What is the salary and career path for a systems engineer?
Systems engineer (in the classic requirements-and-integration sense) is filed by BLS under Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199), the residual engineering code; the OEWS May 2025 median for that code is $122,930 a year ($59.10 an hour), from $66,810 at the 10th percentile to $189,950 at the 90th. Systems engineers typically hold an ABET engineering degree, apply the INCOSE lifecycle, and often earn the INCOSE CSEP/ESEP certification; defense and aerospace roles usually require a security clearance. BLS projects about 2.1% growth for the residual code over 2024–2034, slower than average, with roughly 9,300 openings a year across all its titles.
- Systems engineers are filed under Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199), a broad residual code with a $122,930/yr median ($59.10/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025); the top 10% clear $189,950.
- It is a methodology field: an ABET engineering degree, the INCOSE lifecycle, and CSEP/ESEP certification with MBSE skills.
- BLS projects about 2.1% growth for the residual Engineers, All Other code (SOC 17-2199) through 2034 — slower than average — with roughly 9,300 openings a year across all its titles.
- Pay runs from an associate near $66,810 to a chief systems engineer at the $189,950 top decile for the code.
Career Path
How do you become a systems engineer?
Associate systems engineer
Writing and tracing requirements and supporting verification under a lead systems engineer; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $66,810 for the code.
Systems Engineer
Owning a subsystem's requirements, interfaces and integration across the lifecycle around the $122,930 median for the residual code.
Senior / lead systems engineer
Owning system architecture, trade studies and V&V for a program pays toward the 75th percentile of $158,090.
Chief systems engineer / architect
Serving as a program's chief engineer or system architect reaches the 90th percentile of $189,950 for the code.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays systems engineers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2199. National median: $122,930. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does systems engineer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles systems engineers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: systems engineers rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +2.1% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly systems engineers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2199 (systems engineers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do systems engineers need?
A degree in an engineering discipline is the baseline; a master's in systems engineering is common. See all state licences →
The International Council on Systems Engineering's professional certifications, the field's recognized credentials.
Model-based systems engineering skill in SysML tools, increasingly expected on complex programs.
Required for many defense and aerospace systems roles; granted through a government process, not a school.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do systems engineers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 17-2199
Salary Levers
How do systems engineers earn above the $122,930 BLS median?
Domain and clearance
Aerospace, defense or medical-device depth plus an active clearance moves pay from the $66,810 entry band toward the median and above.
MBSE and architecture skill
Model-based systems engineering and system-architecture ownership command premiums above the $122,930 code median.
Program leadership
Lead and chief-systems-engineer tracks push earnings toward the $189,950 top decile for the code.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a systems engineer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 17-2199. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Systems Engineer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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