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Sales engineer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$124,900median pay per year, or $60.05 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $73,870lowest 10% earn less
  2. $92,89025th percentile
  3. $124,900median
  4. $161,23075th percentile
  5. $195,270top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Sales engineers had a median pay of $124,900 a year[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 2.8% over the decade[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+2.8%[2]
Openings per year
3,800[5]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[6]

How much do sales engineers make?

The median pay for sales engineers was $124,900 a year, or $60.05 an hour[1]. About half of workers earned more than that and about half earned less[7]. The average was $130,140 a year, or $62.57 an hour[8]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4].

Pay varies a lot from the bottom of the range to the top.

Measure Annual Hourly
Lowest-paid 10% earned less than[3][9] $73,870 $35.52
Lowest-paid 25% earned less than[3][9] $92,890 $44.66
Median[1] $124,900 $60.05
Highest-paid 25% earned more than[3][9] $161,230 $77.52
Highest-paid 10% earned more than[3][9] $195,270 $93.88

BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[7]. The figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, bonuses that are not tied to production, and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[10].

Pay by state and city

Delaware had the highest state median at $167,200, followed by Maryland at $153,410 and Rhode Island at $149,750[11]. Delaware and Rhode Island have very few sales engineer jobs, with 80 and 30[11]. The most jobs were in Texas with 6,800 and California with 6,310[12]. Texas had a median of $130,610 and California $139,160[11].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $177,490[13]. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC came next at $175,310, then Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $153,560[13]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area had the most jobs at 3,440, with a median of $147,570[14].

Show median pay in 44 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Delaware[11]$167,20080
Maryland$153,410850
Rhode Island$149,75030
Washington$147,620760
Colorado$139,9902,800
California$139,1606,310
New Jersey$139,0101,760
New York$137,4803,150
Massachusetts$136,2003,150
West Virginia$135,26040
Arizona$131,8701,000
Arkansas$130,76030
Texas$130,6106,800
Oregon$128,170540
Idaho$128,030360
Florida$125,5302,410
Connecticut$123,660760
Louisiana$121,680n/a
North Carolina$121,5302,530
New Mexico$119,42080
South Dakota$119,110100
Wisconsin$117,9701,300
Utah$117,650480
Vermont$116,790n/a
Oklahoma$114,520290
South Carolina$114,250770
Michigan$114,1802,290
Tennessee$111,580530
New Hampshire$107,850300
Alabama$104,410220
Minnesota$100,570990
Illinois$99,7101,150
Nevada$99,020320
Georgia$98,8401,630
Pennsylvania$98,5001,980
Kansas$98,000220
Ohio$97,4201,210
Maine$95,180140
Missouri$90,960710
Kentucky$90,190380
Nebraska$90,140130
Iowa$83,450310
Indiana$74,960980
Alaska$71,080n/a

How to become a sales engineer

BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education for entry[6][15].

A degree is not always required. Candidates without one sometimes qualify through sales and technical experience or training[16]. Some employers prefer people with a sales or technical background, such as a software developer who moves into selling software[20]. BLS lists no work experience as required[6].

Promotions can include a higher commission rate, a larger sales territory, or a move into a supervisor or sales manager role[21].

What sales engineers do

Sales engineers sell business goods or services that call for a technical background like that of an engineering graduate[22]. O*NET lists tasks such as these[23]:

Where they work

Sales engineers typically work in an office. Some travel a lot and can be away from home for several days each month[24]. Most are full-time employees, and some put in over 40 hours a week[25]. The largest employer group in 2025 was durable goods merchant wholesalers, at 22%[26].

BLS notes the work may be stressful, because income and job security often depend on success in sales and customer service[27].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of sales engineers to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 51,600 to 53,000 jobs[2]. That is slower than the 3.5% projected for all occupations[28]. BLS expects about 3,800 openings a year on average[5]. Those include jobs that open when people retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs. Each year, 1.8% of workers leave the labor force and 5.3% move to a different occupation[29].

One factor BLS lists is productivity change. It expects the occupation's share of jobs to fall as AI tools are built into workflows, leaving sales engineers more time for direct selling[30].

Is it a good fit?

The facts suggest this job suits people with a technical degree who also like selling[22][16]. Pay is well above the all-occupations median[1][4]. Growth is projected a little below the all-occupations rate[2][28]. Income and job security often rest on sales results, and some jobs involve travel[24][27]. Weigh those trade-offs against the pay.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[31].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a sales engineer make an hour?
The median was $60.05 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $62.57[1][8].
What degree do you need to be a sales engineer?
A bachelor's degree is typical, in engineering or a related field such as business[6][16]. Some people without a degree qualify through sales and technical experience or training[16].
Is sales engineer a growing job?
BLS projects 2.8% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 3,800 openings a year[2][28][5].
What is the highest paying state for sales engineers?
Delaware had the highest median at $167,200, then Maryland at $153,410 and Rhode Island at $149,750[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Sales Engineers in the US was $124,900 per year and $60.05 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Sales Engineers is projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 51,600 to 53,000 jobs (a change of +1,400). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Sales Engineers: 10th percentile $73,870, 25th percentile $92,890, 75th percentile $161,230, 90th percentile $195,270. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 3,800 openings for Sales Engineers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Sales Engineers: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Sales Engineers was $130,140 per year and $62.57 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Sales Engineers: 10th percentile $35.52, 25th percentile $44.66, 75th percentile $77.52, 90th percentile $93.88. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Sales Engineers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Sales Engineers jobs: Texas 6,800; California 6,310; Massachusetts 3,150; New York 3,150; Colorado 2,800. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Sales Engineers (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $177,490; Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $175,310; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $153,560; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $153,410; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $151,610; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $147,570; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $139,990; Boulder, CO $138,720. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Sales Engineers jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 3,440 (median $147,570); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,690 (median $133,280); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 2,410 (median $136,620); Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 2,010 (median $139,990); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,770 (median $133,380); San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,600 (median $177,490). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. O*NET description of Sales Engineers. O*NET OnLine
  23. O*NET task list for Sales Engineers. O*NET OnLine
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of sales engineers in 2025: Merchant wholesalers, durable goods 22%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  29. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Sales Engineers: 1.8% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  30. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Sales Engineers: Productivity change - share decreases as artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly integrated into workflows, allowing sales engineers to focus on direct sales activity. BLS Employment Projections
  31. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.