Check my payResearch Engineering salary by level
Research Engineering pay in 2026, from entry level to VP, in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, Senior Research Engineering, top-tier markets
From entry level to VP, medians run from $130k to $517k.
Individual contributor track
Median base salary in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Research EngineeringIC1 Associate / Entry | $130k |
| Research EngineeringIC2 Mid-level | $179k |
| Senior Research EngineeringIC3 Senior | $235k |
| Staff Research EngineeringIC4 Staff | $287k |
| Senior Staff Research EngineeringIC5 Senior Staff | $334k |
| Principal Research EngineeringIC6 Principal | $388k |
| Distinguished Research EngineeringIC7 Distinguished | $447k |
Management track
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Manager, Research EngineeringM2 Associate Manager | $247k |
| Manager, Research EngineeringM3 Manager | $287k |
| Senior Manager, Research EngineeringM4 Senior Manager | $334k |
| Director, Research EngineeringM5 Director | $395k |
| Senior Director, Research EngineeringM6 Senior Director | $447k |
| VP, Research EngineeringE1 Vice President | $517k |
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.