Chief Systems Engineer Salary
$32.5K - $46K
9% of jobs
$58.8K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$46K - $59.5K
17% of jobs
$59.5K - $73K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $81.2K / yr.
$73K - $86.5K
15% of jobs
$86.5K - $100K
10% of jobs
$100K - $113.5K
8% of jobs
$114.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$113.5K - $127K
9% of jobs
$127K - $140.5K
7% of jobs
$140.5K - $154K
3% of jobs
$154K - $167.5K
3% of jobs
$167.5K - $181K
3% of jobs
$32.5K
$83K
$181K
$92,945
/year
$44.69
/hour
Chief Systems Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$92,945
Columbus
Ohio
$89,776
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How much does a Chief Systems Engineer make?
As of Aug 6, 2026, the average annual pay for a Chief Systems Engineer in the United States is $92,945 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $44.69 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,787/week or $7,745/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $181,000 and as low as $32,500, the majority of Chief Systems Engineer salaries currently range between $59,000 (25th percentile) to $120,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $155,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Chief Systems Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 61000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Chief Systems Engineer in your area makes on average $89,776 per year, or $3,169 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $92,945. Ohio ranks number 40 out of 50 states nationwide for Chief Systems Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Chief Systems Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Chief Systems Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Chief Systems Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Chief Systems Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with Whitehorse, YT, and Carcross, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Carcross, YT, beats the national average by $47,320 (50.9%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $48,301 (52.0%) above the $92,945 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Chief Systems Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Kentville, NS, and West Kelowna, BC, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Chief Systems Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Kentville, NS | $141,246 | $67.91 |
Whitehorse, YT | $140,347 | $67.47 |
Carcross, YT | $140,265 | $67.44 |
Haines Junction, YT | $139,786 | $67.20 |
North Cowichan, BC | $139,375 | $67.01 |
Oak Bay, BC | $138,586 | $66.63 |
Victoria, BC | $137,999 | $66.35 |
Courtenay, BC | $136,343 | $65.55 |
Saint John, NB | $135,447 | $65.12 |
West Kelowna, BC | $135,138 | $64.97 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Chief Systems Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Chief Systems Engineer category.
For example Oil Gas Engineer jobs pay as much as $38,404 (41.3%) more than the average Chief Systems Engineer salary of $92,945. If you're qualified, finding work as a Oil Gas Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Chief Systems Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Oil Gas Engineer | $131,349 | $63.15 |
Chief Mechanical Engineer | $104,066 | $50.03 |
Operating Engineer Union | $87,739 | $42.18 |
Chief Electrical Inspector | $81,466 | $39.17 |
Multi Skilled Maintenance Engineer | $54,481 | $26.19 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
