Lead Sales Engineer Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$203,000
national median salary
$175,000 to $245,000. Last updated August 2026.
Orbyt prices 3 titles at this same figure: Lead Sales Engineer, Lead Solutions Consultant, and Lead Pre-Sales Engineer. Orbyt does not hold title-level wage data that would separate them.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $124,900 for Sales Engineers (SOC 41-9031) across the United States, based on 51,790 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$73,870
25th percentile
$92,890
Median
$124,900
75th percentile
$161,230
90th percentile
$195,270
Workers surveyed
51,790
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$121,520
May 2025 release
$124,900
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $203,000 is 63% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Sales Engineers covers a different population than the Lead Sales Engineer title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Sales Engineers (SOC 41-9031) rather than Lead Sales Engineerspecifically. The national 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 41-9031Highest Paying
$285,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$212,000
Des Moines, IA
Lowest Paying
$157,000
Charleston, WV
The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers. Last updated August 2026. This role maps to BLS occupation code 41-9031. Full methodology.
Orbyt estimates the average Lead Sales Engineer salary in the United States at $203,000 in 2026, within a range of $175,000 to $245,000. 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. This figure is not specific to this title: Orbyt prices 3 titles at the same estimate. San Francisco is the highest of the 81 cities at $285,000, while Des Moines offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation for Lead Sales Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack.
Lead Sales Engineer salary by city.
Skills that increase Lead Sales Engineer pay.
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Lead Sales Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $28,420 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$28,420 per year
≈ +$26,390 per year
≈ +$24,360 per year
≈ +$22,330 per year
≈ +$22,330 per year
≈ +$20,300 per year
≈ +$20,300 per year
≈ +$18,270 per year
What you should know.
Compensation for Lead Sales Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Performance bonuses typically reach 30% of base, so target-hit rates can shift total comp by $20K–$50K year over year. Within sales, quota attainment history and industry specialization (enterprise SaaS, cyber, AI) drive the widest variance, with top performers earning 2x on-target.
Lead Sales Engineers typically advance from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with staff and principal levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-team impact. For Lead Sales Engineers specifically, the seniority anchor typically means 7 to 12 years of experience with demonstrated independent scope.
Total compensation for Lead Sales Engineers runs roughly $246K at median when factoring base + performance bonus (30% at target). Bonus-target achievement drives 10–30% of total comp variance year over year — candidates should ask about historical target-hit rates, not just target percentages. In sales roles, on-target earnings (OTE) assume 100% quota attainment — actual total comp varies widely based on performance, with top performers often earning 150–200% of OTE.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Lead Sales Engineers typically earn $183,000 (10% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
Are you a Lead Sales Engineer?
Share your real compensation anonymously. Help build the most accurate salary dataset for this role. Your data is never individually exposed.
Common questions about Lead Sales Engineer pay.
Related tools