> AI agents: this is one page of Nextmove’s FDE site, in Markdown. Nextmove is a job board and free career service for forward deployed engineers (FDEs). Each posting is classified from its text, not its title: the kind of work, how much of it is production code, pre-sales weight, time at customer sites, travel, remote arrangement, level and posted base pay. The site also publishes the aggregates: median pay by level, metro, company and kind of work, and which companies started hiring FDEs each week. Every page under https://nextmove.md/fde is served this way; the index of pages is https://nextmove.md/llms.txt.

# FDE salary in the US

Canonical URL: https://nextmove.md/fde/salary

The median is $193,000 a year, and half of postings sit between $160,000 and $225,000, across 2,430 US postings from 926 companies. Compare salary by location, level, company and kind of work.

**3,311** postings · **1,375** companies · **2,430** with pay · median **$193,000** · middle half $160,000–$225,000 · read Nov 6, 2026

- [See roles that fit me](https://nextmove.md/sign-up?from=%2Ffde%2Fsalary&placement=top)

Free. Upload your resume once, see why each FDE role fits, and get introduced only when you say so.

Typical FDE salary in the US

$193,000 a year

Median $193,000 a year. Half of postings sit between $160,000 and $225,000.

[How to compare FDE offers →](https://nextmove.md/fde/resources/compare-fde-offers)

## By responsibility level

The faint line is the $193K median across all postings.

$193K

[Junior](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=junior)

Middle half $117,000 to $157,000, median $135,000.
- [26 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=junior)

[Mid](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=mid)

Middle half $122,000 to $162,000, median $150,000.
- [105 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=mid)

[Senior](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=senior)

Middle half $160,000 to $220,000, median $190,000.
- [1,849 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=senior)

[Staff+](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=staff)

Middle half $197,000 to $262,000, median $225,000.
- [388 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&level=staff)

Not stated

Middle half $153,000 to $210,000, median $180,000. 62 postings

Staff+ postings have the highest median at $225,000 and Junior the lowest at $135,000.

## By location

$193K

[SF Bay Area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=sf-bay-area)

$214K
- [747 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=sf-bay-area)

[Seattle area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=puget-sound)

$198K
- [197 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=puget-sound)

[New York metro](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=nyc-metro)

$197K
- [775 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=nyc-metro)

[Austin](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=austin)

$195K
- [106 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=austin)

[Los Angeles](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=greater-la)

$190K
- [146 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=greater-la)

[Boston area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=greater-boston)

$190K
- [155 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=greater-boston)

[Remote (US)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&work=remote)

$188K
- [423 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&work=remote)

[Dallas–Fort Worth](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=dfw)

$184K
- [146 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=dfw)

[San Diego](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=san-diego)

$183K
- [50 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=san-diego)

[Washington, DC area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=dmv)

$181K
- [375 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=dmv)

[Denver–Boulder](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=front-range)

$181K
- [106 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=front-range)

[Raleigh–Durham](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=triangle)

$178K
- [38 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=triangle)

[Minneapolis–St. Paul](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=twin-cities)

$174K
- [48 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=twin-cities)

[Chicago](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=chicagoland)

$174K
- [177 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=chicagoland)

[Phoenix](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=phoenix-metro)

$174K
- [26 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=phoenix-metro)

[Philadelphia](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=philly-metro)

$173K
- [39 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=philly-metro)

[Miami](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=miami-metro)

$173K
- [35 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=miami-metro)

[Atlanta](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=atlanta)

$169K
- [104 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=atlanta)

[Houston](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=houston-metro)

$165K
- [55 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&region=houston-metro)

Multiple US offices

$200K 79 postings

US, city not stated

$185K 310 postings

Other cities

$162K 62 postings

$150K $170K $190K $210K $230K

SF Bay Area postings have the highest median at $214,000 and Houston the lowest at $165,000.

## By kind of FDE work

$193K

[Leads the deployment team](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=leadership)

Middle half $220,000 to $294,000, median $250,000.
- [105 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=leadership)

[Builds what the customer runs](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=builds-for-customers)

Middle half $163,000 to $226,000, median $200,000.
- [1,337 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=builds-for-customers)

[Builds for teams inside the company](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=internal-deployment)

Middle half $158,000 to $221,000, median $187,000.
- [415 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=internal-deployment)

[Plans what the customer deploys first](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=strategist)

Middle half $158,000 to $216,000, median $185,000.
- [222 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=strategist)

[Proves it works before the sale](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=presales)

Middle half $168,000 to $235,000, median $185,000.
- [32 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=presales)

[Keeps customers running after launch](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=postsales-adoption)

Middle half $150,000 to $200,000, median $176,000.
- [20 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=postsales-adoption)

[Integrates and configures it](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=technical-delivery)

Middle half $153,000 to $205,000, median $175,000.
- [299 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1&role=technical-delivery)

Postings that lead deployment teams have the highest median at $250,000 and postings that integrate and configure the product the lowest at $175,000.

## By company stage

$193K

[Early (pre-seed–Series A)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=early&disclosed=1)

Middle half $163,000 to $225,000, median $190,000.
- [262 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=early&disclosed=1)

[Growth (Series B–C)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=growth&disclosed=1)

Middle half $173,000 to $230,000, median $200,000.
- [306 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=growth&disclosed=1)

[Later private](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=late&disclosed=1)

Middle half $178,000 to $242,000, median $214,000.
- [738 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=late&disclosed=1)

[Public](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=public&disclosed=1)

Middle half $151,000 to $215,000, median $181,000.
- [661 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=public&disclosed=1)

[Bootstrapped](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=bootstrapped&disclosed=1)

Middle half $165,000 to $224,000, median $200,000.
- [52 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=bootstrapped&disclosed=1)

[Subsidiary](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=subsidiary&disclosed=1)

Middle half $158,000 to $206,000, median $177,000.
- [59 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?companyStage=subsidiary&disclosed=1)

Not stated

Middle half $155,000 to $210,000, median $175,000. 352 postings

Later private postings have the highest median at $214,000 and Subsidiary the lowest at $177,000.

## Median salary by group

## Postings that state pay

[2,430 postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1) out of 3,311 show a pay figure. Here are 10 of them.

[Capgemini](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/capgemini)

### [Capgemini Invent, Senior Consultant, Forward Deployed Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/68750ea540ba8ddd)

US · city not listed Yesterday

$112,600–$212,700

[Thomson Reuters](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/thomson-reuters)

### [Senior Legal Engineer, CoCounsel FDE](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/ef7a2e5d13b23d62)

Frisco, TX · New York, NY · +7 more Hybrid Yesterday

$102,200–$218,600

[Suki AI](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/suki-ai)

### [Staff Forward Deployed Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/12d765d673cd368d)

Redwood City, CA Yesterday

$225,000–$250,000

[Monte Carlo](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/monte-carlo)

### [Applied Forward Deployed Engineer (Post-Sales)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/4593abbbddffbf3a)

US Remote Yesterday

$140,000–$180,000

[OpenAI](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/openai)

### [Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Life Sciences - SF](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/20d2f37618650476)

San Francisco, CA Hybrid Yesterday

$185,000–$300,000

[Kraken](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/kraken)

### [Forward Deployed Engineer (Client Solutions)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/8948b7dff5b3ef4d)

New York, NY Hybrid Yesterday

$140,000–$220,000

[Clera](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/clera)

### [Founding Forward Deployed Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/17886955cf8079ec)

San Francisco, CA · New York, NY Hybrid Yesterday

$130,000–$215,000

[Google](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/google)

### [Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Data Cloud, Google Cloud](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/7460c510f62762db)

San Francisco, CA · Austin, TX · +5 more 2d ago

$207,000–$300,000

[OpenAI](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/openai)

### [Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Life Sciences - NYC](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/f19e00cc711f7d8d)

New York, NY Hybrid Yesterday

$185,000–$300,000

[Ingram Micro](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/ingram-micro)

### [Principal Forward Deployed Engineer, Google Cloud](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/2fdc34e1d9832ea5)

Irvine, CA 2d ago

$133,400–$226,800

1,337 of these 2,430 jobs build what the customer runs.

[See every posting with a pay figure →](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?disclosed=1)

Employer postings · [How we read postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/method)