Know your market value with insights across roles — from individual contributors to executive pay and overall company compensation trends.
Access a suite of powerful calculators to make data-driven career decisions.
Automate pay cycles, manage job architectures, and ensure pay equity with AI-powered compensation platforms.
Access validated salary benchmarks, labor market trends, and minimum wage data to stay competitive.
Participate in and purchase industry-specific salary surveys to obtain the most accurate, peer-reported pay data.
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Senior Technical Engineer in California is $154,049 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $74.
However, a Senior Technical Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered Talent
AI Onboarding
Senior Technical Engineer Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $169,384 | $14,115 | $3,257 | $81 |
| Average | $154,049 | $12,837 | $2,962 | $74 |
| 25th Percentile | $137,969 | $11,497 | $2,653 | $66 |
Monolithic Power Systems - San Jose, CA
Fogdog IT, LLC - San Francisco, CA
NVIDIA - Santa Clara, CA
Microchip - San Jose, CA
A Senior Technical 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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Senior Technical 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:
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Sales Eng... Level Senior Technical Engineer | $104,653 |
| Sales Eng... Level Senior Technical Engineer | $123,055 |
| Senior Te... Level Senior Technical Engineer | $152,921 |
| Sales Eng... Level Senior Technical Engineer | $181,754 |
| Sales Eng... Level Senior Technical Engineer | $133,537 |
What Am I Worth?
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 Senior Technical 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:
For Senior Technical Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Senior Technical Engineer positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Senior Technical Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
| Industry Sector | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Rate | Pay vs.Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | $200,264 | $96.0 | 30% |
| Pharmaceuticals | $192,562 | $93.0 | 25% |
| Energy & Utilities | $184,859 | $89.0 | 20% |
| Insurance | $177,157 | $85.0 | 15% |
| Aerospace & Defense | $172,535 | $83.0 | 12% |
Understanding how a Senior Technical 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.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $169,384 | $14,115 | $3,257 | $81 |
| Average | $154,049 | $12,837 | $2,962 | $74 |
| 25th Percentile | $137,969 | $11,497 | $2,653 | $66 |
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Senior Technical Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Lumotive
Milpitas, CA
Lumotive | Milpitas, CA
Job Description. Job Description. Lumotive is pioneering the era of programmable optics—where light is controlled as intelligently and flexibly as software... more
5 Days Ago
Sunnyvale, CA
Google | Sunnyvale, CA
Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: New York, NY, USA. Sunnyvale, ... more
6 Days Ago
Clark Pacific
West Sacramento, CA
Clark Pacific | West Sacramento, CA
Job Description. Job Description. The Technical Solutions Engineer is a hands-on technical role responsible for developing, supporting, and improving techn... more
6 Days Ago
enCore Energy Corp.
Huntington Beach, CA
enCore Energy Corp. | Huntington Beach, CA
Job Title. Location 14520 Delta Lane, Suite 101, Huntington Beach, CA, 92647, United States. Base Pay $100,000.00 - $120,000.00 / Year. Employee Type Exemp... more
6 Days Ago
Quartus Engineering
San Diego, CA
Quartus Engineering | San Diego, CA
Technical Sales Engineer - Aerospace. As a Technical Sales Engineer with a focus in Aerospace, you will be responsible for qualifying inbound leads, engagi... more
6 Days Ago
PayNearMe
Santa Clara, CA
PayNearMe | Santa Clara, CA
Job DescriptionWe're expanding our support capabilities with a new Technical Support Engineer position.This role is crucial for enhancing our 24x7 support ... more
7 Days Ago
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.
Explore Cost of Living CalculatorSalary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.
Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:
