NOC Engineer Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure NOC Engineer as its own occupation, so this page uses Network and Computer Systems Administrators (SOC 15-1244, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $99,130 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $78,010 to $126,640.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Broader occupation
Network and Computer Systems Administrators is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $62,640 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $78,010 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $99,130 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $126,640 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $155,050 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $103,680 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30.11 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $37.51 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $47.66 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $60.89 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $74.55 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $49.85 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages cover: OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. These are straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately. BLS pay-term definitions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1244 Network and Computer Systems Administrators, United States. Download national data (ZIP).
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $99,130 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 1.94 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 51,700 | 16.4% | $101,560 | $79,850 to $131,090 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 8,520 | 2.7% | $106,200 | $90,140 to $133,150 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 7,730 | 2.5% | $107,690 | $92,630 to $133,150 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 7,420 | 2.4% | $100,220 | $75,920 to $124,810 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 3,640 | 1.2% | $99,120 | $77,750 to $125,270 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 2,020 | 0.6% | $108,200 | $93,170 to $130,830 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 1,520 | 0.5% | $92,840 | $75,440 to $118,690 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 960 | 0.3% | $89,140 | $73,330 to $115,010 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 830 | 0.3% | $96,660 | $76,150 to $120,030 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 630 | 0.2% | $86,510 | $73,410 to $114,960 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 430 | 0.1% | $92,100 | $74,990 to $125,610 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 430 | 0.1% | $93,180 | $71,940 to $117,350 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 420 | 0.1% | $99,310 | $82,490 to $128,080 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 300 | 0.1% | $95,280 | $80,900 to $120,650 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 270 | 0.1% | $81,630 | $68,830 to $119,360 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 210 | 0.1% | $81,740 | $65,910 to $124,770 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 140 | 0.0% | $92,580 | $68,680 to $110,320 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $125,430 | $98,650 to $153,220 | 9,920 | 1.57 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $103,260 | $80,990 to $130,470 | 11,740 | 1.43 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $93,730 | $76,230 to $119,650 | 4,370 | 0.91 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $101,000 | $82,080 to $127,040 | 6,140 | 1.05 |
| Columbus, OH | $105,750 | $82,170 to $143,780 | 3,970 | 1.78 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,170 | $82,750 to $130,120 | 6,950 | 0.76 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $133,360 | $102,680 to $167,710 | 2,460 | 1.07 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $102,950 | $85,690 to $125,620 | 2,820 | 1.15 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 378 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $133,360 | 2,460 | 1.07 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $129,680 | 3,910 | 0.81 |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $125,430 | 9,920 | 1.57 |
| 4 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $122,950 | 4,620 | 1.69 |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $119,390 | 17,690 | 0.92 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $118,810 | 140 | 0.69 |
| 7 | Carson City, NV | $118,340 | 60 | 0.94 |
| 8 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $117,200 | 480 | 0.58 |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $116,770 | 6,760 | 1.24 |
| 10 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $112,530 | 800 | 3.04 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 369 | Sebring, FL | $71,790 | 30 | 0.6 |
| 370 | Beckley, WV | $71,700 | 40 | 0.47 |
| 371 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $71,670 | 30 | 0.44 |
| 372 | Jefferson City, MO | $70,890 | 310 | 1.94 |
| 373 | Great Falls, MT | $69,130 | 50 | 0.61 |
| 374 | Mansfield, OH | $66,980 | 70 | 0.74 |
| 375 | Gadsden, AL | $66,910 | 30 | 0.51 |
| 376 | Cheyenne, WY | $64,480 | 130 | 1.3 |
| 377 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $55,040 | 770 | 0.55 |
| 378 | Aguadilla, PR | $51,260 | 30 | 0.34 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $89,300 | $36,490 | 2.45 times | 250 | 0.79 |
| Hot Springs, AR | $87,420 | $36,540 | 2.39 times | 30 | 0.44 |
| Monroe, LA | $88,990 | $38,150 | 2.33 times | 50 | 0.28 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $83,400 | $35,830 | 2.33 times | 350 | 0.58 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $100,900 | $43,850 | 2.30 times | 70 | 0.44 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $87,090 | $37,930 | 2.30 times | 140 | 0.47 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $103,440 | $46,670 | 2.22 times | 1,390 | 0.61 |
| Laredo, TX | $81,400 | $37,250 | 2.19 times | 150 | 0.67 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $102,020 | $46,800 | 2.18 times | 120 | 0.7 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $118,810 | $54,730 | 2.17 times | 140 | 0.69 |
| Valdosta, GA | $84,710 | $39,110 | 2.17 times | 50 | 0.44 |
| Wilmington, NC | $99,060 | $45,800 | 2.16 times | 430 | 1.11 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $98,950 | $45,830 | 2.16 times | 50 | 0.65 |
| Visalia, CA | $97,270 | $45,130 | 2.16 times | 130 | 0.39 |
| Rome, GA | $91,510 | $42,670 | 2.14 times | 50 | 0.57 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $101,220 | $47,510 | 2.13 times | 550 | 2.19 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $82,970 | $39,070 | 2.12 times | 150 | 1.04 |
| Greenville, NC | $98,840 | $46,560 | 2.12 times | 150 | 0.92 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $100,730 | $47,470 | 2.12 times | 330 | 0.48 |
| Lafayette, LA | $88,300 | $41,780 | 2.11 times | 110 | 0.31 |
| Dalton, GA | $88,910 | $42,210 | 2.11 times | 70 | 0.55 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $100,490 | $47,800 | 2.10 times | 190 | 0.54 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $97,730 | $46,490 | 2.10 times | 270 | 0.78 |
| Springfield, IL | $110,600 | $52,670 | 2.10 times | 520 | 2.54 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $79,110 | $37,750 | 2.10 times | 70 | 0.56 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 15-1244 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $96,800 |
| May 2025 | $99,130 |
| Difference | +$2,330 (+2.4%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
Levels above and below this title
These are different jobs, not experience bands within one occupation. The figures are not a promised raise.
| Title | Relationship | BLS occupation | Median | Against NOC Engineer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOC Manager | Same ladder | 11-3021 Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,140 | Higher by $76,010 |
NOC Engineer / NOC Manager map to the same BLS occupation, so BLS shows one set of figures for the whole ladder. Level is not a BLS dimension.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For an operations offer, separate standby availability payments from wages for hours actually worked. BLS excludes on-call waiting pay and shift differentials. Ordinary straight-time wages for work performed are not excluded by the on-call rule.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call waiting or availability pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes payment for time spent awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. BLS on-call pay definition. |
| Overtime pay | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Recruiter's read
Qualitative, not from BLS data.
NOC Engineer candidates are usually screened on the engineer diagnoses faults beyond Tier 1 and 2 triage, owns runbooks and monitoring tuning, and works the incident; the manager owns staffing, shift coverage and customer communications.
We usually find them through the composite title joins two roles that operators post separately. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.
Questions
What is the median pay for NOC Engineer?
The BLS median annual wage for Network and Computer Systems Administrators nationally is $99,130 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most NOC Engineer earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $78,010 to $126,640, and 10% earned less than $62,640.
Is this the exact job title?
Network and Computer Systems Administrators is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 314,340 jobs nationally in Network and Computer Systems Administrators across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for NOC Engineer: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring NOC Engineer?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
What the published rows say about NOC Engineer pay in the United States
NOC Engineer maps to Network and Computer Systems Administrators, SOC 15-1244. For the United States, the May 2025 OEWS annual median is $99,130; the middle half runs from $78,010 to $126,640. This is a broader occupation, not a separate wage estimate for this exact job. BLS does not separate seniority titles that share this row. Tell candidates whether the job is ticket-led work, deployment or independent fault-finding. Titles can share a BLS row even when the floor responsibilities and shift expectations differ.
The middle-half spread is $48,630: $21,120 from the 25th percentile to the median and $27,510 from the median to the 75th. The upper interval is wider. Use these points to compare an offer, not to price a junior or senior hire. Percentiles are not experience bands, and this distribution alone does not explain why individual workers earn different amounts.
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports a annual median of $119,390 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $20,260 above the United States's median.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports a annual median of $103,260 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $4,130 above the United States's median.
The highest exact national industry medians in the loaded SOC 15-1244 rows are Other Investment Pools and Funds at $152,460 and Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors at $139,970. These are May 2025 national occupation estimates, not local data center pay. The loaded data has no local industry-by-occupation breakdown, so it cannot rank industries within the United States.
The matched median moved from $96,800 in May 2024 to $99,130 in May 2025: $2,330 higher. Both rows use SOC 15-1244, area 99 and the same annual basis. This is not adjusted for inflation or annualized, and it does not attribute the change to a particular employer.
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. This is neither pure base salary nor total compensation. Agree travel, per diem and relocation terms separately. No verified NOC Engineer-specific allowance is in this occupation row, so none is added to the figures.
Questions about NOC Engineer pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports NOC Engineer pay in the United States?
NOC Engineer maps to SOC 15-1244, Network and Computer Systems Administrators. The May 2025 annual median for the United States is $99,130. The broader mapping is not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the figure cover the whole offer for NOC Engineer?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Travel and relocation terms still need their own discussion; this row supplies no separate allowance.
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Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.