Senior Research And Development Engineer

Senior Research And Development Engineer Salary

$59.5K

$120K

$184K

$126,557

/year

$60.84

/hour

Senior Research And Development Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$126,557

Columbus

Ohio

$122,241

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    How much does a Senior Research And Development Engineer make?

    As of Aug 22, 2026, the average annual pay for a Senior Research And Development Engineer in the United States is $126,557 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $60.84 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,433/week or $10,546/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $184,000 and as low as $59,500, the majority of Senior Research And Development Engineer salaries currently range between $104,500 (25th percentile) to $143,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $168,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Senior Research And Development Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 39000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Senior Research And Development Engineer in your area makes on average $122,241 per year, or $4,316 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $126,557. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Senior Research And Development Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Senior Research And Development Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Senior Research And Development Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Senior Research And Development Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Senior Research And Development Engineer 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 $28,404 (22.4%), and Barrow, AK, furthers that trend with another $31,104 (24.6%) above the $126,557 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Senior Research And Development 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 Barrow, AK, and Red Dog, AK, , 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 Senior Research And Development Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Barrow, AK

    $157,661

    $75.80

    Cupertino, CA

    $156,139

    $75.07

    Berkeley, CA

    $154,961

    $74.50

    Sitka, AK

    $152,460

    $73.30

    Holdrege, NE

    $151,598

    $72.88

    Atlanta, NE

    $150,980

    $72.59

    Wyoming, WY

    $150,935

    $72.56

    San Francisco, CA

    $149,106

    $71.69

    Santa Clara, CA

    $148,633

    $71.46

    Red Dog, AK

    $148,550

    $71.42

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Senior Research And Development Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Senior Research And Development Engineer category.

    For example Senior Control Systems Engineer jobs pay as much as $39,662 (31.3%) more than the average Senior Research And Development Engineer salary of $126,557. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Control Systems Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Senior Research And Development Engineer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Senior Control Systems Engineer

    $166,219

    $79.91

    Senior Windows Engineer

    $145,694

    $70.05

    Systems Engineering

    $142,070

    $68.30

    Configuration Management Engineer

    $100,452

    $48.29

    Consulting Systems Engineer

    $100,250

    $48.20

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Senior Research And Development Engineer salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $126,557 per year or $60.84 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.