The average salary for a photonics engineer in South Dakota is around $112,260 per year.
Avg Salary
Photonics engineers earn an average yearly salary of $112,260.
Wages typically start from $82,250 and go up to $156,890.
78% above national average Updated in 2025
Photonics engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$75.43 per hour
$156,890 per year
Senior-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$62.48 per hour
$129,960 per year
Mid-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$53.97 per hour
$112,260 per year
Junior-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$47.74 per hour
$99,300 per year
Starting level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$39.54 per hour
$82,250 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Photonics engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Kentucky | $99,830 |
| Louisiana | $99,070 |
| Montana | $97,470 |
| Tennessee | $96,640 |
| Nebraska | $88,490 |
| Arkansas | $76,940 |
| Kansas | $76,100 |
| Puerto Rico | $49,230 |
| New Mexico | $162,070 |
| Alabama | $152,550 |
| District of Columbia | $151,920 |
| Virginia | $148,160 |
| Alaska | $142,390 |
| Washington | $134,570 |
| Colorado | $132,590 |
| New Jersey | $132,450 |
| Massachusetts | $131,260 |
| Idaho | $130,970 |
| California | $130,850 |
| Maryland | $129,770 |
| New Hampshire | $128,130 |
| Vermont | $126,550 |
| Connecticut | $124,110 |
| Oregon | $123,220 |
| Hawaii | $122,800 |
| Michigan | $121,000 |
| Indiana | $120,880 |
| Ohio | $120,470 |
| Maine | $120,430 |
| Oklahoma | $119,810 |
| West Virginia | $118,800 |
| New York | $117,600 |
| Rhode Island | $117,080 |
| Texas | $115,810 |
| Wyoming | $113,050 |
| North Carolina | $112,450 |
| Georgia | $112,260 |
| South Dakota | $112,260 |
| Illinois | $111,930 |
| Mississippi | $111,030 |
| South Carolina | $110,490 |
| Wisconsin | $110,360 |
| Utah | $110,320 |
| Pennsylvania | $108,950 |
| Minnesota | $108,850 |
| Florida | $105,410 |
| Nevada | $103,780 |
| Delaware | $103,580 |
| Iowa | $103,090 |
| Missouri | $102,980 |
| Arizona | $102,280 |
| North Dakota | $100,250 |
How do photonics engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Photonics engineers earn about the same as related careers in South Dakota. On average, they make less than information security analysts but more than nanotechnology engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Information security analyst salary | $117K |
| Sales engineer salary | $119K |
| Robotics engineer salary | $112K |
| Mechatronics engineer salary | $112K |
| Nanosystems engineer salary | $112K |
| Photonics engineer salary | $112K |
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $112K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)