How much does a sales engineer make?
Answer: A typical sales engineer in the United States makes $124,900 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 52,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Sales engineer pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $73,870 | $124,900 | $195,270 | about 52,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $153,410 | about 850 |
| Washington | $147,620 | about 760 |
| Colorado | $139,990 | about 3,000 |
| California | $139,160 | about 6,000 |
| New Jersey | $139,010 | about 2,000 |
Why does pay differ?
Pay in the U.S. can vary with experience, technical specialty, employer or product, and location. Many sales engineers earn commissions or bonuses, so personal, team, or company sales results can change their total pay.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a sales engineer do?
Sell business goods or services, the selling of which requires a technical background equivalent to a baccalaureate degree in engineering. Excludes “Engineers” (17-2011 through 17-2199) whose primary function is not marketing or sales.
What's a typical day like?
They meet customers or teammates, ask what a business needs, then give a demo showing how software or equipment could solve the problem. They also answer technical questions, tailor a solution, and may travel to customer sites.
How to get this job
Most U.S. sales engineers study engineering or a related field in college and start work after a bachelor's degree, often around age 22. On-the-job training is usual; sales plus technical experience can also qualify, and some states require a license.
Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)
Good for people who like leading and selling and keeping things organized.
Did you know?
Sometimes, sales engineers work with research teams to help develop new products—not just sell the ones already made.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Sources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/sales-engineers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/41-9031.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.energy.gov/cmei/water/sales-engineer
- www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx?keywor
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY