How much do rf engineers make in 2026?
RF engineers are counted in the BLS electronics engineers, except computer series: OEWS May 2025 puts SOC 17-2072 at a national median of $130,220 a year ($62.60 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $81,840 and the top 10% at $206,960. The series pools RF work with electronics engineering broadly, so it describes a family of disciplines rather than radio frequency specifically. RF sits at the higher end of that family for a supply reason that has persisted for years: radio frequency design is analogue, physical and unforgiving, it requires understanding propagation, impedance, noise and interference in ways that simulation alone does not teach, and comparatively few engineering graduates specialise in it. Sector then sets position. Defence and aerospace RF — radar, electronic warfare, satellite communications — pays at the top, with clearance requirements adding a further premium. Semiconductor and RF integrated circuit design pays similarly high. Wireless carrier and network RF engineering, covering propagation modelling, cell planning and optimisation, sits in the middle. Test and measurement and equipment support roles sit lower. The distinction between RF design and RF planning matters more than seniority: they are different jobs with different markets. Employment is projected to grow 6.2% through 2034 with roughly 5,700 openings a year. → Full rf engineer career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $130,220 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- RF Engineers earn a national median $130,220/yr ($62.60/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2072); the P10 to P90 range is $81,840 to $206,960.
- RF sits at the higher end of the electronics engineering series because the discipline is analogue and physical, and comparatively few graduates specialise in it.
- Defence and aerospace RF — radar, electronic warfare, satellite communications — and RF integrated circuit design pay at the top; carrier network planning sits in the middle.
- RF design and RF planning are different jobs with different markets, and the distinction matters more to pay than seniority does.
US RF Engineer Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do rf engineers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 17-2072; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2072, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a rf engineer earn at each career stage?
RF pay follows design ownership and the difficulty of the frequency and environment you work in. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 17-2072.
By State
Which states pay rf engineers the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national electronics engineer median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations, and the series covers electronics engineering broadly rather than RF specifically. Real geography follows employers: defence contractors, semiconductor firms and carrier engineering centres cluster in a limited number of regions.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($149,750), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay rf engineers the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national electronics median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Defence and semiconductor metros pay RF engineers well above their state's general level.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a rf engineer’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does rf engineer pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. RF Engineers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify rf engineer wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a rf engineer actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
RF Engineer Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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