Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2199

Engineers, All Other Salary (2024) — Pay by Metro Area

Engineers, All Other earn a national median of $117,750 per year. Because pay tracks local labour markets, the same job ranges from $90,500 in the cheapest metro covered to $162,610 in the most expensive — a 80% gap for identical work. This page ranks 25 metro areas with released data.

US national median
$117,750
150,750 workers nationwide
Highest-paying metro
Washington, DC
$162,610 median
Lowest-paying metro
San Diego, CA
$130,550 median
Metro spread
$72,110
between best and worst metro

Engineers, All Other pay by metro area

Ranked by median annual wage among the metro areas with published estimates for this occupation. Local cost of living is not applied — a lower median in a cheaper metro can still leave more in your pocket.

Median hourly and annual wage for Engineers, All Other by metro area, 2024. Hourly shown as annual ÷ 2,080.
Metro area Hourly Annual Employment
Washington, DC — DC $78.18 $162,610 7,950
Detroit, MI — MI $50.56 $105,170 5,210
San Francisco, CA — CA $75.07 $156,140 5,060
San Diego, CA — CA $62.76 $130,550 3,240
What the spread means

The gap between Washington, DC ($162,610) and San Diego, CA ($130,550) is 25% . For engineers, all other this mainly reflects industry mix and regional price levels rather than a difference in the work itself. The middle metro sits at $121,350, which is the better single number for a "typical" market than either extreme.

Frequently asked questions

How much do engineers, all other make in the United States?

The national median for this occupation is $117,750 per year, across all areas including non-metropolitan ones. Metro-level medians for this occupation range from $90,500 to $162,610, with a middle value of $121,350.

Which metro area pays engineers, all other the most?

Washington, DC pays the most among the metros covered, at a median of $162,610, with about 7,950 people employed in the occupation.

Which metro area pays engineers, all other the least?

San Diego, CA sits at the bottom of the range, with a median of $130,550.

Do engineers, all other earn more in large cities?

Usually, but not always. Large metros tend to show higher nominal pay because they concentrate high-wage industries and a higher cost of living. The spread above is nominal — it is not adjusted for local prices, so a lower median in a cheaper metro can still buy more.

About these figures

Method and limits

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. The US figure on this page is an employment-weighted benchmark computed across the metro areas covered by this site, not the official national OEWS median, which BLS publishes separately. OEWS excludes self-employed workers and reports wages only, not benefits or total compensation.

See the methodology for how the benchmark and the metro ranking are derived.

Browse all occupations →