What are the main factors that influence a Systems Design Engineer's salary?

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

How does experience change A Systems Design Engineer's salary?

A Systems Design Engineer's salary grows with experience: a Systems Design Engineer (0-2 years)earns $83,467, a Software Systems Engineer II (2-4 years)earns $102,498, a Software Systems Engineer III (4-7 years)earns $118,948, a Software Systems Engineer IV (7+ years)earns $145,527, a Software Systems Engineer V (7-10 years)earns $166,808,

What are the highest paying states for a Systems Design Engineer?

Systems Design Engineer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Systems Design Engineer roles are District of Columbia $91,642, California $91,294, Massachusetts $90,078. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Systems Design Engineer roles make?

Salaries for Systems Design Engineer level roles vary by specialization: Systems Infrastructure Design and Planning Engineer V: $165,280; Systems Engineer V: $165,271; Systems Infrastructure Design and Planning Engineer IV: $144,190; Systems Engineer IV: $144,186; Systems Infrastructure Design and Planning Engineer III: $117,860.

How do different companies affect a Systems Design Engineer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Systems Design Engineer 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.

Systems Design Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Systems Design Engineer make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Systems Design Engineer in the United States is $82,769 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $98,589
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,201 to $91,050
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $68,310

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Systems Design Engineer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$91,050	$7,587	$1,751	$44
Average	$82,769	$6,897	$1,592	$40
25th Percentile	$75,201	$6,267	$1,446	$36

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Check out Systems Design Engineer Job Openings in the United States

Exterior Design Senior Engineer II

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Sr ADAS Design Engineer

American Honda Motor Co. - Raymond, OH

STAFF ENGINEER MECHANICAL DESIGN

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ADVANCED LEAD MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER

GE Aviation - Evendale, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Systems Design Engineer Salaries

A Systems Design 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 Systems Design Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Systems Design 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): $83,467
Early Career (1-2 years): $102,498
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $118,948
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $145,527
Expert (over 8 years): $166,808

Levels	Salary
Systems D... Level Systems Design Engineer	$83,467
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$102,498
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$118,948
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$145,527
Software ... Level Systems Design Engineer	$166,808

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What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $91,642.
California: $91,294.
Massachusetts: $90,078.

District of Columbia $91,642 California $91,294 Massachusetts $90,078 Washington $89,747 New Jersey $89,713 Alaska $89,598 Connecticut $88,455 New York $87,992

Hawaii $86,510 Rhode Island $85,815 Maryland $85,343 Minnesota $84,698 Colorado $84,449 Illinois $84,367 Oregon $84,052 Delaware $83,820

New Hampshire $83,675 Virginia $83,348 Pennsylvania $82,397 Nevada $81,917 North Dakota $81,759 Michigan $81,511 Wisconsin $81,420 Vermont $81,238

Texas $80,733 Maine $80,700 Arizona $80,650 Ohio $80,592 Georgia $79,831 Indiana $79,450 Wyoming $79,376 Utah $79,260

Iowa $79,210 Kansas $78,813 Louisiana $78,697 North Carolina $78,655 Missouri $78,639 Florida $78,316 Montana $78,142 Nebraska $77,977

Kentucky $77,886 South Carolina $77,555 Tennessee $77,348 Idaho $77,265 New Mexico $76,661 Oklahoma $76,528 Alabama $76,040 South Dakota $75,221

Arkansas $74,774 West Virginia $74,534 Mississippi $73,813

Top Paying Cities for Systems Design 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: $104,397
San Francisco: $103,370
Oakland: $101,078

San Jose, CA $104,397

San Francisco, CA $103,370

Oakland, CA $101,078

New York, NY $95,921

Queens Village, NY $95,300

Paramus, NJ $94,638

Passaic, NJ $94,555

Bergenfield, NJ $94,473

Stamford, CT $94,348

Huntington, NY $94,266

Newark, NJ $93,728

Bridgeport, CT $93,562

New Brunswick, NJ $93,289

Vallejo, CA $93,115

Middlesex, NJ $93,066

Somerset, NJ $92,991

Petaluma, CA $92,801

Santa Cruz, CA $92,478

Boston, MA $92,312

Monterey, CA $91,898

Fairbanks, AK $91,841

Los Angeles, CA $91,683

Washington, DC $91,642

Seattle, WA $91,493

Santa Rosa, CA $91,476

Juneau, AK $91,236

Orange, CA $90,963

Anchorage, AK $90,814

Anaheim, CA $90,756

Santa Ana, CA $90,632

Nassau, NY $90,582

Long Beach, CA $90,549

Danbury, CT $90,525

Santa Maria, CA $90,243

Everett, WA $90,227

Bremerton, WA $89,821

Trenton, NJ $89,664

Sacramento, CA $89,631

San Diego, CA $89,589

Brockton, MA $89,556

Tacoma, WA $89,523

Santa Barbara, CA $89,407

Lowell, MA $89,076

New Suffolk, NY $89,043

Nashua, NH $88,944

Lompoc, CA $88,811

Ventura, CA $88,728

Stockton, CA $88,704

New Haven, CT $88,538

Atlantic City, NJ $88,323

Hartford, CT $88,141

Modesto, CA $88,099

Poughkeepsie, NY $87,917

New Britain, CT $87,876

Kennewick, WA $87,760

Olympia, WA $87,760

New London, CT $87,743

Norwich, CT $87,719

Lawrence, MA $87,677

Bakersfield, CA $87,446

New Bedford, MA $87,330

Riverside, CA $87,330

Richland, WA $87,247

Portsmouth, NH $87,181

Vineland, NJ $87,164

San Bernardino, CA $87,098

Boulder, CO $86,866

Worcester, MA $86,800

Portland, OR $86,725

Saint Paul, MN $86,626

Minneapolis, MN $86,626

Philadelphia, PA $86,510

Honolulu, HI $86,072

Springfield, MA $85,782

Providence, RI $85,774

Chicago, IL $85,534

Bellingham, WA $85,434

Baltimore, MD $85,343

Chico, CA $85,136

Wilmington, DE $84,996

Pittsfield, MA $84,913

Manchester, NH $84,756

Spokane, WA $84,391

Denver, CO $84,383

Albany, NY $83,994

Troy, NY $83,961

Schenectady, NY $83,787

Burlington, VT $83,605

Portland, ME $83,315

Salem, OR $83,249

Yakima, WA $83,233

Ann Arbor, MI $83,208

Rochester, MN $82,976

Reno, NV $82,935

Fresno, CA $82,935

Milwaukee, WI $82,860

Detroit, MI $82,777

Allentown, PA $82,753

Carson City, NV $82,744

Houston, TX $82,620

Colorado Springs, CO $82,612

Syracuse, NY $82,570

Eugene, OR $82,413

Gary, IN $82,314

Bismarck, ND $82,314

Galveston, TX $82,314

Springfield, OR $82,248

Medford, OR $82,049

Fort Collins, CO $82,016

Austin, TX $81,950

Mesa, AZ $81,776

Phoenix, AZ $81,759

Dallas, TX $81,734

Reading, PA $81,685

Saint Cloud, MN $81,652

Concord, NH $81,577

Madison, WI $81,544

Utica, NY $81,321

Raleigh, NC $81,254

Las Vegas, NV $81,246

Rochester, NY $81,188

Des Moines, IA $81,180

Atlanta, GA $81,047

Battle Creek, MI $81,023

Salt Lake City, UT $80,998

Lancaster, PA $80,874

Champaign, IL $80,857

Harrisburg, PA $80,758

Durham, NC $80,683

Kansas City, MO $80,675

Kansas City, KS $80,658

Fort Worth, TX $80,650

Boca Raton, FL $80,617

Cleveland, OH $80,609

Columbus, OH $80,592

Pittsburgh, PA $80,584

Richmond, VA $80,551

Indianapolis, IN $80,534

Cincinnati, OH $80,427

Petersburg, VA $80,303

Lansing, MI $80,120

Billings, MT $80,120

Huntsville, AL $80,120

Lebanon, PA $80,112

Pueblo, CO $80,104

Dayton, OH $80,104

Appleton, WI $80,079

Buffalo, NY $80,046

Racine, WI $80,005

Charlotte, NC $79,996

Saint Louis, MO $79,971

Springfield, IL $79,938

York, PA $79,922

Elkhart, IN $79,922

Gastonia, NC $79,914

Benton Harbor, MI $79,914

Beaumont, TX $79,864

Lorain, OH $79,847

Toledo, OH $79,814

Binghamton, NY $79,773

Rock Hill, SC $79,765

Rockford, IL $79,723

Elyria, OH $79,682

Fargo, ND $79,682

Flagstaff, AZ $79,624

Fort Lauderdale, FL $79,574

Miami, FL $79,525

Duluth, MN $79,392

Bangor, ME $79,284

Cedar Rapids, IA $79,193

Louisville, KY $79,152

Grand Rapids, MI $79,136

Hialeah, FL $79,127

Casper, WY $79,011

Scranton, PA $78,912

New Orleans, LA $78,887

Virginia Beach, VA $78,879

Akron, OH $78,838

Peoria, IL $78,730

Sarasota, FL $78,713

Green Bay, WI $78,655

Baton Rouge, LA $78,614

Charleston, SC $78,598

Nashville, TN $78,573

Jamestown, NY $78,556

Davenport, IA $78,556

Tucson, AZ $78,515

Cheyenne, WY $78,490

Saint Petersburg, FL $78,465

Tampa, FL $78,449

Omaha, NE $78,432

Evansville, IN $78,399

Port Arthur, TX $78,399

Bradenton, FL $78,366

Santa Fe, NM $78,217

Orlando, FL $78,134

Clearwater, FL $78,043

La Crosse, WI $77,869

Canton, OH $77,869

Grand Forks, ND $77,844

Tulsa, OK $77,819

Albuquerque, NM $77,819

Newport News, VA $77,811

High Point, NC $77,786

Ogden, UT $77,753

Corpus Christi, TX $77,687

Laramie, WY $77,637

Norfolk, VA $77,637

Rock Island, IL $77,588

Saginaw, MI $77,571

Jacksonville, FL $77,563

Salisbury, NC $77,546

Memphis, TN $77,530

Moline, IL $77,488

Fort Myers, FL $77,464

Waterloo, IA $77,356

Spartanburg, SC $77,273

Lincoln, NE $77,232

Fort Wayne, IN $77,215

Birmingham, AL $77,124

Cedar Falls, IA $77,108

Provo, UT $77,099

Springfield, OH $77,091

San Antonio, TX $77,075

Greensboro, NC $77,041

South Bend, IN $77,033

Winston Salem, NC $77,025

Boise, ID $77,000

Savannah, GA $76,942

Muskegon, MI $76,793

Lima, OH $76,694

Lake Charles, LA $76,661

Anderson, IN $76,644

Lexington, KY $76,619

Augusta, GA $76,594

Greenville, SC $76,594

Wichita, KS $76,520

Tuscaloosa, AL $76,520

Columbia, SC $76,446

Bloomington, IN $76,239

Roanoke, VA $76,189

Asheville, NC $76,081

Knoxville, TN $75,941

Shreveport, LA $75,932

Wilmington, NC $75,825

Frankfort, KY $75,667

Oklahoma City, OK $75,610

Chillicothe, OH $75,576

Longview, TX $75,568

Topeka, KS $75,543

Mobile, AL $75,419

Terre Haute, IN $75,386

Erie, PA $75,378

Altoona, PA $75,336

Melbourne, FL $75,312

Amarillo, TX $75,278

Killeen, TX $75,254

Fayetteville, AR $75,187

Sioux Falls, SD $75,129

Chattanooga, TN $75,080

Idaho Falls, ID $75,072

Gainesville, FL $74,898

Portsmouth, OH $74,856

Little Rock, AR $74,840

Lynchburg, VA $74,840

Youngstown, OH $74,807

Lafayette, LA $74,807

Temple, TX $74,774

Daytona Beach, FL $74,757

Clarksville, TN $74,749

Pensacola, FL $74,740

Hopkinsville, KY $74,492

Charleston, WV $74,484

Florence, SC $74,443

Sioux City, IA $74,393

Macon, GA $74,153

Tallahassee, FL $74,145

Fayetteville, NC $74,128

Wichita Falls, TX $74,111

Waco, TX $74,111

Pine Bluff, AR $74,078

Vincennes, IN $73,921

Lubbock, TX $73,888

Great Falls, MT $73,838

Alamogordo, NM $73,830

Abilene, TX $73,764

Rapid City, SD $73,656

Monroe, LA $73,656

Albany, GA $73,607

Huntington, WV $73,598

Jackson, MS $73,590

Greenville, MS $73,582

Parkersburg, WV $73,499

Montgomery, AL $73,482

Johnstown, PA $73,466

Springfield, MO $73,400

Biloxi, MS $73,358

Sumter, SC $73,184

Columbus, GA $73,176

Twin Falls, ID $73,126

Pascagoula, MS $73,019

Kingsport, TN $72,804

Gulfport, MS $72,779

Alexandria, LA $72,506

Fort Smith, AR $72,299

El Paso, TX $72,075

Helena, MT $71,968

Las Cruces, NM $71,703

Harlingen, TX $71,471

Pocatello, ID $71,397

Florence, AL $71,372

Brownsville, TX $71,355

Dothan, AL $71,223

Mcallen, TX $71,181

Columbus, MS $70,569

Altus, OK $70,188

Lawton, OK $70,031

Pierre, SD $69,733

What Skills Can Increase a Systems Design Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 7.02% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Azure (Mentioned in 2.71% Job Postings): Microsoft Azure, often referred to as Azure, is a cloud computing service operated by Microsoft for application management via Microsoft-managed data centers.
Cisco (Mentioned in 1.62% Job Postings): Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	7.02%
Azure	2.71%
Cisco	1.62%

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 Systems Design Engineer's salary.

Python: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
System Design: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Python	$91,046	10%
Leadership	$90,218	9%
System Design	$89,391	8%
Analysis	$88,563	7%
Problem Solving	$88,563	7%
Networking	$87,735	6%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Systems Design Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Systems Design Engineers 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 Systems Design Engineer with a No Diploma is between $68,885 and $75,174).

Systems Design Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Systems Design Engineer

No Diploma 1.3%

High School 14.3%

Associates 10.4%

Bachelors 61.0%

Masters 13.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.3%
High School	14.3%
Associates	10.4%
Bachelors	61.0%
Masters	13.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Systems Design Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Systems Design 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 18, 2021

$75,201

Average $82,769/year

$91,050

$6,267

Average $6,897/month

$7,587

$1,446

Average $1,592/week

$1,751

$36

Average $40/hour

$44

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$91,050	$7,587	$1,751	$44
Average	$82,769	$6,897	$1,592	$40
25th Percentile	$75,201	$6,267	$1,446	$36

Salaries of jobs related to Systems Design Engineer

Salary Trends for Systems Design Engineer

Salaries for a Systems Design Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $84,271 in 2023 to around $84,048 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Systems Design Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Systems Design Engineer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$84,271

2024

$84,544

2025

$84,048

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$84,271
2024	$84,544
2025	$84,048
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Systems Design Engineer

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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