Simulation Engineer.
Houston.
$124,000
median salary, 7% below the national average
$96,000 to $157,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Simulation Engineer pay in Houston at $124,000, within a range of $96,000 to $157,000. That is 7% below the national average. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Simulation Engineer in Houston, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $129,440 for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, based on 22,940 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$80,400
25th percentile
$101,190
Median
$129,440
75th percentile
$159,450
90th percentile
$181,770
Workers surveyed
22,940
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) rather than Simulation Engineer specifically. The Houston range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1252Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $111,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$81,000
to $99,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$105,000
to $130,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$136,000
to $161,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$155,000
to $192,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $29,000 to the total package.
Base
$124,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $153,000
How Houston compares.
Houston, TX
$124,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$133,000
Houston is $9,000 below
Simulation Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Houston.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Simulation Engineer roles in Houston, here is what you are walking into. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. The Texas Medical Center is the world's largest, driving massive demand for clinical and research roles. Houston's low cost of living and no state income tax make it an attractive destination for professionals seeking strong purchasing power. Compensation scales with the complexity of systems simulated and the industry vertical. Simulation engineers in aerospace, autonomous vehicles, and nuclear energy earn premiums over those in consumer applications. Expertise in physics-based simulation, real-time rendering, and hardware-in-the-loop testing drives higher salaries. Experience with large-scale parallel computing adds value.
Junior simulation engineers start at $90,000 to $110,000. Mid-level engineers building production simulation environments reach $130,000 to $155,000. Senior engineers designing multi-physics simulation platforms earn $165,000 to $200,000. Directors of simulation at aerospace or AV companies can reach $220,000 to $280,000 in total compensation. In Houston, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Bonuses of 10% to 20% are standard, often tied to project milestones. Equity at simulation software companies adds $15,000 to $60,000 annually. Government contractor roles offer strong benefits including pension plans. Access to high-performance computing resources and continuing education budgets are common perks. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax, giving Houston workers strong take home pay. The city's overall cost of living is below the national average, further stretching your salary. When someone quotes you $124,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates. The range for Simulation Engineers in Houston runs from $96,000 to $157,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An ML Engineer in Houston earns $125,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Houston is CTO at $285,000
Common questions.
Simulation Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Houston.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Simulation Engineer Salary in Houston, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/simulation-engineer/houston
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