On-Call Engineering Manager Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$171,000
national median salary
$134,000 to $216,000. Last updated August 2026.
Orbyt prices 33 titles at this same figure, including Fintech Product Manager, GPU Cluster Manager, and Healthcare Product Manager. 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 $175,140 for Computer and Information Systems Managers (SOC 11-3021) across the United States, based on 670,570 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$107,550
25th percentile
$138,060
Median
$175,140
75th percentile
$220,730
90th percentile
$297,510
Workers surveyed
670,570
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$171,200
May 2025 release
$175,140
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.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer and Information Systems Managers (SOC 11-3021) rather than On-Call Engineering Managerspecifically. 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 11-3021Highest Paying
$229,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$178,000
San Diego, CA
Lowest Paying
$131,000
Jackson, MS
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 11-3021. Full methodology.
Orbyt estimates the average On-Call Engineering Manager salary in the United States at $171,000 in 2026, within a range of $134,000 to $216,000. 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 33 titles at the same estimate. San Francisco is the highest of the 81 cities at $229,000, while San Diego offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation for On-Call Engineering Managers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack.
On-Call Engineering Manager salary by city.
Skills that increase On-Call Engineering Manager pay.
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for On-Call Engineering Managers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $23,940 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$23,940 per year
≈ +$22,230 per year
≈ +$20,520 per year
≈ +$18,810 per year
≈ +$18,810 per year
≈ +$17,100 per year
≈ +$17,100 per year
≈ +$15,390 per year
What you should know.
Compensation for On-Call Engineering Managers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 10% in a typical year. At the mid-management level, the scope of the organization under management ($10M budget vs $100M+) drives the largest compensation variance.
On-Call Engineering Managers typically advance from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with staff and principal levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-team impact.
Total compensation for On-Call Engineering Managers runs roughly $182K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~10% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At management levels, variable compensation (bonus + LTIP) grows as a share of total — expect 30–50% variable at director and 50%+ variable at VP and above.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote On-Call Engineering Managers typically earn $154,000 (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.
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Common questions about On-Call Engineering Manager pay.
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