Program Engineer Salary in California
$30.6K - $40K
23% of jobs
$40K - $49.3K
0% of jobs
$49.3K - $58.7K
1% of jobs
$62.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$58.7K - $68.1K
2% of jobs
$68.1K - $77.5K
1% of jobs
$77.5K - $86.8K
2% of jobs
$86.8K - $96.2K
2% of jobs
$96.2K - $105.6K
3% of jobs
$105.6K - $115K
1% of jobs
The median wage is $117.1K / yr.
$115K - $124.4K
62% of jobs
$124.4K - $133.7K
2% of jobs
$30.6K
$115K
$131.8K
$94,522
/year
$45.44
/hour
Program Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$95,777
California
California
$94,522
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How much does a Program Engineer make in California?
As of Aug 8, 2026, the average annual pay for a Program Engineer in California is $94,522 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $45.44 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,817/week or $7,876/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $131,752 and as low as $30,594, the majority of Program Engineer salaries currently range between $67,600 (25th percentile) to $115,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $114,974 annually in California. The average pay range for a Program Engineer varies little (about 47400), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Program Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Program Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Program Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Program Engineer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Program Engineer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Berkeley, , with Mountain View, and Santa Clara, close behind in the second and third positions. Santa Clara, beats the average in California by $18,588 (19.7%), and Berkeley, furthers that trend with another $22,751 (24.1%) above the $94,522 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Program 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 Berkeley, and Richmond, , 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 Program Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Berkeley | $117,273 | $56.38 |
Mountain View | $113,496 | $54.57 |
Santa Clara | $113,110 | $54.38 |
San Francisco | $112,841 | $54.25 |
Sunnyvale | $112,408 | $54.04 |
Livermore | $112,345 | $54.01 |
San Jose | $112,249 | $53.97 |
Santa Cruz | $110,590 | $53.17 |
Oakland | $109,997 | $52.88 |
Richmond | $109,920 | $52.85 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Program Engineer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Program Engineer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $94522 state average for Program Engineer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Propulsion Test Engineer | $133,118 | $64.00 |
Radiological Engineer | $130,299 | $62.64 |
Senior Design Engineer | $119,875 | $57.63 |
Senior Reactor Operator | $79,236 | $38.09 |
Farm Loan Officer | $69,414 | $33.37 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
