Technology

Site Reliability Engineer Salary

SREs ensure large-scale systems are reliable and performant, combining software engineering with systems operations.

Median Salary
$145,000
Mean Salary
$152,400
Total Employed
68,000
Job Growth
+22%

Site Reliability Engineer Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level site reliability engineers earn around $92,000 per year, while mid-career professionals earn $148,000. Senior-level site reliability engineers can earn $210,000 or more.

Entry Level (0-2 yrs)
$92,000
Mid Level (3-7 yrs)
$148,000
Senior Level (8+ yrs)
$210,000

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Salary Percentile Breakdown

The salary range for site reliability engineers varies significantly. The bottom 10% earn $88,000, while the top 10% earn $220,000.

Percentile Annual Salary
10th Percentile $88,000
25th Percentile $115,000
50th Percentile (Median) $145,000
75th Percentile $185,000
90th Percentile $220,000

Site Reliability Engineer Salary by State

Site Reliability Engineer salaries vary significantly by state due to cost of living, demand, and industry concentration. The highest paying state is Hawaii at $239,250, while Mississippi offers the lowest at $108,750.

State Median
#1 Hawaii $239,250 Details →
#2 California $221,850 Details →
#3 Massachusetts $210,250 Details →
#4 New York $191,400 Details →
#5 Washington $184,150 Details →
#6 Alaska $175,450 Details →
#7 New Jersey $175,450 Details →
#8 Maryland $168,200 Details →
#9 Oregon $168,200 Details →
#10 Connecticut $166,750 Details →
#11 Colorado $163,850 Details →
#12 Virginia $162,400 Details →
#13 New Hampshire $155,150 Details →
#14 Rhode Island $153,700 Details →
#15 Utah $147,900 Details →
#16 Delaware $146,450 Details →
#17 Florida $145,000 Details →
#18 Illinois $145,000 Details →
#19 Minnesota $145,000 Details →
#20 Arizona $143,550 Details →
#21 Nevada $143,550 Details →
#22 Pennsylvania $142,100 Details →
#23 Texas $142,100 Details →
#24 Vermont $142,100 Details →
#25 Georgia $139,200 Details →
#26 North Carolina $139,200 Details →
#27 Maine $137,750 Details →
#28 Idaho $136,300 Details →
#29 New Mexico $134,850 Details →
#30 Wisconsin $133,400 Details →
#31 Montana $131,950 Details →
#32 Michigan $130,500 Details →
#33 Ohio $130,500 Details →
#34 Tennessee $129,050 Details →
#35 Indiana $127,600 Details →
#36 Missouri $127,600 Details →
#37 Nebraska $127,600 Details →
#38 Louisiana $126,150 Details →
#39 South Carolina $126,150 Details →
#40 Iowa $124,700 Details →
#41 North Dakota $124,700 Details →
#42 Wyoming $124,700 Details →
#43 Kansas $121,800 Details →
#44 Kentucky $120,350 Details →
#45 South Dakota $120,350 Details →
#46 Alabama $118,900 Details →
#47 Oklahoma $118,900 Details →
#48 Arkansas $113,100 Details →
#49 West Virginia $110,200 Details →
#50 Mississippi $108,750 Details →

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Key Responsibilities

  • ● Design and maintain production infrastructure
  • ● Build monitoring and alerting systems
  • ● Automate operational processes
  • ● Conduct incident response and postmortems
  • ● Optimize system performance and reliability

Top Skills

Linux Kubernetes Terraform Python Monitoring Tools Incident Response

Education Required

Bachelor's degree

Job Outlook

Much faster than average — projected 22% growth over the next decade

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Frequently Asked Questions About Site Reliability Engineer Salaries

How much does a Site Reliability Engineer make per year? ▼
The median site reliability engineer salary in the United States is $145,000 per year. Entry-level positions start around $92,000, while senior-level professionals earn up to $210,000 annually. The mean (average) salary is $152,400.
How much does a Site Reliability Engineer make per hour? ▼
Based on the national median salary of $145,000 per year, a site reliability engineer earns approximately $70 per hour assuming a standard 2,080-hour work year. Hourly rates vary by experience, location, and employer.
What is the highest paying state for site reliability engineers? ▼
Hawaii is the highest paying state for site reliability engineers, with a median salary of $239,250. Other top-paying states include California ($221,850) and Massachusetts ($210,250).
What education do you need to become a site reliability engineer? ▼
Most site reliability engineer positions require a bachelor's degree. Key skills include Linux, Kubernetes, Terraform, Python. Relevant certifications and hands-on experience can also strengthen your qualifications.
What is the job outlook for site reliability engineers? ▼
Employment for site reliability engineers is projected to grow 22% over the next decade, which is much faster than average. There are currently 68,000 site reliability engineers employed in the United States.
How much does an entry-level site reliability engineer make? ▼
An entry-level site reliability engineer with 0-2 years of experience earns around $92,000 per year. With 3-7 years of experience, pay increases to approximately $148,000. The bottom 10% of earners make $88,000, while the top 10% earn $220,000.