Sr Design Engineer Salary
$70.5K - $82K
6% of jobs
$82K - $93.5K
6% of jobs
$93.5K - $105K
9% of jobs
$108.7K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$105K - $116.5K
11% of jobs
$116.5K - $128K
11% of jobs
The median wage is $132.9K / yr.
$128K - $139.5K
15% of jobs
$139.5K - $151K
15% of jobs
$152.9K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$151K - $162.5K
8% of jobs
$162.5K - $174K
8% of jobs
$174K - $185.5K
6% of jobs
$185.5K - $197K
4% of jobs
$70.5K
$133.5K
$195.5K
$134,577
/year
$64.70
/hour
Sr Design Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$134,577
Columbus
Ohio
$129,988
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How much does a Sr Design Engineer make?
As of Aug 25, 2026, the average annual pay for a Sr Design Engineer in the United States is $134,577 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $64.70 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,588/week or $11,214/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $195,500 and as low as $70,500, the majority of Sr Design Engineer salaries currently range between $107,500 (25th percentile) to $157,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $180,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Sr Design Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 50000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Sr Design Engineer in your area makes on average $129,988 per year, or $4,589 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $134,577. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Sr Design Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Sr Design Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Sr Design Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Sr Design Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Sr Design Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and San Carlos, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. San Carlos, CA, beats the national average by $27,923 (20.7%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $32,366 (24.1%) above the $134,577 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Sr Design 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 Francisco, 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 a Sr Design Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $166,943 | $80.26 |
Cupertino, CA | $166,034 | $79.82 |
San Carlos, CA | $162,500 | $78.12 |
Sitka, AK | $162,122 | $77.94 |
Wyoming, WY | $160,500 | $77.16 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $160,400 | $77.12 |
Santa Clara, CA | $158,933 | $76.41 |
Mountain View, CA | $158,677 | $76.29 |
Palo Alto, CA | $158,598 | $76.25 |
San Francisco, CA | $158,555 | $76.23 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Sr Design Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Sr Design Engineer job category, we found that Principal Developer jobs have average salaries greater than Sr Design Engineer jobs.
Significantly, Principal Developer jobs pay $19,683 (14.6%) more than the average Sr Design Engineer salary of $134,577. If you're qualified, finding work as a Principal Developer may help you make more money than that of the average Sr Design Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Principal Developer | $154,260 | $74.16 |
Design Developer | $129,348 | $62.19 |
Chemical Research Engineer | $97,711 | $46.98 |
Distribution Design Engineer | $91,574 | $44.03 |
Civil Engineer Design Engineer | $82,674 | $39.75 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
