Optical Network Engineer Salary
$83K - $90.5K
1% of jobs
$90.5K - $98K
1% of jobs
$98K - $105.5K
0% of jobs
$105.5K - $113K
1% of jobs
$113K - $120.5K
0% of jobs
$125K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$120.5K - $128K
37% of jobs
The median wage is $131.1K / yr.
$128K - $135.5K
25% of jobs
$135.5K - $143K
1% of jobs
$143K - $150.5K
0% of jobs
$150.5K - $158K
0% of jobs
$160K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$158K - $165.5K
34% of jobs
$83K
$129K
$168K
$143,611
/year
$69.04
/hour
Optical Network Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$143,611
Columbus
Ohio
$138,713
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How much does an Optical Network Engineer make?
As of Jul 20, 2026, the average annual pay for an Optical Network Engineer in the United States is $143,611 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $69.04 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,761/week or $11,967/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $168,000 and as low as $83,000, the majority of Optical Network Engineer salaries currently range between $129,000 (25th percentile) to $167,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $167,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Optical Network Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 38000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
An Optical Network Engineer in your area makes on average $138,713 per year, or $4,898 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $143,611. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Optical Network Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Optical Network Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as an Optical Network Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Optical Network Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Optical Network Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $29,394 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $34,537 (24.0%) above the $143,611 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Optical Network 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 Nome, AK, and San Jose, 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 Optical Network Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $178,148 | $85.65 |
Cupertino, CA | $177,179 | $85.18 |
Sitka, AK | $173,005 | $83.18 |
Mountain View, CA | $169,415 | $81.45 |
Menlo Park, CA | $169,239 | $81.36 |
San Francisco, CA | $169,198 | $81.35 |
Santa Clara, CA | $168,662 | $81.09 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $168,549 | $81.03 |
Livermore, CA | $168,454 | $80.99 |
San Jose, CA | $168,310 | $80.92 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Optical Network Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Optical Network Engineer job category, we found that Wireless Communication Engineer jobs have average salaries greater than Optical Network Engineer jobs.
Significantly, Wireless Communication Engineer jobs pay $27,108 (18.9%) more than the average Optical Network Engineer salary of $143,611. If you're qualified, finding work as an Wireless Communication Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Optical Network Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Wireless Communication Engineer | $170,719 | $82.08 |
Network Programming | $123,000 | $59.13 |
Network Operations Center Engineer | $119,285 | $57.35 |
Cisco Test Engineer | $92,027 | $44.24 |
Jr Network Engineer | $65,136 | $31.32 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
