Chief Engineer Salary in the United States

Chief Engineer Salary

How much does a Chief Engineer make?

As of May 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Chief Engineer in the United States is $248,196. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $226,860 to $274,247, with most professionals earning between $207,434 and $297,965.

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Chief Engineer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $207,434 US May 01, 2025
25th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $226,860 US May 01, 2025
50th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $248,196 US May 01, 2025
75th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $274,247 US May 01, 2025
90th Percentile Chief Engineer Salary $297,965 US May 01, 2025
25% $226,860 10% $207,434 90% $297,965 75% $274,247 $248,196 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a Chief Engineer ?

A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the seniormost engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and responsibility of that department. As a person who holds one of the most senior roles on the ship, he or she must have excellent communication and leadership skills. He or she will be expected to regularly work alongside other crew members and external consultants, and most importantly, provide guidance his or her team. To be a chief engineer, an engineer must attain a chief engineer's license appropriate ...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    VP of Engineering


    Bachelor's Degree

  2. This Job:

    Chief Engineer


    Bachelor's Degree

  3. Up a level:

    Chief Engineering Officer


    Master's Degree or MBA

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Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Chief Engineer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
226860
274247
248196

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
336409
468177
393202
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Chief Engineer in the United States. The base salary for Chief Engineer ranges from $226,860 to $274,247 with the average base salary of $248,196. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $336,409 to $468,177 with the average total cash compensation of $393,202.

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226860
274247

 

Recently searched related titles: Vice President Engineering, Vp Engineering, Senior Vice President Engineering

Learn more about: Compensation Packages, Employee Flight Risk, Gender Pay Gap, Job Openings for This Role

Jobs with a similar salary range to Chief Engineer : Chief Engineer Officer