Machine Engineer Salary in California
$31.1K - $45.4K
1% of jobs
$45.4K - $59.7K
1% of jobs
$59.7K - $74K
6% of jobs
$74K - $88.3K
6% of jobs
$98.8K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$88.3K - $102.6K
14% of jobs
$102.6K - $116.9K
13% of jobs
The median wage is $123.6K / yr.
$116.9K - $131.3K
17% of jobs
$131.3K - $145.6K
13% of jobs
$148.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$145.6K - $159.9K
12% of jobs
$159.9K - $174.2K
10% of jobs
$174.2K - $188.5K
5% of jobs
$31.1K
$128.3K
$190.5K
$127,083
/year
$61.10
/hour
Machine Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$128,769
California
California
$127,083
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How much does a Machine Engineer make in California?
As of Aug 18, 2026, the average annual pay for a Machine Engineer in California is $127,083 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $61.10 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,443/week or $10,590/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $190,473 and as low as $31,088, the majority of Machine Engineer salaries currently range between $100,200 (25th percentile) to $153,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $175,669 annually in California. The average pay range for a Machine Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 52800), 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 Machine Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Machine Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Machine Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Machine Engineer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Machine Engineer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Cupertino, , with Berkeley, and Redwood City, close behind in the second and third positions. Redwood City, beats the average in California by $30,576 (24.1%), and Cupertino, furthers that trend with another $31,785 (25.0%) above the $127,083 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Machine Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Cupertino, and Daly City, , 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 Machine Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino | $158,868 | $76.38 |
Berkeley | $157,670 | $75.80 |
Redwood City | $157,659 | $75.80 |
Mountain View | $151,829 | $72.99 |
Palo Alto | $151,753 | $72.96 |
Santa Clara | $151,231 | $72.71 |
Sunnyvale | $151,130 | $72.66 |
Livermore | $151,044 | $72.62 |
San Francisco | $149,980 | $72.11 |
Daly City | $149,204 | $71.73 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Machine Engineer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Machine Engineer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $127083 state average for Machine Engineer jobs.
Nevertheless Cadence, Swiss Machine Operator, or Screw Machine Set Up may still be interesting positions to explore.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cadence | $119,227 | $57.32 |
Swiss Machine Operator | $56,200 | $27.02 |
Screw Machine Set Up | $46,946 | $22.57 |
Manufacturing Machine Operator | $37,069 | $17.82 |
Plastic Machine Operator | $33,061 | $15.89 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
