What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Engineering Lead?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Engineering Lead jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK (24.6% above average), followed by Cupertino, CA and Berkeley, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Barrow, AK $154,207 $12,850 $2,965 $74.14 Cupertino, CA $152,718 $12,726 $2,936 $73.42 Berkeley, CA $151,567 $12,630 $2,914 $72.87 Santa Monica, CA $151,113 $12,592 $2,906 $72.65 Sitka, AK $149,120 $12,426 $2,867 $71.69 Sunnyvale, CA $147,268 $12,272 $2,832 $70.80 Snowmass Village, CO $146,787 $12,232 $2,822 $70.57 Fremont, CA $146,689 $12,224 $2,820 $70.52 Santa Clara, CA $146,295 $12,191 $2,813 $70.33 Mountain View, CA $146,026 $12,168 $2,808 $70.20

Engineering Lead

Engineering Lead Salary

Q: How much does an Engineering Lead make?

The average annual pay for an engineering lead in the United States is $123,784 a year — that works out to approximately $59.51 an hour. The middle 80% of Engineering Leads earn between $87,000 (10th percentile) and $165,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

$42.5K

$130K

$180.5K

$123,784

/year

$59.51

/hour

Engineering Lead Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$123,784

Columbus

Ohio

$119,563

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How much does an Engineering Lead make?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average annual pay for an Engineering Lead in the United States is $123,784 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $59.51 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,380/week or $10,315/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $180,500 and as low as $42,500, the majority of Engineering Lead salaries currently range between $102,500 (25th percentile) to $135,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $165,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Engineering Lead varies little (about 32500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

An Engineering Lead in your area makes on average $119,563 per year, or $4,221 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $123,784. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Engineering Lead salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Engineering Lead jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Engineering Lead on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Engineering Lead Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Engineering Lead job is above the national average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $27,783 (22.4%), and Barrow, AK, furthers that trend with another $30,423 (24.6%) above the $123,784 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Engineering Lead 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 Barrow, AK, and Mountain View, CA, , 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 an Engineering Lead role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Barrow, AK	$154,207	$12,850	$2,965	$74.14
Cupertino, CA	$152,718	$12,726	$2,936	$73.42
Berkeley, CA	$151,567	$12,630	$2,914	$72.87
Santa Monica, CA	$151,113	$12,592	$2,906	$72.65
Sitka, AK	$149,120	$12,426	$2,867	$71.69
Sunnyvale, CA	$147,268	$12,272	$2,832	$70.80
Snowmass Village, CO	$146,787	$12,232	$2,822	$70.57
Fremont, CA	$146,689	$12,224	$2,820	$70.52
Santa Clara, CA	$146,295	$12,191	$2,813	$70.33
Mountain View, CA	$146,026	$12,168	$2,808	$70.20

What are Top 0 Best Paying Related Engineering Lead Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Engineering Lead job category, we found that related job jobs have average salaries similar than Engineering Lead jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Engineering Lead salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $123,784 per year or $59.51 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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