To become a design engineer, you need a bachelor’s degree in engineering design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering. Acquire an internship working with a design engineer to gain valuable insight and work experience. Earn an entry-level engineering position and work on project designs in your spare time to build a portfolio. Once you have several years of work experience, pursue a job as a design engineer.

If you are interested in a Design Engineerjob, here are some kinds of positions to explore for this type of work with open positions on ZipRecruiter.

High Paying Design Engineer Jobs

List of the top 8 highest paying Design Engineer positions in 2026, with salary ranges, according to ZipRecruiter.

Design Engineer Manager
Salary range: $109,000 - $150,000
Managers supervise a team of people; they establish goals, assign tasks, and measure progress. The specific responsibilities of someone in a management position will vary based on the company and industry they work in, but their primary responsibilities remain largely the same. Managers monitor the accomplishments of their staff, focusing on the overall goals of the department. They work with Human Resources to determine and address staffing needs, coordinate and delegate responsibilities, check employee performance, and provide additional training and direction when necessary.
Senior Design Engineer
Salary range: $95,000 - $138,500
Senior Design Engineer is a typical job search query. Most salaries for Senior Design Engineer jobs pay between $95,000 (25th percentile) and $138,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Senior Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Full Time Design Engineer
Salary range: $68,000 - $98,500
Full-time employment hours are generally determined by the employer. There is no single universal definition; however, various laws and policies govern different types of eligibility and statuses. For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not define full-time employment but does require overtime pay after 40 hours of work in a workweek for non-exempt employees. The Affordable Care Act, in determining Applicable Large Employers, defines full-time employees as those working an average of at least 30 hours per week, or 130 hours a month. The H-1B Visa Program defines full-time as 40 hours per week, normally, and in no event would less than 35 hours per week be considered to be full-time employment. In practice, full-time employment is typically between 32 and 40 hours per week.
Executive Design Engineer
Salary range: $68,000 - $98,500
The different types of executive jobs include upper- and senior-level management as well as the C-suite—the highest levels of senior management. The C-suite executives have the word “chief” at the beginning of their titles: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are the most common. Companies with a heavy reliance on information technology may also have a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Other executive jobs include vice president and director of various departments.
Junior Design Engineer
Salary range: $48,500 - $80,000
Junior Design Engineer is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Junior Design Engineer jobs pay between $48,500 (25th percentile) and $80,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Junior Design Engineer job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.
Entry Level Design Engineer
Salary range: $51,500 - $78,500
Entry-level jobs are positions that do not require any previous experience in the role. Most entry-level jobs are aimed at high school or college graduates as a starting point for a future career goal. A college student may have majored in their ideal career field, but will still need to start in an entry-level position to train in a real-world environment. Some students move from internships into entry-level jobs, but most entry-level jobs do not expect a candidate to have any prior employment or on-site training.
Design Engineer Internship
Salary range: $43,000 - $60,000
An Internship is a position within your desired field that pays little or no money but offers you the opportunity to gain real-world experience. This may set you apart for your future job search. Generally, Internships are almost expected by employers on an entry-level candidate’s resume. You are much more of an asset to an employer if you have some work experience.
Design Engineer Apprentice
Salary range: $36,000 - $50,000
Design Engineer Apprentice is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Design Engineer Apprentice jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $50,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Design Engineer Apprentice job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

All Jobs Design Engineer Jobs 8 of the Most Popular Types of Design Engineer Jobs in 2026