Systems Engineer Salary in Los Angeles, CA
2026 · BLS OEWS · 1.1M employer payroll records · Updated daily
Salary Distribution — Los Angeles
New graduates, 0–1 yr exp
1–3 years experience
3–7 years, typical professional
Senior / high-performer — target
Staff / principal / lead
Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS federal authority
1mo since last update
8 cities validated
P10, P25, P50, P75, P90 + hourly rate
Systems Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Los Angeles
How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead
| Experience Level | Years | Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | 0 | 0 yrs | $119,185 | $9,932 | $57 |
| Junior | 2 | 2 yrs | $144,724 | $12,060 | $70 |
| Mid-LevelTypical | 4 | 4 yrs | $161,751 | $13,479 | $78 |
| Senior | 6 | 6 yrs | $183,204 | $15,267 | $88 |
| Staff | 10 | 10 yrs | $234,964 | $19,580 | $113 |
| Principal | 14 | 14 yrs | $275,828 | $22,986 | $133 |
| Distinguished | 18 | 18 yrs | $286,044 | $23,837 | $138 |
Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.
Skills That Earn More — Systems Engineer
Estimated premium above the Los Angeles median based on market demand
Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.
Top Skills Market Premium
Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings
Premiums represent verified market uplift for each skill based on job posting analysis. Adding the top-3 skills compounds — but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.
Systems Engineer Intelligence Report
Composite career metrics and full compensation breakdown — computed from BLS demand data
Career Opportunity Score
Composite: demand growth × 1.4 + (100 − AI risk) × 0.4
Risk-adjusted growth model. Not financial advice.
Total Compensation — Systems Engineer
Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and employer-provided benefits
Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide. Equity assumes established company RSU vesting schedule.
Typical Benefits for Systems Engineers
Total compensation beyond base salary — often adds 20–35% to your effective pay
Compare Systems Engineer Salaries by City
How Los Angeles, CA stacks up against other major markets
| City | Median | P75 | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA (current) | $170,264 | $208,419+ | +36% |
| New York, NY | $182,828 | $223,798+ | +46% |
| San Francisco, CA | $209,317 | $256,223+ | +67% |
| Seattle, WA | $180,087 | $220,443+ | +44% |
| Austin, TX | $143,157 | $175,237+ | +14% |
| Boston, MA | $174,941 | $214,144+ | +39% |
| Chicago, IL | $147,407 | $180,440+ | +18% |
| Denver, CO | $143,223 | $175,318+ | +14% |
| Washington DC, DC | $174,981 | $214,193+ | +40% |
Career Paths from Systems Engineer
O*NET · US Dept of LaborHigher-paying roles in the same field
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Systems Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA?
The median Systems Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA is $170K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $208K+ per year.
What is a good Systems Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA?
The 75th percentile ($208K/yr) is the professional benchmark — what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($170K) is above-average for this role in Los Angeles, CA.
How much does a Systems Engineer earn per hour in Los Angeles, CA?
Based on the median annual salary of $170K, a Systems Engineer in Los Angeles, CA earns approximately $82/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$100/hr.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good market for Systems Engineers?
Los Angeles, CA pays 36% above the US national average for this role. Demand for Systems Engineers is growing 14% annually, and AI automation risk is rated low for this occupation.
How do I negotiate a higher Systems Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA?
Cite the BLS P75 figure ($208K) — it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.
How Is This Salary Calculated?
Every number on this page is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology — no estimates, no black boxes.
Where does the salary data come from?
All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey — a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data. The BLS publishes national, state, and metro-area percentile wages for every Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. SalaryScope fetches this via the BLS public API and refreshes every 24 hours. No self-reported data is used at any stage.
How is the Los Angeles figure calculated?
The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For Los Angeles, SalaryScope uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median ÷ national median) and applies it to the national baseline. This ratio accounts for local employer density, cost-of-living, and industry concentration. The figures are updated whenever the BLS releases new OEWS metro data.
What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?
These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less — this is the market midpoint. P75 means 75% of workers earn less — this is the "top 25% earners" threshold and is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% of earners respectively. All figures are annual and based on 2,080 working hours per year (52 × 40hrs).
How is total compensation (bonus + equity) estimated?
Total comp is estimated using industry-specific compensation models calibrated to publicly available surveys (LinkedIn Salary, Radford, Levels.fyi). Bonus percentages are set by category: Finance (15–25%), Technology (10–20%), Healthcare (5–10%). Equity/RSUs are annualised over a standard 4-year cliff vest. Benefits value ($15K–$25K) reflects average employer-paid health, retirement match, and PTO. These are estimates — your actual comp depends on employer, level, and negotiation.
How often is data updated?
US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours. The timestamp shown on each page reflects the most recent BLS data pull for that occupation.
Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.
How much of $170,264 do you actually take home?
Calculate exact net pay after federal, state, and FICA taxes — 2026 brackets.
Education Premium — Systems Engineer
How degree level affects Systems Engineer salary · ACS Census data
Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Table B20004 · BLS OES wage data. Premiums shown vs bachelor's degree baseline at median experience.
Am I Paid Fairly?
Enter your current salary to instantly see where you rank in the Los Angeles market and get your data-backed negotiation opening ask.
Negotiation Calculator
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California Salary Transparency Law
Effective Jan 1, 2023Employers with 15+ employees must include pay range in all job postings
As a job seeker in California, you have the legal right to request or see salary ranges in job postings. Use the ranges on this page as your benchmark before applying.
Systems Engineer in Other Cities
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Data Source & Attribution
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, based on 1.1 million employer payroll records. Data is updated via ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) and reflects the most recent BLS OEWS release cycle. This data is in the public domain under BLS data dissemination policy.