Distributed Systems Engineer Salary in California
$52.8K - $63.2K
2% of jobs
$63.2K - $73.5K
4% of jobs
$73.5K - $83.9K
7% of jobs
$83.9K - $94.3K
9% of jobs
$96.5K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$94.3K - $104.6K
9% of jobs
$104.6K - $115K
8% of jobs
$115K - $125.3K
9% of jobs
The median wage is $126.1K / yr.
$125.3K - $135.7K
6% of jobs
$135.7K - $146.1K
4% of jobs
$155.5K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$146.1K - $156.4K
17% of jobs
$156.4K - $166.8K
24% of jobs
$52.8K
$128.3K
$165.3K
$125,549
/year
$60.36
/hour
Distributed Systems Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$127,215
California
California
$125,549
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How much does a Distributed Systems Engineer make in California?
As of Aug 12, 2026, the average annual pay for a Distributed Systems Engineer in California is $125,549 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $60.36 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,414/week or $10,462/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $165,307 and as low as $52,799, the majority of Distributed Systems Engineer salaries currently range between $96,700 (25th percentile) to $154,900 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $154,944 annually in California. The average pay range for a Distributed Systems Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 58200), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Distributed Systems Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Distributed 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 Distributed Systems Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Distributed Systems Engineer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Cupertino, , with Berkeley, and Belmont, close behind in the second and third positions. Belmont, beats the average in California by $28,309 (22.5%), and Cupertino, furthers that trend with another $31,401 (25.0%) above the $125,549 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Distributed 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 5% between Cupertino, and Milpitas, , 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 Distributed Systems Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino | $156,950 | $75.46 |
Berkeley | $155,767 | $74.89 |
Belmont | $153,858 | $73.97 |
Mountain View | $151,387 | $72.78 |
San Francisco | $149,881 | $72.06 |
Santa Clara | $149,406 | $71.83 |
Sunnyvale | $149,306 | $71.78 |
Livermore | $149,221 | $71.74 |
San Jose | $149,095 | $71.68 |
Milpitas | $148,253 | $71.28 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Distributed Systems Engineer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $125549 state average for Distributed Systems Engineer jobs.
Nevertheless Lead Project Engineer, New Graduate Civil Engineer, or Engineering Planner may still be interesting positions to explore.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Lead Project Engineer | $113,447 | $54.54 |
New Graduate Civil Engineer | $70,425 | $33.86 |
Engineering Planner | $68,680 | $33.02 |
Stormwater Manager | $60,548 | $29.11 |
Lng Plant Operator | $45,911 | $22.07 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
