Sales Engineers Salary
The median pay for a sales engineers in Erie, PA is $82,300/year ($39.57/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $112K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.95), which stretches that salary to about $90,489 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,212/month, or 22.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $82K get you in Erie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Erie’s Regional Price Parity (90.95). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About sales engineers
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What this looks like in Erie
Pay for sales engineers in Erie runs about 34% below the U.S. median of $125K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,212/month, 22.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.95 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Erie can be a reasonable trade-off for sales engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sales engineers in metros near Erie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $102K | $100K |
| Pittsburgh | $97K | $103K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $94K | $94K |
| Chambersburg | $130K | $138K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Erie, PA
Entry-level sales engineers (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $112K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Sales Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sales Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $167K | +34% | 80 |
| Maryland | $153K | +23% | 850 |
| Rhode Island | $150K | +20% | 30 |
| Washington | $148K | +18% | 760 |
| Colorado | $140K | +12% | 2,800 |
| California | $139K | +11% | 6,310 |
| New Jersey | $139K | +11% | 1,760 |
| New York | $137K | +10% | 3,150 |
| Massachusetts | $136K | +9% | 3,150 |
| West Virginia | $135K | +8% | 40 |
| Arizona | $132K | +6% | 1,000 |
| Arkansas | $131K | +5% | 30 |
| Texas | $131K | +5% | 6,800 |
| Oregon | $128K | +3% | 540 |
| Idaho | $128K | +3% | 360 |
| Florida | $126K | +1% | 2,410 |
| Connecticut | $124K | -1% | 760 |
| Louisiana | $122K | -3% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $122K | -3% | 2,530 |
| New Mexico | $119K | -4% | 80 |
| South Dakota | $119K | -5% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $118K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Utah | $118K | -6% | 480 |
| Vermont | $117K | -6% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $115K | -8% | 290 |
| South Carolina | $114K | -9% | 770 |
| Michigan | $114K | -9% | 2,290 |
| Tennessee | $112K | -11% | 530 |
| New Hampshire | $108K | -14% | 300 |
| Alabama | $104K | -16% | 220 |
| Minnesota | $101K | -19% | 990 |
| Illinois | $100K | -20% | 1,150 |
| Nevada | $99K | -21% | 320 |
| Georgia | $99K | -21% | 1,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $99K | -21% | 1,980 |
| Kansas | $98K | -22% | 220 |
| Ohio | $97K | -22% | 1,210 |
| Maine | $95K | -24% | 140 |
| Missouri | $91K | -27% | 710 |
| Kentucky | $90K | -28% | 380 |
| Nebraska | $90K | -28% | 130 |
| Iowa | $83K | -33% | 310 |
| Indiana | $75K | -40% | 980 |
| Alaska | $71K | -43% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sales engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Erie numbers change.
Related careers in Sales
Frequently asked questions
Can a sales engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Erie?
Yes — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 22.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,212/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for sales engineers in Erie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sales engineers typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,575/month. At HUD’s $1,212/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sales engineer a high-paying job in Erie?
Local pay runs 34% below the national median — $82K here vs. $125K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Erie compare to the national average for sales engineers?
Erie pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — below the national median.
How much do sales engineers make in Erie, PA?
The median is $82,300 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,590, and experienced sales engineers can clear $111,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Erie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,313/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,212/month, which eats 22.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a sales engineers salary go in Erie?
Erie has a Regional Price Parity of 90.95 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median sales engineers salary is worth about $90,489 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sales engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.