Systems Development Engineer

Systems Development Engineer Salary

$53.5K

$130K

$167.5K

$127,215

/year

$61.16

/hour

Systems Development Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$127,215

Columbus

Ohio

$122,877

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    How much does a Systems Development Engineer make?

    As of Jun 20, 2026, the average annual pay for a Systems 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 Systems 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 Systems 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 Systems 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 Systems Development Engineer salaries.

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

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

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Systems 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 Systems 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 Livermore, 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 Systems Development Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Barrow, AK

    $158,481

    $76.19

    Cupertino, CA

    $156,950

    $75.46

    Berkeley, CA

    $155,767

    $74.89

    Sitka, AK

    $153,253

    $73.68

    Wyoming, WY

    $151,720

    $72.94

    Mountain View, CA

    $151,387

    $72.78

    San Francisco, CA

    $149,881

    $72.06

    Santa Clara, CA

    $149,406

    $71.83

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $149,306

    $71.78

    Livermore, CA

    $149,221

    $71.74

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Systems Development Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

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

    Significantly, Qt jobs pay $1,185 (0.9%) more than the average Systems Development Engineer salary of $127,215. If you're qualified, finding work as a Qt may help you make more money than that of the average Systems Development Engineer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Qt

    $128,400

    $61.73

    Bilingual Devops Engineer

    $122,950

    $59.11

    Independent Contractor Programmer

    $82,234

    $39.54

    Training And Development Manager

    $80,622

    $38.76

    Certified Automation Professional

    $45,556

    $21.90

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Systems Development Engineer salary across the United States as of June 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.