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Best states for an architectural engineer
Quoted expert
Ross Weinreb
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for architectural engineers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for architectural engineer jobs.Our research found that California is the best state for architectural engineers, while California and New Jersey are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $132,385 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for architectural engineers.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for architectural engineers. California is the best state for architectural engineers, where the median salary is $132,385.We found that the Midwest is best for architectural engineers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for architectural engineer jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for architectural engineers in 2026
1. California
Total architectural engineer jobs: 5,011 Average annual salary: $132,385 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.68
2. Oregon
Total architectural engineer jobs: 624 Average annual salary: $114,565 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
3. New Jersey
Total architectural engineer jobs: 640 Average annual salary: $118,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
4. Alabama
Total architectural engineer jobs: 387 Average annual salary: $101,201 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
5. Washington
Total architectural engineer jobs: 1,038 Average annual salary: $103,659 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
6. Utah
Total architectural engineer jobs: 367 Average annual salary: $98,167 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
7. Massachusetts
Total architectural engineer jobs: 989 Average annual salary: $102,376 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
8. Nevada
Total architectural engineer jobs: 159 Average annual salary: $102,268 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
9. Connecticut
Total architectural engineer jobs: 351 Average annual salary: $99,477 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
10. Alaska
Total architectural engineer jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $101,818 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1
Architectural engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an architectural engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an architectural engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $132,385 | $89,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,011 |
| 2 | Oregon | $114,565 | $77,000 | 4,142,776 | 624 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $118,925 | $78,000 | 9,005,644 | 640 |
| 4 | Alabama | $101,201 | $65,000 | 4,874,747 | 387 |
| 5 | Washington | $103,659 | $70,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,038 |
| 6 | Utah | $98,167 | $65,000 | 3,101,833 | 367 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $102,376 | $66,000 | 6,859,819 | 989 |
| 8 | Nevada | $102,268 | $68,000 | 2,998,039 | 159 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $99,477 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 351 |
| 10 | Alaska | $101,818 | $74,000 | 739,795 | 85 |
| 11 | Virginia | $96,582 | $62,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,921 |
| 12 | Missouri | $99,743 | $65,000 | 6,113,532 | 361 |
| 13 | Idaho | $95,847 | $64,000 | 1,716,943 | 153 |
| 14 | Texas | $94,970 | $62,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,980 |
| 15 | Delaware | $97,414 | $63,000 | 961,939 | 123 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $95,610 | $62,000 | 12,805,537 | 890 |
| 17 | Colorado | $94,645 | $63,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,063 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $98,273 | $64,000 | 3,930,864 | 144 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $92,875 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 118 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $94,664 | $61,000 | 2,984,100 | 68 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $94,568 | $61,000 | 4,684,333 | 140 |
| 22 | Vermont | $91,322 | $59,000 | 623,657 | 71 |
| 23 | Arizona | $88,954 | $59,000 | 7,016,270 | 673 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $92,982 | $61,000 | 2,088,070 | 123 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $92,529 | $62,000 | 5,576,606 | 492 |
| 26 | Montana | $89,901 | $61,000 | 1,050,493 | 100 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $91,741 | $59,000 | 4,454,189 | 175 |
| 28 | Ohio | $89,058 | $58,000 | 11,658,609 | 671 |
| 29 | Maine | $91,805 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 69 |
| 30 | Michigan | $86,960 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 591 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $87,539 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 78 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $85,758 | $56,000 | 693,972 | 518 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $86,715 | $59,000 | 755,393 | 70 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $88,714 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 128 |
| 35 | Georgia | $85,108 | $54,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,016 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $86,790 | $55,000 | 10,273,419 | 727 |
| 37 | Indiana | $85,260 | $56,000 | 6,666,818 | 456 |
| 38 | New York | $85,843 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,097 |
| 39 | Florida | $83,290 | $52,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,488 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $84,892 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 261 |
| 41 | Kansas | $84,090 | $55,000 | 2,913,123 | 185 |
| 42 | Illinois | $80,578 | $53,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,090 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $80,609 | $53,000 | 1,920,076 | 174 |
| 44 | Maryland | $73,864 | $48,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,051 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $64,852 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 111 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $79,727 | $53,000 | 579,315 | 42 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $78,640 | $53,000 | 869,666 | 45 |
| 48 | Iowa | $78,544 | $52,000 | 3,145,711 | 198 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $76,867 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 286 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $75,557 | $50,000 | 5,795,483 | 383 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $74,573 | $48,000 | 3,004,279 | 149 |
Highest paying states for architectural engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Architectural Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $132,385 |
| 2 | Oregon | $114,565 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $118,925 |
| 4 | Alabama | $101,201 |
| 5 | Washington | $103,659 |
| 6 | Utah | $98,167 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $102,376 |
| 8 | Nevada | $102,268 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $99,477 |
| 10 | Alaska | $101,818 |
| 11 | Virginia | $96,582 |
| 12 | Missouri | $99,743 |
| 13 | Idaho | $95,847 |
| 14 | Texas | $94,970 |
| 15 | Delaware | $97,414 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $95,610 |
| 17 | Colorado | $94,645 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $98,273 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $92,875 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $94,664 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $94,568 |
| 22 | Vermont | $91,322 |
| 23 | Arizona | $88,954 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $92,982 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $92,529 |
| 26 | Montana | $89,901 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $91,741 |
| 28 | Ohio | $89,058 |
| 29 | Maine | $91,805 |
| 30 | Michigan | $86,960 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $87,539 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $85,758 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $86,715 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $88,714 |
| 35 | Georgia | $85,108 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $86,790 |
| 37 | Indiana | $85,260 |
| 38 | New York | $85,843 |
| 39 | Florida | $83,290 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $84,892 |
| 41 | Kansas | $84,090 |
| 42 | Illinois | $80,578 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $80,609 |
| 44 | Maryland | $73,864 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $64,852 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $79,727 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $78,640 |
| 48 | Iowa | $78,544 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $76,867 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $75,557 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $74,573 |
Expert opinions on the best states for architectural engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for architectural engineers to find work opportunities?
Ross Weinreb
Instructor | Career Adviser, The Pennsylvania State University
Not that I am aware of. Our Penn State graduates generally find work in the Northeast (Philadelphia, New York, etc.).
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Updated January 8, 2025