Staff Design Engineer Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$209,000
national median salary
$163,000 to $272,000. Last updated August 2026.
Orbyt prices 2 titles at this same figure: Lead Design Manager and Staff Design 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 $104,000 for Web and Digital Interface Designers (SOC 15-1255) across the United States, based on 113,330 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$53,750
25th percentile
$73,290
Median
$104,000
75th percentile
$158,820
90th percentile
$201,550
Workers surveyed
113,330
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$98,090
May 2025 release
$104,000
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 $209,000 is 101% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Web and Digital Interface Designers covers a different population than the Staff Design 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 Web and Digital Interface Designers (SOC 15-1255) rather than Staff Design 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 15-1255Highest Paying
$300,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$218,000
Ann Arbor, MI
Lowest Paying
$160,000
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 15-1255. Full methodology.
Orbyt estimates the average Staff Design Engineer salary in the United States at $209,000 in 2026, within a range of $163,000 to $272,000. 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 2 titles at the same estimate. San Jose is the highest of the 81 cities at $300,000, while Ann Arbor offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation for Staff Design Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack.
Staff Design Engineer salary by city.
Skills that increase Staff Design Engineer pay.
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for Staff Design Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $29,260 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$29,260 per year
≈ +$27,170 per year
≈ +$25,080 per year
≈ +$22,990 per year
≈ +$22,990 per year
≈ +$20,900 per year
≈ +$20,900 per year
≈ +$18,810 per year
What you should know.
Compensation for Staff Design Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Equity is a major component at roughly 35% of base — candidates should weight stock grants as heavily as salary when comparing offers. Within engineering disciplines, PE licensure and domain (aerospace, civil, electrical) shift the band significantly; defense-sector clearances add further premium.
Staff Design Engineers typically progress Associate → Engineer → Senior → Principal → Fellow over 12 to 20 years, with PE licensure marking the transition to senior levels. Consulting partners and firm ownership are common late-career paths. For Staff Design Engineers specifically, the seniority anchor typically means 7 to 12 years of experience with demonstrated independent scope.
Total compensation for Staff Design Engineers runs roughly $324K at median when factoring base + equity (35% of base annually) + bonus (15% of base). Equity is the single largest non-base component — candidates should model vesting schedules (typically 4-year with 1-year cliff) and compare grant values across offers carefully. Benefits and time-off policies vary by employer; candidates should factor them into offer comparisons alongside cash compensation.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote Staff Design Engineers typically earn $194,000 (7% 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 Staff Design Engineer pay.
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