The average salary for an automotive engineer in the United States is around $104,110 per year.
Avg Salary
automotive-engineers earn an average yearly salary of $104,110.
Wages typically start from $73,990 and go up to $164,340.
65% above national average Updated in 2025
Automotive engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level automotive engineer earnings begin at:
$79.01 per hour
$164,340 per year
Senior-level automotive engineer earnings begin at:
$63.75 per hour
$132,590 per year
Mid-level automotive engineer earnings begin at:
$50.05 per hour
$104,110 per year
Junior-level automotive engineer earnings begin at:
$40.45 per hour
$84,130 per year
Starting level automotive engineer earnings begin at:
$35.57 per hour
$73,990 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Automotive engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Florida | $99,980 |
| Indiana | $99,590 |
| Tennessee | $99,550 |
| Missouri | $99,330 |
| Minnesota | $99,140 |
| Ohio | $99,100 |
| Hawaii | $98,740 |
| Mississippi | $98,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,920 |
| Iowa | $97,700 |
| West Virginia | $97,390 |
| Wisconsin | $95,870 |
| Montana | $94,190 |
| Idaho | $93,190 |
| South Dakota | $88,380 |
| Nebraska | $88,060 |
| North Dakota | $86,330 |
| Kansas | $86,260 |
| Arkansas | $80,180 |
| New Mexico | $157,710 |
| District of Columbia | $133,300 |
| California | $130,900 |
| Delaware | $125,130 |
| Colorado | $124,430 |
| Alaska | $124,340 |
| Maryland | $122,870 |
| Louisiana | $119,540 |
| Massachusetts | $119,300 |
| Wyoming | $117,750 |
| Rhode Island | $116,230 |
| Texas | $112,410 |
| New Jersey | $112,300 |
| Washington | $110,430 |
| Vermont | $107,330 |
| Connecticut | $105,090 |
| Michigan | $104,890 |
| South Carolina | $104,580 |
| Virginia | $104,180 |
| New Hampshire | $103,660 |
| Oregon | $103,470 |
| Illinois | $102,680 |
| Nevada | $102,680 |
| Utah | $102,500 |
| New York | $102,440 |
| Maine | $102,430 |
| Oklahoma | $101,850 |
| Kentucky | $101,050 |
| North Carolina | $100,720 |
| Georgia | $100,620 |
| Arizona | $100,270 |
| Alabama | $100,230 |
How do automotive engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
automotive-engineers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than naval engineers but more than ship engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Naval engineer salary | $112K |
| Engineer salary | $117K |
| Product safety engineer salary | $115K |
| Biomedical engineer salary | $109K |
| Mining and geological engineer salary | $106K |
| Mechanical engineer salary | $104K |
| Automotive engineer salary | $104K |
| Environmental engineer salary | $107K |
| Water engineer salary | $107K |
| Ship engineer salary | $110K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)