298
Sacramento, CA$88,276
Santa Barbara, CA$88,186
Trenton, NJ$88,096
San Diego, CA$88,096
Brockton, MA$88,006
Fairbanks, AK$87,806
Lompoc, CA$87,598
Lowell, MA$87,532
Ventura, CA$87,516
Nashua, NH$87,500
Stockton, CA$87,492
Modesto, CA$86,896
Poughkeepsie, NY$86,716
Olympia, WA$86,561
Kennewick, WA$86,561
New Haven, CT$86,529
Lawrence, MA$86,235
Hartford, CT$86,153
Riverside, CA$86,137
New Bedford, MA$86,055
Richland, WA$86,055
Bakersfield, CA$85,941
San Bernardino, CA$85,908
New Britain, CT$85,900
Atlantic City, NJ$85,900
New London, CT$85,867
Norwich, CT$85,843
Portsmouth, NH$85,826
Boulder, CO$85,653
Portland, OR$85,541
Worcester, MA$85,533
Minneapolis, MN$85,279
Philadelphia, PA$85,165
Honolulu, HI$84,896
Saint Paul, MN$84,857
Vineland, NJ$84,839
Providence, RI$84,602
Chicago, IL$84,365
Bellingham, WA$84,267
Springfield, MA$84,202
Baltimore, MD$84,177
Chico, CA$83,973
Pittsfield, MA$83,753
Manchester, NH$83,598
Spokane, WA$83,239
Denver, CO$83,230
Albany, NY$82,847
Troy, NY$82,814
Nassau, NY$82,727
Schenectady, NY$82,643
Wilmington, DE$82,577
Burlington, VT$82,463
Salem, OR$82,430
Portland, ME$82,177
Yakima, WA$82,096
Rochester, MN$81,842
Reno, NV$81,802
Fresno, CA$81,802
Milwaukee, WI$81,728
Detroit, MI$81,647
Ann Arbor, MI$81,633
Allentown, PA$81,622
Colorado Springs, CO$81,483
Syracuse, NY$81,442
Carson City, NV$81,442
Houston, TX$81,328
Eugene, OR$81,287
Gary, IN$81,189
Springfield, OR$81,124
Bismarck, ND$81,108
Galveston, TX$81,051
Medford, OR$80,928
Fort Collins, CO$80,895
Concord, NH$80,855
Austin, TX$80,830
Mesa, AZ$80,659
Reading, PA$80,651
Phoenix, AZ$80,642
Dallas, TX$80,618
Saint Cloud, MN$80,540
Madison, WI$80,430
Utica, NY$80,210
Rochester, NY$80,079
Des Moines, IA$80,071
Raleigh, NC$80,063
Atlanta, GA$79,940
Battle Creek, MI$79,916
Salt Lake City, UT$79,891
Lancaster, PA$79,769
Harrisburg, PA$79,655
Kansas City, MO$79,573
Champaign, IL$79,557
Kansas City, KS$79,557
Fort Worth, TX$79,548
Columbus, OH$79,535
Boca Raton, FL$79,516
Pittsburgh, PA$79,483
Richmond, VA$79,450
Indianapolis, IN$79,434
Cleveland, OH$79,426
Las Vegas, NV$79,328
Cincinnati, OH$79,328
Petersburg, VA$79,206
Huntsville, AL$79,083
Lansing, MI$79,028
Lebanon, PA$79,018
Pueblo, CO$79,010
Appleton, WI$78,985
Buffalo, NY$78,952
Dayton, OH$78,928
Racine, WI$78,912
Charlotte, NC$78,904
Saint Louis, MO$78,879
York, PA$78,830
Elkhart, IN$78,830
Gastonia, NC$78,815
Billings, MT$78,795
Beaumont, TX$78,773
Lorain, OH$78,757
Benton Harbor, MI$78,740
Toledo, OH$78,724
Binghamton, NY$78,683
Rock Hill, SC$78,675
Rockford, IL$78,634
Springfield, IL$78,601
Elyria, OH$78,593
Fargo, ND$78,593
Flagstaff, AZ$78,536
Fort Lauderdale, FL$78,487
Duluth, MN$78,438
Miami, FL$78,438
Cheyenne, WY$78,381
Grand Forks, ND$78,381
Bangor, ME$78,201
Cedar Rapids, IA$78,112
Durham, NC$78,077
Louisville, KY$78,071
Grand Rapids, MI$78,054
Hialeah, FL$78,046
Casper, WY$77,932
Scranton, PA$77,834
New Orleans, LA$77,810
Virginia Beach, VA$77,801
Akron, OH$77,761
Peoria, IL$77,654
Sarasota, FL$77,638
Nashville, TN$77,581
Omaha, NE$77,581
Green Bay, WI$77,581
Baton Rouge, LA$77,540
Charleston, SC$77,524
Jamestown, NY$77,483
Davenport, IA$77,483
Tucson, AZ$77,442
Saint Petersburg, FL$77,393
Tampa, FL$77,377
Evansville, IN$77,328
Port Arthur, TX$77,328
Bradenton, FL$77,295
Santa Fe, NM$77,148
Orlando, FL$77,001
Clearwater, FL$76,977
Canton, OH$76,805
La Crosse, WI$76,805
Albuquerque, NM$76,756
Newport News, VA$76,748
High Point, NC$76,724
Ogden, UT$76,691
Corpus Christi, TX$76,626
Norfolk, VA$76,577
Laramie, WY$76,577
Rock Island, IL$76,528
Saginaw, MI$76,512
Jacksonville, FL$76,503
Salisbury, NC$76,487
Boise, ID$76,471
Moline, IL$76,430
Fort Myers, FL$76,405
Memphis, TN$76,389
Tulsa, OK$76,348
Waterloo, IA$76,299
Spartanburg, SC$76,218
Lincoln, NE$76,177
Fort Wayne, IN$76,160
Provo, UT$76,152
Cedar Falls, IA$76,054
San Antonio, TX$76,022
Greensboro, NC$75,989
South Bend, IN$75,981
Savannah, GA$75,891
Muskegon, MI$75,858
Birmingham, AL$75,850
Winston Salem, NC$75,810
Lake Charles, LA$75,613
Anderson, IN$75,597
Lexington, KY$75,573
Augusta, GA$75,548
Greenville, SC$75,548
Lima, OH$75,483
Wichita, KS$75,475
Tuscaloosa, AL$75,475
Columbia, SC$75,401
Springfield, OH$75,385
Asheville, NC$75,254
Bloomington, IN$75,197
Knoxville, TN$74,903
Shreveport, LA$74,895
Wilmington, NC$74,789
Roanoke, VA$74,789
Topeka, KS$74,642
Frankfort, KY$74,633
Oklahoma City, OK$74,577
Chillicothe, OH$74,544
Longview, TX$74,536
Melbourne, FL$74,528
Sioux Falls, SD$74,397
Mobile, AL$74,389
Terre Haute, IN$74,356
Altoona, PA$74,307
Amarillo, TX$74,250
Killeen, TX$74,226
Fayetteville, AR$74,160
Chattanooga, TN$74,136
Sioux City, IA$74,062
Idaho Falls, ID$74,046
Lynchburg, VA$73,981
Gainesville, FL$73,875
Portsmouth, OH$73,834
Little Rock, AR$73,817
Lafayette, LA$73,785
Youngstown, OH$73,785
Daytona Beach, FL$73,736
Clarksville, TN$73,728
Pensacola, FL$73,719
Temple, TX$73,714
Hopkinsville, KY$73,475
Erie, PA$73,458
Florence, SC$73,426
Charleston, WV$73,295
Great Falls, MT$73,254
Macon, GA$73,140
Tallahassee, FL$73,132
Fayetteville, NC$73,115
Waco, TX$73,099
Helena, MT$73,042
Pine Bluff, AR$73,011
Vincennes, IN$72,911
Lubbock, TX$72,879
Alamogordo, NM$72,830
Twin Falls, ID$72,756
Rapid City, SD$72,732
Jackson, MS$72,585
Huntington, WV$72,579
Greenville, MS$72,577
Parkersburg, WV$72,493
Montgomery, AL$72,479
Wichita Falls, TX$72,397
Springfield, MO$72,397
Biloxi, MS$72,356
Monroe, LA$72,274
Johnstown, PA$72,217
Sumter, SC$72,185
Columbus, GA$72,177
Pascagoula, MS$72,021
Abilene, TX$72,021
Kingsport, TN$71,809
Albany, GA$71,809
Gulfport, MS$71,785
Alexandria, LA$71,515
Fort Smith, AR$71,311
El Paso, TX$71,091
Las Cruces, NM$70,723
Harlingen, TX$70,516
Pocatello, ID$70,503
Florence, AL$70,397
Brownsville, TX$70,380
Mcallen, TX$70,209
Dothan, AL$70,095
Columbus, MS$69,610
Altus, OK$69,229
Lawton, OK$69,074
Pierre, SD$68,780
What Skills Can Increase a Licensed 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.
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 Licensed Engineer's salary.
JavaScript: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Licensed Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Licensed Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 55% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Energy & Utilities
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Licensed Engineer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Licensed Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Licensed Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$102,048
$49.0
25%
Energy & Utilities
$97,966
$47.0
20%
Aerospace & Defense
$93,884
$45.0
15%
Internet
$93,884
$45.0
15%
Chemicals
$89,802
$43.0
10%
How Education impacts a Licensed Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Licensed 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 Licensed Engineer with a Associate's Degree is between
$73,281
and $76,434).
Licensed Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Licensed 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.
Salaries for a Licensed Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $83,055 in 2023
to around $81,361 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Licensed Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Licensed Engineer Over Time
$???
$83,055
$82,759
$81,361
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$83,055
2024
$82,759
2025
$81,361
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Licensed Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Licensed Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Licensed 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
Find Your Next Licensed Engineer Job
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FAQ about Licensed Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Licensed Engineer?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Licensed Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 25% 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.
