Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET
Yearly Monthly Biweekly Weekly Hourly
Average base salary, District of Columbia
$151,500 / year
≈ $12,650 per month · $72.84 per hour
Location United States (national) Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Or metro area Metro area… Akron, OH Alaska nonmetropolitan area Albany, OR Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Albuquerque, NM Alexandria, LA Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Amarillo, TX Ames, IA Anchorage, AK Ann Arbor, MI Asheville, NC Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX Bakersfield-Delano, CA Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Baton Rouge, LA Battle Creek, MI Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX Bellingham, WA Bend, OR Binghamton, NY Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA Bloomington, IL Boise City, ID Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Boulder, CO Bozeman, MT Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Brownsville-Harlingen, TX Brunswick-St. Simons, GA Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Burlington-South Burlington, VT Canton-Massillon, OH Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area Cedar Rapids, IA Central East New York nonmetropolitan area Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area Chambersburg, PA Champaign-Urbana, IL Charleston, WV Charleston-North Charleston, SC Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Charlottesville, VA Chattanooga, TN-GA Cheyenne, WY Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Chico, CA Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Clarksville, TN-KY Cleveland, OH Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area College Station-Bryan, TX Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, MO Columbia, SC Columbus, GA-AL Columbus, OH Connecticut nonmetropolitan area Corpus Christi, TX Corvallis, OR Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Duluth, MN-WI Durham-Chapel Hill, NC East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area El Paso, TX Elkhart-Goshen, IN Erie, PA Eugene-Springfield, OR Evansville, IN Fargo, ND-MN Fayetteville, NC Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR Flint, MI Florence, SC Fort Collins-Loveland, CO Fort Smith, AR-OK Fort Wayne, IN Fresno, CA Gainesville, FL Gainesville, GA Grand Forks, ND-MN Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI Great Falls, MT Greeley, CO Greensboro-High Point, NC Greenville, NC Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Gulfport-Biloxi, MS Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Hammond, LA Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area Helena, MT Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Huntsville, AL Idaho Falls, ID Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN Iowa City, IA Ithaca, NY Jackson, TN Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville, NC Jefferson City, MO Johnson City, TN Joplin, MO-KS Kalamazoo-Portage, MI Kansas City, MO-KS Kansas nonmetropolitan area Kennewick-Richland, WA Killeen-Temple, TX Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY Knoxville, TN Lafayette, LA Lake Charles, LA Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL Lancaster, PA Lansing-East Lansing, MI Las Cruces, NM Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV Lexington Park, MD Lexington-Fayette, KY Lincoln, NE Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Longview, TX Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area Lubbock, TX Macon-Bibb County, GA Madison, WI Manchester-Nashua, NH Manhattan, KS Maryland nonmetropolitan area Mayaguez, PR McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Memphis, TN-MS-AR Merced, CA Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area Midland, TX Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Mobile, AL Modesto, CA Monroe, LA Monroe, MI Morgantown, WV Morristown, TN Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN New Haven, CT New Orleans-Metairie, LA New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area North Florida nonmetropolitan area North Georgia nonmetropolitan area North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT Ocala, FL Odessa, TX Ogden, UT Oklahoma City, OK Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA Omaha, NE-IA Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL Peoria, IL Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Pittsburgh, PA Pittsfield, MA Ponce, PR Port St. Lucie, FL Portland-South Portland, ME Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT Pueblo, CO Raleigh-Cary, NC Reading, PA Redding, CA Reno, NV Richmond, VA Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Roanoke, VA Rochester, NY Rockford, IL Rocky Mount, NC Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA Saginaw, MI Salem, OR Salinas, CA Salisbury, MD Salt Lake City-Murray, UT San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA Savannah, GA Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Shreveport-Bossier City, LA Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area South Georgia nonmetropolitan area South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area Southwestern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area Spartanburg, SC Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA Springfield, MA Springfield, MO Springfield, OH St. George, UT St. Louis, MO-IL Stockton-Lodi, CA Syracuse, NY Tallahassee, FL Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Toledo, OH Topeka, KS Trenton-Princeton, NJ Tucson, AZ Tulsa, OK Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area Urban Honolulu, HI Utica-Rome, NY Vallejo, CA Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC Visalia, CA Waco, TX Warner Robins, GA Wasatch Front Fringe Utah nonmetropolitan area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Waterbury-Shelton, CT Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area Western Washington nonmetropolitan area Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area Wheeling, WV-OH Wichita, KS Wilmington, NC Winston-Salem, NC Worcester, MA York-Hanover, PA Youngstown-Warren, OH Yuma, AZ Or industry (Grahall) Industry… Aerospace Agriculture Airline Apparel Automotive Banking Biotech Chemicals Commercial Computer Computer Hardware Computer Services Computer Storage Construction Consulting Consumer & Household Diversified Financials E-Commerce Education Electronics Energy Energy Marketing/Trading Entertainment Financial Services Food & Beverage Forect & Paper Healthcare Hedge Funds Hotel Householddurables Industrial Insurance Internet Commerce Internet Services Investment Lodging Managed Care Manufacturing Materials Media Medical Metals Not For Profit Office Supplies Packaging Pharmaceutical Private Equity/ Venture Capital Professional Services Publishing Real state Research Consulting Resturant Retail Semi Conductor Software Technology Telecom Transportation Utility Whole Sale Or city (Grahall) City… Atlanta, Georgia Austin, Texas Baltimore, Maryland Boston, Massachusetts Bridgeport, Connecticut Burlington, Vermont Charleston, South Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Chicago, Illinois Cincinnati, Ohio Cleveland, Ohio Dallas, Texas Denver, Colorado Detroit, Michigan Hartford, Connecticut Houston, Texas Jacksonville, Florida Kansas City, Missouri Las Vegas, Nevada Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Los Angeles, California Louisville, Kentucky Memphis, Tennessee Miami, Florida Milwaukee, Wisconsin Minneapolis, Minnesota Montclair, New Jersey New Haven, Connecticut New York – Statewide, United States New York-Manhattan, New York Orlando, Florida Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Portland, Oregon Providence, Rhode Island Riverside, California Sacramento, California San Antonio, Texas San Diego, California San Francisco, California San Jose, California Sarasota, Florida Scottsdale, Arizona Seattle, Washington St Louis, Missouri Tampa, Florida Virginia Beach, Virginia Washington, Columbia White Plains, New York Worcester, Massachusetts BLS May 2025 state data for District of Columbia · median $157,000
25th percentile$105,500 Average$151,500 75th percentile$191,500
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (occupation group), with detailed role definition from O*NET, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Photonics Engineer salary by state
District of Columbia $151,500
Total cash compensation Base salary plus target bonus using the Grahall equation. Bonus is a function of base; higher base means a higher target bonus.
Base salary
$129,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$21,500
16.4% of base
Total target cash
$151,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus range (25th to 75th percentile): $13,000 to $35,500
Long-term incentive (LTI) varies by industry and executive tier and is not included in this view.
What Photonics Engineers do
Typical education: Bachelor's Degree
Analyze system performance or operational requirements.
Develop optical or imaging systems, such as optical imaging products, optical components, image processes, signal process technologies, or optical systems.
Develop or test photonic prototypes or models.
Design, integrate, or test photonics systems or components.
Assist in the transition of photonic prototypes to production.
Top skills: Critical Thinking Writing Reading Comprehension Active Listening Speaking Mathematics
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Photonics Engineer pay by experience level
Entry level $69,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career $94,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced $127,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior $163,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners $196,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+2.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
9,300
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Photonics Engineer salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
42,750 workers
$127,500 Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
38,780 workers
$145,000 Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
34,020 workers
$152,500 Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
22,020 workers
$114,500 Scientific Research and Development Services
10,970 workers
$151,500 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
8,340 workers
$133,500 Management of Companies and Enterprises
8,330 workers
$135,000 Management of Companies and Enterprises
8,330 workers
$135,000 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
8,060 workers
$121,500 Machinery Manufacturing
5,890 workers
$117,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Photonics Engineer pays 20% above the average across 59 roles in the Architecture and Engineering job family (family average $108,000).
Similar-paying roles in Architecture and Engineering
Careers related to Photonics Engineer
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Photonics Engineer make?
The average base salary for a Photonics Engineer in the United States is $129,500 per year, or about $62.26 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $94,000 and $163,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Architecture and Engineering roles?
The Architecture and Engineering job family averages $108,000 across 59 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role?
Explore Market Data Our Methodology
