What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for System Development Engineer?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where System Development Engineer jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK (24.6% above average), followed by Cupertino, CA and Berkeley, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Barrow, AK $158,481 $13,206 $3,047 $76.19 Cupertino, CA $156,950 $13,079 $3,018 $75.46 Berkeley, CA $155,767 $12,980 $2,995 $74.89 Sitka, AK $153,253 $12,771 $2,947 $73.68 Wyoming, WY $151,720 $12,643 $2,917 $72.94 Mountain View, CA $151,387 $12,615 $2,911 $72.78 San Francisco, CA $149,881 $12,490 $2,882 $72.06 Santa Clara, CA $149,358 $12,446 $2,872 $71.81 Livermore, CA $149,221 $12,435 $2,869 $71.74 San Jose, CA $149,095 $12,424 $2,867 $71.68

System Development Engineer

System Development Engineer Salary

Q: How much does a System Development Engineer make?

The average annual pay for a system development engineer in the United States is $127,215 a year — that works out to approximately $61.16 an hour. The middle 80% of System Development Engineers earn between $78,500 (10th percentile) and $157,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

$53.5K

$130K

$167.5K

$127,215

/year

$61.16

/hour

System Development Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$127,215

Columbus

Ohio

$122,877

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How much does a System Development Engineer make?

As of Jun 1, 2026, the average annual pay for a System Development Engineer in the United States is $127,215 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $61.16 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,446/week or $10,601/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $167,500 and as low as $53,500, the majority of System Development Engineer salaries currently range between $98,000 (25th percentile) to $157,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $157,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a System Development Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 59000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A System Development Engineer in your area makes on average $122,877 per year, or $4,338 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $127,215. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for System Development Engineer salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for System 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 System Development Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for System Development Engineer Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a System 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 $28,552 (22.4%), and Barrow, AK, furthers that trend with another $31,266 (24.6%) above the $127,215 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a System 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 6% between Barrow, 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 a System Development Engineer role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Barrow, AK	$158,481	$13,206	$3,047	$76.19
Cupertino, CA	$156,950	$13,079	$3,018	$75.46
Berkeley, CA	$155,767	$12,980	$2,995	$74.89
Sitka, AK	$153,253	$12,771	$2,947	$73.68
Wyoming, WY	$151,720	$12,643	$2,917	$72.94
Mountain View, CA	$151,387	$12,615	$2,911	$72.78
San Francisco, CA	$149,881	$12,490	$2,882	$72.06
Santa Clara, CA	$149,358	$12,446	$2,872	$71.81
Livermore, CA	$149,221	$12,435	$2,869	$71.74
San Jose, CA	$149,095	$12,424	$2,867	$71.68

What are Top 0 Best Paying Related System Development Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the System Development Engineer job category, we found that related job jobs have average salaries similar than System Development Engineer jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage

About Our Data

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

Infographic detailing System Development Engineer salary across the United States as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $127,215 per year or $61.16 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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