Engineering Director salary in Seattle, WA
Based on 135 certified H-1B filings in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Bellevue, Bothell, Everett, Redmond, Lynnwood.
Also listed as: Architectural and Engineering Manager, Manager Hardware Engineering
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $165,912 |
| 25th | $186,500 |
| 50th (median) | $216,600 |
| 75th | $238,000 |
| 90th | $266,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $162,355 | $129,319 | $230,860 | 32 |
| FY2021 | $180,000 | $153,510 | $215,000 | 55 |
| FY2022 | $185,965 | $160,971 | $210,000 | 92 |
| FY2023 | $191,268 | $169,437 | $201,823 | 53 |
| FY2024 | $194,361 | $190,000 | $214,365 | 55 |
| FY2025 | $213,000 | $185,000 | $224,949 | 81 |
| FY2026 | $220,854 | $198,058 | $249,030 | 54 |
Cost of living
Seattle's median Engineering Director salary of $216,600 is worth about $194,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Seattle = 111.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Architectural and Engineering Managers in the Seattle, WA area earned a median of $204,340 in May 2025 (4,390 employed). The H-1B median here is $216,600, 6% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $243,260 | 28 |
| NVIDIA | $224,000 | 13 |
| Amazon | too few | 6 |
| Nordstrom | too few | 6 |
| Stripe | too few | 6 |
| Apple | too few | 4 |
| Smartsheet | too few | 3 |
| The Boeing Company | too few | 3 |
| WSP | too few | 2 |
| Aerospace Testing, Engineering and Certification | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | too few | 2 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $180,710 | 31 |
| Senior · Level III | $210,000 | 33 |
| Expert · Level IV | $238,000 | 53 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $175,282 | $180,710 | 31 |
| Senior · Level III | $192,171 | $210,000 | 33 |
| Expert · Level IV | $220,854 | $238,000 | 53 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.