Systems engineer salary in California
In California, space employers offer systems engineers a median of $160k a year, the middle half $141k–$183k $4.75k above the national posted median. From 217 jobs at 38 employers that name a salary in their postings.
- 25th percentile$141,000/hr
- Median (50th)$160,000/hr
- 75th percentile$182,700/hr
- Distinct posted rates217
- Jobs stating an hourly rate217
- Employers38
The median is the middle of the 217 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $141,000–$182,700 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- 25th percentile$141,000/hr
- Median (50th)$160,000/hr
- 75th percentile$182,700/hr
- Distinct posted rates217
- Jobs stating an hourly rate217
- Employers38
The median is the middle of the 217 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $141,000–$182,700 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- Median posted pay, a year$160,000
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- The same per hour, full time$76.92/hr
Every figure here is a year's pay: a job that posts pay counts at 2,080 hours (40 a week for 52 weeks). Rounded to the nearest $100.
- Lockheed Martin27 jobs
- Northrop Grumman24 jobs
- Boeing13 jobs
- KBR11 jobs
- Voyager Technologies11 jobs
- Booz Allen Hamilton11 jobs
- SpaceX11 jobs
- K2 Space8 jobs
- Impulse Space8 jobs
- E-Space7 jobs
Jobs stating pay, the employers with the most first: 131 at the 10 shown and 86 at 28 other employers, 217 in all.
The jobs themselves: Systems engineer jobs in California · Systems engineer pay nationwide
What systems engineers are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting pay in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Median $160k a year. Middle half $141k to $183k. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 217 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $160k. 86% of the 253 open systems engineer jobs in California state pay.
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Systems engineer pay by town in California
Towns where at least three open jobs state pay, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Segundo | $152k | $62k–$288k | 50 (8) |
| Redondo Beach | $158k | $91.8k–$400k | 30 (2) |
| Sunnyvale | $174k | $58.2k–$381k | 27 (1) |
| Long Beach | $158k | $86.1k–$260k | 25 (5) |
| Los Angeles | $167k | $100k–$280k | 13 (4) |
| Hawthorne | $138k | $100k–$265k | 13 (2) |
| Folsom | $156k | $97.9k–$279k | 10 (1) |
| Irvine | $138k | $100k–$175k | 6 (2) |
| Saratoga | $200k | $120k–$250k | 5 (1) |
| Carlsbad | $155k | $95k–$285k | 5 (1) |
| San Francisco | $189k | $125k–$230k | 4 (2) |
| Mountain View | $208k | $166k–$270k | 3 (2) |
| San Jose | $205k | $166k–$220k | 3 (2) |
| Costa Mesa | $195k | $147k–$222k | 3 (1) |
| Alameda | $190k | $140k–$240k | 3 (1) |
| Seal Beach | $172k | $120k–$205k | 3 (1) |
| Azusa | $168k | $91.8k–$266k | 3 (1) |
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
Systems engineer pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for systems engineers here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for systems engineers nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open systems engineer jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest pay figures tonight, at most two from one employer.
$266,300–$399,500/yr- $266,300–$399,500/yr
$205,300–$381,300/yr- $198,400–$368,400/yr
$230,398–$322,557/yr
$255,000–$270,000/yr
$212,500–$287,500/yr
$180,500–$285,000/yr- $177,500–$280,000/yr
$200,000–$250,000/yr
$176,598–$269,442/yr
$161,000–$279,000/yr
Systems engineer salary in California: common questions
How much does a systems engineer make in California?
Open systems engineer jobs in California that state pay post a median of $160k, the middle half $141k–$183k (217 jobs from 38 employers).
Where in California do systems engineers earn the most?
By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: El Segundo ($152k), Redondo Beach ($158k), Sunnyvale ($174k) and Long Beach ($158k). The town table lists 17.
Which employers in California pay systems engineers the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Muon Space ($206k), E-Space ($200k) and Anduril ($195k).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($160k) is $4.75k above the national posted median of $155k.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 217 of 253 open systems engineer jobs in California (86%) state pay. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Systems engineer pay in other states
Sources and method
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Systems engineer salary in California. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/salaries/systems-engineers/california