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Sales Engineer Salary in the United States

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

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Sales Engineer in the United States is $94,740 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $46.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $104,984
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $85,236 to $100,102
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $76,583
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Sales Engineer Salaries

A Sales 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 Sales Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Sales 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): $80,312
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $94,345
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $110,938
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $137,858
  • Expert (over 8 years): $163,848
Levels Salary
Sales Eng... Level Sales Engineer$80,312
Sales Eng... Level Sales Engineer$94,345
Sales Eng... Level Sales Engineer$110,938
Sales Eng... Level Sales Engineer$137,858
Sales Eng... Level Sales Engineer$163,848
View as Graph

How Do Sales 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 Sales Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $104,896.
  • California: $104,498.
  • Massachusetts: $103,105.

Top Paying Cities for Sales 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: $119,495
  • San Francisco: $118,187
  • Oakland: $115,696

What Skills Can Increase a Sales Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Presentation (Mentioned in 10.16% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
  • AWS (Mentioned in 2.67% Job Postings): Amazon Web Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies, and governments, on a metered pay-as-you-go basis.
  • Use Cases (Mentioned in 1.73% Job Postings): A use case is a written description of how users will perform tasks on your website. It is a methodology used in system analysis to identify, clarify and organize system requirements.
Skills Demand Percentage
Presentation 10.16%
AWS 2.67%
Use Cases 1.73%
See More Skills

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 Sales Engineer's salary.

  • Appian: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
  • Business Analytics: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Business Acumen: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Appian $108,003
14%
Business Analytics $107,056
13%
Business Acumen $101,372
7%
Get Latest Data

Sales Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Sales 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 Energy & Utilities and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Sales Engineer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Software & Networking typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Sales Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Sales Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities$123,162$59.030%
Biotechnology$118,425$57.025%
Internet$113,688$55.020%
Healthcare$108,951$52.015%
Aerospace & Defense$104,214$50.010%

How Education impacts a Sales Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Sales Engineers enter the field with a Bachelor'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 Sales Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $93,719 and $100,308).

Sales Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Sales Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.1%
High School 3.1%
Associates 4.5%
Bachelors 66.4%
Masters 24.7%
Doctorate 1.4%
View as Graph

Sales Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Sales 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 September 01, 2026
$85,236
Average $94,740/year
$100,102
$7,103
Average $7,895/month
$8,342
$1,639
Average $1,822/week
$1,925
$41
Average $46/hour
$48
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $100,102 $8,342 $1,925 $48
Average $94,740 $7,895 $1,822 $46
25th Percentile $85,236 $7,103 $1,639 $41

Most common benefits for Sales Engineer

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

Common company salaries for Sales Engineer

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

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FAQ about Sales Engineer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Sales Engineer?

The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Sales Engineer roles, with salaries approximately 30% 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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