Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center as its own occupation, so this page uses Sales Engineers (SOC 41-9031, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $124,900 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $92,890 to $161,230.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Broader occupation
Sales Engineers 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 | $73,870 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $92,890 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $124,900 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $161,230 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $195,270 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $130,140 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35.52 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $44.66 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $60.05 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $77.52 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $93.88 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $62.57 | 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 41-9031 Sales Engineers, United States. Download national data (ZIP).
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $124,900 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 2.45 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 | 9,650 | 18.6% | $150,080 | $115,130 to $178,380 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 2,780 | 5.4% | $134,210 | $100,780 to $170,030 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 1,990 | 3.8% | $162,500 | $124,610 to $181,760 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 1,430 | 2.8% | $107,850 | $83,450 to $144,480 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 1,250 | 2.4% | $107,850 | $83,450 to $142,690 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 1,200 | 2.3% | $106,720 | $84,250 to $151,610 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 790 | 1.5% | $118,540 | $90,110 to $159,950 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 620 | 1.2% | $168,500 | $137,480 to $215,470 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 390 | 0.8% | $115,950 | $92,680 to $137,650 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 290 | 0.6% | $100,770 | $81,100 to $132,680 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 210 | 0.4% | $119,330 | $116,030 to $128,550 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 180 | 0.3% | $132,230 | $85,730 to $173,040 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 130 | 0.3% | $122,380 | $93,350 to $171,520 |
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 | $153,410 | $132,240 to $153,410 | 1,010 | 0.97 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $133,280 | $101,080 to $166,070 | 2,690 | 1.99 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $135,050 | $94,910 to $216,650 | 850 | 1.07 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $99,230 | $87,500 to $129,700 | 1,250 | 1.3 |
| Columbus, OH | $117,110 | $83,630 to $129,990 | 160 | 0.43 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $104,070 | $91,250 to $136,550 | 790 | 0.52 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $177,490 | $141,930 to $209,730 | 1,600 | 4.24 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $129,850 | $102,130 to $166,950 | 490 | 1.22 |
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 144 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $177,490 | 1,600 | 4.24 |
| 2 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $175,310 | 330 | 2.88 |
| 3 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $163,810 | 30 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Ocala, FL | $158,190 | 40 | 0.99 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $153,560 | 520 | 0.75 |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $153,410 | 1,010 | 0.97 |
| 7 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $151,610 | 930 | 1.18 |
| 8 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $151,450 | 80 | 1.34 |
| 9 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $147,570 | 3,440 | 1.09 |
| 10 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $147,130 | 50 | 0.47 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $83,450 | 160 | 1.2 |
| 136 | Lincoln, NE | $83,240 | 60 | 1.04 |
| 137 | Traverse City, MI | $82,780 | 30 | 1.35 |
| 138 | Tucson, AZ | $82,780 | 50 | 0.39 |
| 139 | Erie, PA | $82,300 | 30 | 0.84 |
| 140 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $80,370 | 30 | 0.6 |
| 141 | Rockford, IL | $75,320 | 110 | 2.49 |
| 142 | Springfield, MO | $71,250 | 30 | 0.41 |
| 143 | Anchorage, AK | $71,080 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| 144 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $51,460 | 50 | 0.22 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala, FL | $158,190 | $43,990 | 3.60 times | 40 | 0.99 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $163,810 | $50,770 | 3.23 times | 30 | 0.81 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $147,130 | $47,440 | 3.10 times | 50 | 0.47 |
| Lafayette, LA | $121,680 | $41,780 | 2.91 times | 60 | 1 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $175,310 | $60,720 | 2.89 times | 330 | 2.88 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $136,260 | $48,060 | 2.84 times | 60 | 0.43 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $133,010 | $47,290 | 2.81 times | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $132,510 | $47,470 | 2.79 times | 40 | 0.38 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $143,970 | $51,690 | 2.79 times | 40 | 0.59 |
| Odessa, TX | $134,740 | $48,590 | 2.77 times | 50 | 1.73 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $128,200 | $46,240 | 2.77 times | 60 | 0.91 |
| Tallahassee, FL | $128,000 | $46,520 | 2.75 times | 40 | 0.72 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $130,310 | $47,540 | 2.74 times | 90 | 4.28 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $151,450 | $55,310 | 2.74 times | 80 | 1.34 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $128,170 | $47,010 | 2.73 times | 220 | 0.6 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $121,100 | $45,220 | 2.68 times | 40 | 0.72 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $136,430 | $50,990 | 2.68 times | 90 | 0.98 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $130,170 | $49,030 | 2.65 times | 70 | 0.92 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $123,770 | $46,660 | 2.65 times | 40 | 0.78 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $128,670 | $48,640 | 2.65 times | 510 | 0.54 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $135,050 | $51,380 | 2.63 times | 850 | 1.07 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $125,630 | $47,970 | 2.62 times | 50 | 0.89 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $133,280 | $51,440 | 2.59 times | 2,690 | 1.99 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $127,800 | $49,410 | 2.59 times | 1,340 | 1.22 |
| Midland, TX | $138,930 | $54,480 | 2.55 times | 70 | 1.66 |
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 41-9031 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 | $121,520 |
| May 2025 | $124,900 |
| Difference | +$3,380 (+2.8%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| 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 | 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 matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | 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 matters here | 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.
Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center candidates are usually screened on turning customer power, cooling and network needs into deployments; density and liquid cooling; interconnection design.
We usually find them through colos; OEMs; network providers. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.
Questions
What is the median pay for Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center?
The BLS median annual wage for Sales Engineers nationally is $124,900 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $92,890 to $161,230, and 10% earned less than $73,870.
Is this the exact job title?
Sales Engineers 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 51,790 jobs nationally in Sales Engineers 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 Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
- Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center recruiting
- Data Center Sales Executive (Colocation) salary
- Wholesale / Hyperscale Leasing Director salary
- Business Development Director, Data Center salary
- Solutions Architect, Data Center salary
- Channel / Partner Manager salary
- Open data center jobs
- Methodology
What the published rows say about Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center pay in the United States
Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center maps to Sales Engineers, SOC 41-9031. For the United States, the May 2025 OEWS annual median is $124,900; the middle half runs from $92,890 to $161,230. This is a broader occupation, not a separate wage estimate for this exact job. BLS does not separate seniority titles that share this row. Define decision authority and the scope of the team or account before setting the offer. The occupation estimate does not separately price your site's responsibilities.
The middle-half spread is $68,340: $32,010 from the 25th percentile to the median and $36,330 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 $147,570 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $22,670 above the United States's median.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports a annual median of $133,280 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $8,380 above the United States's median.
The highest exact national industry medians in the loaded SOC 41-9031 rows are Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services at $178,140 and Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services at $178,140. 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 $121,520 in May 2024 to $124,900 in May 2025: $3,380 higher. Both rows use SOC 41-9031, 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 Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center-specific allowance is in this occupation row, so none is added to the figures.
Questions about Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center pay in the United States?
Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center maps to SOC 41-9031, Sales Engineers. The May 2025 annual median for the United States is $124,900. The broader mapping is not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the figure cover the whole offer for Solutions Engineer / Sales Engineer, Data Center?
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.
- solutions engineer sales engineer data center new york newark jersey city ny nj
- solutions engineer sales engineer data center dallas fort worth arlington tx
- solutions engineer sales engineer data center
- solutions engineer sales engineer data center
- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.