Sales Engineer Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Sales Engineers — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$124,900
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$60.05
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$195,270
entry level starts ~$73,870
Pay Grade
A
excellent pay · 52,000 employed

How much does a Sales Engineer make?

A Sales Engineer earns a median annual salary of $124,900 in the United States, which works out to roughly $60.05 per hour for full-time work. Most Sales Engineers earn between $73,870 at the entry level and $195,270 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $92,890 and $161,230 a year.

That is $63,510 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Sales Engineer salary range by percentile

Half of all Sales Engineers earn between $92,890 and $161,230 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$73,870$35.51
25th percentile (early career)$92,890$44.66
50th percentile (median)$124,900$60.05
75th percentile (experienced)$161,230$77.51
90th percentile (top earners)$195,270$93.88

Highest-paying states for Sales Engineer

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Delaware leads the country for Sales Engineer pay at $167,200 a year, followed by Maryland ($153,410) and Rhode Island ($149,750). At the other end, Alaska posts the lowest median at $71,080 — a gap of $96,120 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1Delaware$167,200$80.38+34%
2Maryland$153,410$73.75+23%
3Rhode Island$149,750$72.00+20%
4Washington$147,620$70.97+18%
5Colorado$139,990$67.30+12%

Workforce and education

About 52,000 people work as Sales Engineers in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $130,140 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: no college degree is required — most training happens on the job, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Sales Engineer make in the United States?
The median Sales Engineer salary in the United States is $124,900 per year, or about $60.05 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $73,870, while the top 10% of earners make $195,270 or more.
How does Sales Engineer pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of A (excellent pay), the Sales Engineer median of $124,900 is above the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Sales Engineers the most?
Delaware is the highest-paying state for Sales Engineers, with a median salary of $167,200 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
How long does it take to become a Sales Engineer?
Becoming a Sales Engineer typically requires no formal schooling beyond basic training. No college degree is required — most training happens on the job.
How many Sales Engineers work in the United States?
About 52,000 people were employed as Sales Engineers in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.