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Site Reliability Engineer Salary in Salt Lake City

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 8 comparison cities

$159,754/yr

Last updated: May 2025 Β· Source: BLS OES Survey Β· 1.1M employer sample

Typical range: $127,037 – $200,898

Very High Confidence Β· 100/100
SalaryScope Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Site Reliability Engineers in Salt Lake City typically earn $127K–$201K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $160K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $247K or more.

High-Paying Role

Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

βœ“Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)βœ“Updated monthly via BLS APIβœ“Human-reviewed methodologyβœ“Confidence Score: 100/100Editorial policy β†’

Site Reliability Engineer Salary Analysis β€” Salt Lake City

Site Reliability Engineers in Salt Lake City earn a median salary of $160K, which is 14% above the national median of $140K. Salt Lake City's established technology sector sustains above-average demand for this role, supporting premium compensation.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in Salt Lake City.

Cost of Living Adjustment

Salt Lake City's cost of living is 2% above the US average. Your $160K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $157K in a city with average US living costs.

$160K
Nominal salary
+2%
CoL vs US avg
$157K
Real value

Salary Distribution β€” Salt Lake City

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$103,312

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$127,037

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$159,754

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$200,898

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$247,031

Staff / principal / lead

-1%
vs US avg
+27%
demand growth
Med
AI risk
Data Confidence
100/100A+
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 15, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
Gross$160K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’25%
Take-home$120K
Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies.
Savings Potential
Take-home$120K
Est. living costsβˆ’48%
Yearly savings$62K
Estimate for a average-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
64/100
Good
Job demand growth+27%
Automation riskModerate

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SalaryScope Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $160K a good salary for Site Reliability Engineer in Salt Lake City?

Based on BLS data for 159,754 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $103KΒ·Median: $160KΒ·Top 10%: $247K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted Β· 89% confidenceSource reliability: 40/40 (BLS)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $160K for Site Reliability Engineers in Salt Lake City

+7%
High demand for Site Reliability Engineers
27% projected job growth creates upward wage pressure.
+35%
Occupation skill premium
Site Reliability Engineers earn well above the national average due to specialized skills required.

Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Site Reliability Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Salt Lake City

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$108,633$9,053$52
Junior22 yrs$134,193$11,183$65
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$151,234$12,603$73
Senior66 yrs$175,090$14,591$84
Staff1010 yrs$236,436$19,703$114
Principal1414 yrs$296,503$24,709$143
Distinguished1818 yrs$311,520$25,960$150

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Site Reliability Engineer

Estimated premium above the Salt Lake City median based on market demand

SRE+10% β‰ˆ +$16K/yr
Prometheus+7% β‰ˆ +$11K/yr
Kubernetes+9% β‰ˆ +$14K/yr
Python+6% β‰ˆ +$10K/yr
Go+9% β‰ˆ +$14K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$65K/yr
Highest single skill
SRE +10%
SRE+10% Β· +$16K/yr
Prometheus+7% Β· +$11K/yr
Kubernetes+9% Β· +$14K/yr
Python+6% Β· +$10K/yr
Go+9% Β· +$14K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Site Reliability Engineer Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

B64/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+27%/yr
AI Displacement Risk35% β€” Moderate
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+3.1%/yr
Good: Solid career with steady demand. Upskill continuously to stay above automation floor.
BLS Official 10-yr OutlookMuch faster than average
+25%
Growth 2022–2032
+18K
New jobs projected
$170K
In 2 yrs
$187K
In 5 yrs
$218K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Site Reliability Engineer

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$248K–$275K
per year
Base (61%)Bonus (10%)Equity (15%)Benefits (13%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$159,754
Annual Bonus
Typical: 8–25% of base
$26,360
Equity (annualised)
~25% of base β€” RSUs/options
$39,939
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$35,146
Total Comp (mid)
$261,199

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Site Reliability Engineers

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Equity / RSUs
Especially at tech firms
Learning Budget
$1,000–$3,000 / year
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Site Reliability Engineer Salaries by City

How Salt Lake City, UT stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
Salt Lake City, UT (current)$159,754$200,898+-1%
New York, NY$232,457$292,325++44%
San Francisco, CA$268,071$337,111++66%
Seattle, WA$223,170$280,646++38%
Austin, TX$183,907$231,271++14%
Boston, MA$226,490$284,821++40%
Chicago, IL$188,707$237,307++17%
Los Angeles, CA$225,756$283,898++40%
Denver, CO$186,824$234,939++16%

SalaryScope Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Site Reliability Engineer?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Higher-paying roles in the same field

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Site Reliability Engineer salary in Salt Lake City, UT?

The median Site Reliability Engineer salary in Salt Lake City, UT is $160K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $201K+ per year.

What is a good Site Reliability Engineer salary in Salt Lake City, UT?

The 75th percentile ($201K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($160K) is above-average for this role in Salt Lake City, UT.

How much does a Site Reliability Engineer earn per hour in Salt Lake City, UT?

Based on the median annual salary of $160K, a Site Reliability Engineer in Salt Lake City, UT earns approximately $77/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$97/hr.

Is Salt Lake City, UT a good market for Site Reliability Engineers?

Salt Lake City, UT pays 1% below the US national average for this role. Demand for Site Reliability Engineers is growing 27% annually, and AI automation risk is rated moderate for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Site Reliability Engineer salary in Salt Lake City, UT?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($201K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the Salt Lake City figure calculated?

The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For Salt Lake City, SalaryScope uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median Γ· national median) and applies it to the national baseline.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

Site Reliability Engineer Salary Trend (2019–2024)

BLS OES historical national medians

6-yr CAGR
+8.3%/yr
2019
$108K
2020
$115K
+6%
2021
$128K
+12%
2022
$141K
+10%
2023
$153K
+8%
2024
$161K
+5%
2019 median
$108K
2024 median
$161K

Source: BLS OEWS 2019–2024. City-level data uses national trend Γ— metro premium.

Inflation note: In 2019 dollars, today's median is ~$135K β€” 18% of nominal salary is inflation (2019–2024 CPI avg 3.4%/yr).

Education Premium β€” Site Reliability Engineer

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-28%
~$115K
Associate's Degree
-12%
~$141K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$160K
Master's Degree
+24%
~$198K
Doctoral (PhD)
+32%
~$211K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+42%
~$227K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
Salt Lake City benchmarks
$160K
Market median
$201K
P75 target
$247K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

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Site Reliability Engineer in Salt Lake City β€” Distribution
P10
$103K
P25
$127K
P50
$160K
P75
$201K
P90
$247K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position
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