How Much Does a Senior Reliability Engineer Make in 2025?
A senior reliability engineer's main responsibility includes designing, creating, and developing electronic components that will be up to code and are reliable enough for both the companies buying it and the consumers who will be using it.
Salary.com reports that the average salary of a Senior Reliability Engineer is $112,583 as of August 5, 2025. This guide provides everything you need to know about a Senior Reliability Engineer's salary - salary data from states and cities, factors within the industry that can affect earnings, as well as tips that can help increase a senior reliability engineer's compensation.
What is the Average Senior Reliability Engineer's Salary?
Salary.com reports that the average salary for a senior reliability engineer as of August 5, 2025, in the United States is $112,583 per year. The average salary is $54 per hour, with rates ranging from $48 to $61.
2025 Average Salary for senior reliability engineer: $112,583 ($54 per hour)
Meanwhile, the monthly and weekly compensation for senior reliability engineers are $9,382 and $2,165, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Senior Reliability Engineer?
Salary.com's data suggest that the salary range for senior reliability engineers starts at $99,267 per year and can reach as high as $126,071, with most earning between $105,613 and $119,643.
However, it's important to note that this salary range for senior reliability engineers is heavily affected by key factors including education, level of experience, and geographic location.
Senior Reliability Engineer Salary Range: $54,851 to $71,742 ($26 to $34 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $48 | $1,909 | $8,272 | $99,267 |
| 25th Percentile | $51 | $2,031 | $8,801 | $105,613 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $54 | $2,165 | $9,382 | $112,583 |
| 75th Percentile | $58 | $2,301 | $9,970 | $119,643 |
| 90th Percentile | $61 | $2,424 | $10,506 | $126,071 |
Senior Reliability Engineer Salary Factors
Similar to other jobs, several factors influence a senior reliability engineer's salary. These include experience, location, and skills. See the figures below for more details.
Years of Experience
The average income for senior reliability engineers by years of experience ranges from $109,482 per year for entry-level Senior Reliability Engineers and expert-level Senior Reliability Engineers or those with more than 8 years of experience can receive $116,607.
| Level | Years of Experience | Average Salary per Year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level Senior Reliability Engineer | <1 | $109,482 |
| Intermediate level Senior Reliability Engineer | 1-2 | $110,002 |
| Senior level Senior Reliability Engineer | 2-4 | $111,043 |
| Specialist level Senior Reliability Engineer | 5-8 | $115,237 |
| Expert level Senior Reliability Engineer | 8+ | $116,607 |
Skill Set
Senior reliability engineers with certain in-demand skills are also in line to increase their salaries. For instance, the Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report shows that senior reliability engineers with failure analysis skills can earn up to 8.07% more than those without.
On the other hand, a senior reliability engineer with material science and equipment maintenance knowledge is more likely to land a job with a 10.90% and 10.60% demand increase, respectively.
| Skill | Demand increase | Salary increase |
|---|---|---|
| Failure Analysis | 10.50% | 8.07% |
| Equipment Maintenance | 10.60% | 7.56% |
| Root Cause Analysis | 10.50% | 7.32% |
| Continuous Improvement | 10.30% | 7.26% |
| Material Science | 10.90% | 6.96% |
| Computer-Aided Design (CAD) | 10.20% | 6.95% |
Senior Reliability Engineer Salary by City and State
The location you live and work in can greatly influence your salary as a senior reliability engineer. Understanding how pay varies by city and state can help professionals in this field strategically select areas that maximize their earning potential and career opportunities, enabling them to take action to secure the best compensation.
Highest Paying States for Senior Reliability Engineers
Based on the Salary.com data, the salary of a senior reliability engineer is the highest in the District of Colombia, at $124,643.
- District of Columbia: $124,643 (or $60 per hour)
- California: $124,173 (or $60 per hour)
- West Virginia: $123,400 (or $60 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $122,523 (or $59 per hour)
- Washington: $122,063 (or $58 per hour)
Senior Reliability Engineer Salary State by State
| State | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $103,423 |
| Alaska | $121,863 |
| Arizona | $109,693 |
| Arkansas | $101,703 |
| California | $124,173 |
| Colorado | $114,863 |
| Connecticut | $120,313 |
| Delaware | $114,013 |
| District of Columbia | $124,643 |
| Florida | $106,523 |
| Georgia | $108,583 |
| Hawaii | $117,663 |
| Idaho | $105,093 |
| Illinois | $114,753 |
| Indiana | $108,063 |
| Iowa | $107,743 |
| Kansas | $107,203 |
| Kentucky | $105,933 |
| Louisiana | $107,043 |
| Maine | $109,763 |
| Maryland | $116,083 |
| Massachusetts | $122,523 |
| Michigan | $110,873 |
| Minnesota | $115,203 |
| Mississippi | $100,403 |
| Missouri | $106,963 |
| Montana | $106,283 |
| Nebraska | $106,063 |
| Nevada | $111,423 |
| New Hampshire | $113,813 |
| New Jersey | $122,023 |
| New Mexico | $104,273 |
| New York | $119,683 |
| North Carolina | $106,983 |
| North Dakota | $111,203 |
| Ohio | $109,623 |
| Oklahoma | $104,093 |
| Oregon | $114,323 |
| Pennsylvania | $112,073 |
| Rhode Island | $116,723 |
| South Carolina | $105,483 |
| South Dakota | $102,313 |
| Tennessee | $105,203 |
| Texas | $109,813 |
| Utah | $107,803 |
| Vermont | $110,493 |
| Virginia | $113,363 |
| Washington | $122,063 |
| West Virginia | $123,400 |
| Wisconsin | $110,743 |
| Wyoming | $114,750 |
Highest Paying Cities for Senior Reliability Engineers
Salary.com data also shows that San Jose, CA leads the salary for Senior Reliability Engineers with $141,993 per year.
- San Jose, CA: $141,993
- San Francisco, CA: $140,593
- Oakland, CA: $137,473
- New York, NY: $130,463
- Queens Village, NY: $129,623
- Paramus, NJ: $128,723
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Senior Reliability Engineer
- Acquire a bachelor's degree: Having a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or mechanical engineering can help senior reliability engineers have a better understanding of their job descriptions.
- Qualify for the needed licenses: Acquiring and qualifying for the needed licenses like being a Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE) is a must to allow senior reliability engineers to negotiate a better salary for their role.
- Develop better skills: Learning more about the systems included in a senior reliability engineer's job description. For instance, having the aforementioned failure analysis and equipment maintenance skills can help senior reliability engineers negotiate a higher salary. Becoming a site reliability engineer can also help develop better skills as a senior reliability engineer as well.
- Moving to a different city: Seeking job openings in states and cities in the United States that compensate Senior Reliability Engineers better, like California or the District of Colombia and moving to these areas can increase your salary by an estimate of 23%.
- Know your worth: Negotiating your pay by researching market rates and showing how hard you work and how much you've grown in your current position as an employee, your current connections, which parts of the company's current system you've made, and your current experience level can increase your salary.
As of this writing, Senior Reliability Engineers earn between $99,267 to $126,071 per year.
Average National Salaries by Source
As of August 5, 2025, the following are the salaries for Senior Reliability Engineers from five top salary reporting sites, averaging $137,839 (unweighted) across these sites.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$112,583 / year
INDEED.COM AVG. SALARY
$138,364 / year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$202,000 / year
PAYSCALE AVG. SALARY
$103,129 / year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$133,120 / year
