What are the main factors that influence a CAE's salary?

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

How does experience change A CAE's salary?

A CAE's salary grows with experience: starting around $746,099 for beginners, reaching about $768,551 at mid-level, and approach $811,851 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a CAE?

CAE salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for CAE roles are District of Columbia $1,023,303, California $1,019,422, Massachusetts $1,005,835. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of CAE roles make?

Salaries for CAE level roles vary by specialization: CAE Services Director: $177,490; CAE Services Manager: $132,490; CAE Designer IV: $131,152; Senior Cae Engineer: $119,803; CAE Services Supervisor: $119,300.

How do different companies affect a CAE's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for CAE 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.

CAE Salary in the United States

How much does a CAE make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a CAE in the United States is $924,226 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $444.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $1,387,687
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $713,441 to $1,166,819
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $521,532

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CAE Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$1,166,819	$97,235	$22,439	$561
Average	$924,226	$77,019	$17,774	$444
25th Percentile	$713,441	$59,453	$13,720	$343

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Key Factors That Influence CAE Salaries

A CAE'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 CAE Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a CAE'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): $746,099
Early Career (1-2 years): $755,722
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $768,551
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $787,795
Expert (over 8 years): $811,851

Levels	Salary
Entry Level CAE	$746,099
Intermediate Level CAE	$755,722
Senior Level CAE	$768,551
Specialist Level CAE	$787,795
Expert Level CAE	$811,851

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $1,023,303.
California: $1,019,422.
Massachusetts: $1,005,835.

District of Columbia $1,023,303 California $1,019,422 Massachusetts $1,005,835 Washington $1,002,138 New Jersey $1,001,769 Alaska $1,000,475 Connecticut $987,721 New York $982,545

Hawaii $966,001 Rhode Island $958,238 Maryland $952,970 Minnesota $945,761 Colorado $942,988 Illinois $942,064 Oregon $938,552 Delaware $935,964

New Hampshire $934,337 Virginia $930,696 Pennsylvania $920,067 Nevada $914,707 North Dakota $912,951 Michigan $910,178 Wisconsin $909,161 Vermont $907,128

Texas $901,490 Maine $901,121 Arizona $900,566 Ohio $899,919 Georgia $891,416 Indiana $887,165 Wyoming $886,333 Utah $885,039

Iowa $884,484 Kansas $880,048 Louisiana $878,754 North Carolina $878,292 Missouri $878,107 Florida $874,503 Montana $872,562 Nebraska $870,714

Kentucky $869,697 South Carolina $866,000 Tennessee $863,689 Idaho $862,765 New Mexico $856,018 Oklahoma $854,540 Alabama $849,087 South Dakota $839,937

Arkansas $834,946 West Virginia $832,266 Mississippi $824,225

Top Paying Cities for CAEs

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: $1,165,727
San Francisco: $1,154,266
Oakland: $1,128,665

San Jose, CA $1,165,727

San Francisco, CA $1,154,266

Oakland, CA $1,128,665

New York, NY $1,071,086

Queens Village, NY $1,064,154

Paramus, NJ $1,056,760

Passaic, NJ $1,055,836

Bergenfield, NJ $1,054,912

Stamford, CT $1,053,525

Huntington, NY $1,052,601

Newark, NJ $1,046,594

Bridgeport, CT $1,044,745

New Brunswick, NJ $1,041,695

Vallejo, CA $1,039,755

Middlesex, NJ $1,039,200

Somerset, NJ $1,038,368

Petaluma, CA $1,036,242

Santa Cruz, CA $1,032,638

Boston, MA $1,030,790

Monterey, CA $1,026,168

Fairbanks, AK $1,025,521

Los Angeles, CA $1,023,765

Washington, DC $1,023,303

Seattle, WA $1,021,640

Santa Rosa, CA $1,021,455

Juneau, AK $1,018,775

Orange, CA $1,015,725

Anchorage, AK $1,014,061

Anaheim, CA $1,013,414

Santa Ana, CA $1,012,028

Nassau, NY $1,011,473

Long Beach, CA $1,011,103

Danbury, CT $1,010,826

Santa Maria, CA $1,007,684

Everett, WA $1,007,499

Bremerton, WA $1,002,970

Trenton, NJ $1,001,214

Sacramento, CA $1,000,845

San Diego, CA $1,000,382

Brockton, MA $1,000,013

Tacoma, WA $999,643

Santa Barbara, CA $998,349

Lowell, MA $994,652

New Suffolk, NY $994,283

Nashua, NH $993,173

Lompoc, CA $991,695

Ventura, CA $990,771

Stockton, CA $990,493

New Haven, CT $988,645

Atlantic City, NJ $986,242

Hartford, CT $984,209

Modesto, CA $983,746

Poughkeepsie, NY $981,713

New Britain, CT $981,251

Kennewick, WA $979,957

Olympia, WA $979,957

New London, CT $979,772

Norwich, CT $979,495

Lawrence, MA $979,033

Bakersfield, CA $976,445

New Bedford, MA $975,151

Riverside, CA $975,151

Richland, WA $974,227

Portsmouth, NH $973,487

Vineland, NJ $973,303

San Bernardino, CA $972,563

Boulder, CO $969,975

Worcester, MA $969,236

Portland, OR $968,404

Saint Paul, MN $967,295

Minneapolis, MN $967,295

Philadelphia, PA $966,001

Honolulu, HI $961,103

Springfield, MA $957,868

Providence, RI $957,776

Chicago, IL $955,095

Bellingham, WA $953,986

Baltimore, MD $952,970

Chico, CA $950,659

Wilmington, DE $949,088

Pittsfield, MA $948,164

Manchester, NH $946,408

Spokane, WA $942,341

Denver, CO $942,249

Albany, NY $937,905

Troy, NY $937,535

Schenectady, NY $935,594

Burlington, VT $933,561

Portland, ME $930,326

Salem, OR $929,587

Yakima, WA $929,402

Ann Arbor, MI $929,125

Rochester, MN $926,537

Reno, NV $926,075

Fresno, CA $926,075

Milwaukee, WI $925,243

Detroit, MI $924,319

Allentown, PA $924,041

Carson City, NV $923,949

Houston, TX $922,563

Colorado Springs, CO $922,470

Syracuse, NY $922,008

Eugene, OR $920,252

Gary, IN $919,143

Bismarck, ND $919,143

Galveston, TX $919,143

Springfield, OR $918,404

Medford, OR $916,185

Fort Collins, CO $915,816

Austin, TX $915,076

Mesa, AZ $913,136

Phoenix, AZ $912,951

Dallas, TX $912,673

Reading, PA $912,119

Saint Cloud, MN $911,749

Concord, NH $910,917

Madison, WI $910,548

Utica, NY $908,052

Raleigh, NC $907,313

Las Vegas, NV $907,220

Rochester, NY $906,574

Des Moines, IA $906,481

Atlanta, GA $905,002

Battle Creek, MI $904,725

Salt Lake City, UT $904,448

Lancaster, PA $903,061

Champaign, IL $902,877

Harrisburg, PA $901,768

Durham, NC $900,936

Kansas City, MO $900,843

Kansas City, KS $900,658

Fort Worth, TX $900,566

Boca Raton, FL $900,196

Cleveland, OH $900,104

Columbus, OH $899,919

Pittsburgh, PA $899,827

Richmond, VA $899,457

Indianapolis, IN $899,272

Cincinnati, OH $898,071

Petersburg, VA $896,684

Lansing, MI $894,651

Billings, MT $894,651

Huntsville, AL $894,651

Lebanon, PA $894,559

Pueblo, CO $894,466

Dayton, OH $894,466

Appleton, WI $894,189

Buffalo, NY $893,819

Racine, WI $893,357

Charlotte, NC $893,265

Saint Louis, MO $892,987

Springfield, IL $892,618

York, PA $892,433

Elkhart, IN $892,433

Gastonia, NC $892,340

Benton Harbor, MI $892,340

Beaumont, TX $891,786

Lorain, OH $891,601

Toledo, OH $891,231

Binghamton, NY $890,769

Rock Hill, SC $890,677

Rockford, IL $890,215

Elyria, OH $889,753

Fargo, ND $889,753

Flagstaff, AZ $889,106

Fort Lauderdale, FL $888,551

Miami, FL $887,997

Duluth, MN $886,518

Bangor, ME $885,316

Cedar Rapids, IA $884,300

Louisville, KY $883,838

Grand Rapids, MI $883,653

Hialeah, FL $883,560

Casper, WY $882,266

Scranton, PA $881,157

New Orleans, LA $880,880

Virginia Beach, VA $880,788

Akron, OH $880,325

Peoria, IL $879,124

Sarasota, FL $878,939

Green Bay, WI $878,292

Baton Rouge, LA $877,830

Charleston, SC $877,645

Nashville, TN $877,368

Jamestown, NY $877,183

Davenport, IA $877,183

Tucson, AZ $876,721

Cheyenne, WY $876,444

Saint Petersburg, FL $876,166

Tampa, FL $875,982

Omaha, NE $875,797

Evansville, IN $875,427

Port Arthur, TX $875,427

Bradenton, FL $875,057

Santa Fe, NM $873,394

Orlando, FL $872,470

Clearwater, FL $871,453

La Crosse, WI $869,512

Canton, OH $869,512

Grand Forks, ND $869,235

Tulsa, OK $868,957

Albuquerque, NM $868,957

Newport News, VA $868,865

High Point, NC $868,588

Ogden, UT $868,218

Corpus Christi, TX $867,479

Laramie, WY $866,924

Norfolk, VA $866,924

Rock Island, IL $866,370

Saginaw, MI $866,185

Jacksonville, FL $866,092

Salisbury, NC $865,908

Memphis, TN $865,723

Moline, IL $865,261

Fort Myers, FL $864,983

Waterloo, IA $863,782

Spartanburg, SC $862,858

Lincoln, NE $862,395

Fort Wayne, IN $862,211

Birmingham, AL $861,194

Cedar Falls, IA $861,009

Provo, UT $860,917

Springfield, OH $860,824

San Antonio, TX $860,639

Greensboro, NC $860,270

South Bend, IN $860,177

Winston Salem, NC $860,085

Boise, ID $859,808

Savannah, GA $859,161

Muskegon, MI $857,497

Lima, OH $856,388

Lake Charles, LA $856,018

Anderson, IN $855,833

Lexington, KY $855,556

Augusta, GA $855,279

Greenville, SC $855,279

Wichita, KS $854,447

Tuscaloosa, AL $854,447

Columbia, SC $853,615

Bloomington, IN $851,305

Roanoke, VA $850,750

Asheville, NC $849,549

Knoxville, TN $847,978

Shreveport, LA $847,885

Wilmington, NC $846,684

Frankfort, KY $844,928

Oklahoma City, OK $844,281

Chillicothe, OH $843,911

Longview, TX $843,819

Topeka, KS $843,541

Mobile, AL $842,155

Terre Haute, IN $841,785

Erie, PA $841,693

Altoona, PA $841,231

Melbourne, FL $840,953

Amarillo, TX $840,584

Killeen, TX $840,306

Fayetteville, AR $839,567

Sioux Falls, SD $838,920

Chattanooga, TN $838,366

Idaho Falls, ID $838,273

Gainesville, FL $836,332

Portsmouth, OH $835,870

Little Rock, AR $835,685

Lynchburg, VA $835,685

Youngstown, OH $835,316

Lafayette, LA $835,316

Temple, TX $834,946

Daytona Beach, FL $834,761

Clarksville, TN $834,669

Pensacola, FL $834,576

Hopkinsville, KY $831,804

Charleston, WV $831,711

Florence, SC $831,249

Sioux City, IA $830,695

Macon, GA $828,014

Tallahassee, FL $827,922

Fayetteville, NC $827,737

Wichita Falls, TX $827,552

Waco, TX $827,552

Pine Bluff, AR $827,182

Vincennes, IN $825,426

Lubbock, TX $825,057

Great Falls, MT $824,502

Alamogordo, NM $824,410

Abilene, TX $823,670

Rapid City, SD $822,469

Monroe, LA $822,469

Albany, GA $821,914

Huntington, WV $821,822

Jackson, MS $821,730

Greenville, MS $821,637

Parkersburg, WV $820,713

Montgomery, AL $820,528

Johnstown, PA $820,343

Springfield, MO $819,604

Biloxi, MS $819,142

Sumter, SC $817,201

Columbus, GA $817,108

Twin Falls, ID $816,554

Pascagoula, MS $815,352

Kingsport, TN $812,949

Gulfport, MS $812,672

Alexandria, LA $809,622

Fort Smith, AR $807,312

El Paso, TX $804,816

Helena, MT $803,615

Las Cruces, NM $800,657

Harlingen, TX $798,069

Pocatello, ID $797,238

Florence, AL $796,960

Brownsville, TX $796,775

Dothan, AL $795,297

Mcallen, TX $794,835

Columbus, MS $787,995

Altus, OK $783,744

Lawton, OK $781,988

Pierre, SD $778,661

What Skills Can Increase a CAE's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Leadership (Mentioned in 16.74% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Patient Care (Mentioned in 1.2% Job Postings): Patient care refers to the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of physical and mental well-being through services offered by health professionals.
PowerPoint (Mentioned in 1% Job Postings): A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Leadership	16.74%
Patient Care	1.2%
PowerPoint	1%

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 CAE's salary.

Business Administration: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Alignment: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Business Administration	$1,053,618	14%
Innovation	$1,025,891	11%
Alignment	$1,016,649	10%
Integrity	$1,016,649	10%
Patient Care	$1,007,407	9%
Initiative	$998,164	8%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a CAE's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many CAEs 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 CAE with a No Diploma is between $729,841 and $857,736).

CAE Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for CAE

No Diploma 1.4%

High School 6.8%

Associates 4.6%

Bachelors 36.9%

Masters 40.3%

Doctorate 10.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.4%
High School	6.8%
Associates	4.6%
Bachelors	36.9%
Masters	40.3%
Doctorate	10.0%

view as graph

CAE Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CAE'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 18, 2021

$713,441

Average $924,226/year

$1,166,819

$59,453

Average $77,019/month

$97,235

$13,720

Average $17,774/week

$22,439

$343

Average $444/hour

$561

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$1,166,819	$97,235	$22,439	$561
Average	$924,226	$77,019	$17,774	$444
25th Percentile	$713,441	$59,453	$13,720	$343

Salaries of jobs related to CAE

Salary Trends for CAE

Salaries for a CAE can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $275,110 in 2023 to around $265,650 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of CAE salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of CAE Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$275,110

2024

$271,819

2025

$265,650

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$275,110
2024	$271,819
2025	$265,650
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for CAE

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Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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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.)

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