Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Sales engineers combine technical knowledge with strong communication and customer-focused skills to help organizations understand and adopt complex products or solutions. This role offers a blend of problem solving, interpersonal work, and analytical thinking. Nationally, sales engineers earn a median salary of $121,520, with 57,000 people employed in this occupation. Projected employment growth of 5.5% and about 5,000 annual openings suggest ongoing movement in the field from new positions, turnover, and career changes. The work relies on skills such as critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, science, and creativity, along with speaking, listening, customer service, and interpersonal strengths. For students, career changers, or experienced professionals, this career can appeal if you enjoy applying technical understanding in a customer-facing context. Related career paths include roles like managers (including general and operations managers), social scientists and related workers, real estate brokers, and postsecondary computer science teachers for those interested in exploring alternatives.
Sales engineers have a strong national median annual salary of $121,520, indicating solid earning potential across the occupation. Pay varies by location, with several states and metro areas offering higher median salaries. Among top states by opportunity score, Washington reports a median salary of $147,620, Colorado $139,990, California $139,160, New York $137,480, and Massachusetts $136,200. At the metro level, salaries are even higher in some areas: San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA stands out with a median of $177,490, while the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ metro reports $147,570 and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA reports $151,610. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV has a median salary of $153,410, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH is at $136,620. These figures show that location decisions can significantly influence compensation for sales engineers.
Sales engineers show a national projected employment growth rate of 5.5%, with total national employment of 57,000. This projected growth, paired with about 5,000 annual openings, indicates that positions are expected to continue to be available over time. The annual openings figure reflects not just new jobs but also replacement needs when people move to other roles, change careers, or retire. States highlighted for opportunity—such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington—also list 5.5% growth, aligning with the national projection. Similarly, the leading metro areas by opportunity score, including San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA; New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ; and others, are also associated with 5.5% growth. For job seekers and career changers, this combination of an established employment base, projected growth, and recurring openings suggests a field with ongoing hiring activity in multiple regions.
Geography plays a major role in opportunity for sales engineers. Among states, California ranks highly with a median salary of $139,160 and 6,310 employed, along with a 5.5% growth rate and an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts and New York each employ 3,150 sales engineers, with median salaries of $136,200 and $137,480 and similar 5.5% growth, resulting in opportunity scores around the mid-60s. Colorado and Washington also stand out, with Colorado showing a median salary of $139,990 and opportunity score of 56.97, and Washington offering a median of $147,620 and opportunity score of 56.29. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA leads with an opportunity score of 77.42 and a median salary of $177,490. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ metro follows closely with a 77.27 opportunity score, $147,570 median pay, and 3,440 employed. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also provide strong combinations of salary, employment levels, and opportunity scores.
The typical education for sales engineers is a bachelor’s degree, which sets the baseline for entering this field. Success relies on a blend of technical and people-focused skills. On the technical and analytical side, important strengths include problem solving and decision making, mathematics, critical and analytical thinking, science, and writing and reading. These support understanding complex information and communicating it clearly. On the interpersonal and customer-focused side, speaking and listening, customer service, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and creativity and innovation are central. Together, these skills help sales engineers interact effectively with clients and colleagues while addressing technical questions and needs. Individuals considering this career can use the listed skills as a guide for what to develop during their bachelor’s program and early work experiences. Those exploring alternatives might also look at related paths such as managers (including general and operations managers), social scientists and related workers, real estate brokers, or postsecondary computer science teachers.
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