The average salary for a photonics engineer in Washington is around $134,570 per year.
Avg Salary
Photonics engineers earn an average yearly salary of $134,570.
Wages typically start from $81,280 and go up to $196,120.
72% above national average Updated in 2025
Photonics engineer earnings by seniority
Top-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$94.29 per hour
$196,120 per year
Senior-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$81.03 per hour
$168,550 per year
Mid-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$64.70 per hour
$134,570 per year
Junior-level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$52.67 per hour
$109,550 per year
Starting level photonics engineer earnings begin at:
$39.08 per hour
$81,280 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 Washington. On average, they make less than computer network architects but more than nanotechnology engineers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Computer network architect salary | $168K |
| Information security analyst salary | $155K |
| Aerospace engineer salary | $158K |
| Petroleum engineer salary | $135K |
| Sales engineer salary | $148K |
| Robotics engineer salary | $135K |
| Wind energy engineer salary | $135K |
| Photonics engineer salary | $135K |
| Mechatronics engineer salary | $135K |
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $135K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)