Best cities for a building engineer
The best cities for building engineers are Philadelphia, PA, Stockton, CA, and Cleveland, OH, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for building engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for building engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a building engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for building engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for building engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a building engineer. While the absolute best city for building engineers is Philadelphia, PA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for building engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a building engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for building engineers in 2026
1. Philadelphia, PA
Total building engineer jobs: 31 Average annual salary: $92,074 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location quotient: 1.43 2. Stockton, CA
Total building engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $109,445 Lowest 10 percent warn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location quotient: 1.26 3. Cleveland, OH
Total building engineer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $85,140 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location quotient: 1.13 4. Irvine, CA
Total building engineer jobs: 31 Average annual salary: $98,221 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location quotient: 2.54 5. Las Vegas, NV
Total building engineer jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $92,583 Lowest 10 percent warn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location quotient: 0.85 6. Santa Ana, CA
Total building engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $98,529 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location quotient: 1.79 7. Los Angeles, CA
Total building engineer jobs: 57 Average annual salary: $100,008 Lowest 10 percent warn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location quotient: 1.49 8. San Francisco, CA
Total building engineer jobs: 39 Average annual salary: $110,830 Lowest 10 percent warn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location quotient: 0.87 9. Milwaukee, WI
Total building engineer jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $79,203 Lowest 10 percent warn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location quotient: 1.25 10. Raleigh, NC
Total building engineer jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $85,926 Lowest 10 percent warn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location quotient: 0.94
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Best cities for building engineers
- Philadelphia, PA
- Stockton, CA
- Cleveland, OH
- Irvine, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Santa Ana, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Raleigh, NC
- (31 building engineer jobs)
- (2 building engineer jobs)
- (8 building engineer jobs)
- (31 building engineer jobs)
- (9 building engineer jobs)
- (4 building engineer jobs)
- (57 building engineer jobs)
- (39 building engineer jobs)
- (11 building engineer jobs)
- (11 building engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a building engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,074 | $60,000 | 1,567,872 | 31 |
| 2 | Stockton, CA | $109,445 | $64,000 | 307,072 | 2 |
| 3 | Cleveland, OH | $85,140 | $54,000 | 385,809 | 8 |
| 4 | Irvine, CA | $98,221 | $58,000 | 266,122 | 31 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $92,583 | $53,000 | 632,912 | 9 |
| 6 | Santa Ana, CA | $98,529 | $58,000 | 334,217 | 4 |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | $100,008 | $59,000 | 3,976,322 | 57 |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | $110,830 | $66,000 | 870,887 | 39 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $79,203 | $49,000 | 595,047 | 11 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $85,926 | $53,000 | 458,880 | 11 |
| 11 | Oakland, CA | $110,577 | $65,000 | 420,005 | 3 |
| 12 | Long Beach, CA | $98,962 | $59,000 | 470,130 | 3 |
| 13 | Boston, MA | $97,679 | $64,000 | 673,184 | 24 |
| 14 | San Jose, CA | $109,952 | $65,000 | 1,025,350 | 17 |
| 15 | Toledo, OH | $83,123 | $52,000 | 278,508 | 1 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $82,725 | $51,000 | 860,090 | 12 |
| 17 | Detroit, MI | $75,690 | $47,000 | 672,795 | 10 |
| 18 | Cincinnati, OH | $77,993 | $47,000 | 298,800 | 8 |
| 19 | Lubbock, TX | $75,285 | $43,000 | 252,506 | 2 |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | $85,864 | $51,000 | 704,352 | 43 |
| 21 | San Diego, CA | $95,491 | $57,000 | 1,406,630 | 30 |
| 22 | Pittsburgh, PA | $89,506 | $57,000 | 303,625 | 4 |
| 23 | Charlotte, NC | $80,726 | $49,000 | 842,051 | 19 |
| 24 | Norfolk, VA | $82,626 | $52,000 | 245,115 | 5 |
| 25 | Chicago, IL | $80,733 | $49,000 | 2,704,958 | 51 |
| 26 | Arlington, TX | $74,330 | $43,000 | 392,772 | 3 |
| 27 | Reno, NV | $96,825 | $56,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 28 | North Las Vegas, NV | $92,364 | $53,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 29 | Fremont, CA | $110,174 | $65,000 | 233,136 | 2 |
| 30 | Henderson, NV | $92,099 | $53,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 31 | Minneapolis, MN | $72,792 | $45,000 | 413,651 | 28 |
| 32 | Portland, OR | $74,112 | $44,000 | 639,863 | 35 |
| 33 | Durham, NC | $86,033 | $53,000 | 263,016 | 2 |
| 34 | Washington, DC | $99,335 | $64,000 | 681,170 | 22 |
| 35 | Austin, TX | $77,148 | $45,000 | 947,890 | 21 |
| 36 | Jersey City, NJ | $100,332 | $65,000 | 264,152 | 3 |
| 37 | Orlando, FL | $69,952 | $41,000 | 277,173 | 20 |
| 38 | Virginia Beach, VA | $82,733 | $52,000 | 452,602 | 3 |
| 39 | Sacramento, CA | $109,435 | $64,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 40 | Newark, NJ | $100,278 | $65,000 | 281,764 | - |
| 41 | New York, NY | $91,842 | $60,000 | 8,537,673 | 66 |
| 42 | Scottsdale, AZ | $67,934 | $39,000 | 246,645 | 9 |
| 43 | Riverside, CA | $98,623 | $58,000 | 324,722 | 1 |
| 44 | Greensboro, NC | $84,623 | $52,000 | 287,027 | - |
| 45 | Houston, TX | $76,657 | $45,000 | 2,303,482 | 26 |
| 46 | Fresno, CA | $107,002 | $63,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 47 | Winston-Salem, NC | $83,755 | $51,000 | 242,203 | - |
| 48 | Dallas, TX | $74,050 | $43,000 | 1,317,929 | 21 |
| 49 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $70,680 | $42,000 | 260,999 | 3 |
| 50 | Buffalo, NY | $88,220 | $56,000 | 256,902 | 3 |
Highest paying cities for building engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. building engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $110,830 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $99,335 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $97,679 |
| 4 | Las Vegas, NV | $92,583 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,074 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $91,842 |
| 7 | Bellingham, WA | $86,126 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $83,654 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $82,725 |
| 10 | Rockville, MD | $81,006 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $80,733 |
| 12 | Charlotte, NC | $80,726 |
| 13 | Austin, TX | $77,148 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $75,690 |
| 15 | Beaverton, OR | $74,246 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $72,792 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $71,666 |
| 18 | Orlando, FL | $69,951 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $68,681 |
| 20 | Phoenix, AZ | $68,040 |
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Updated January 8, 2025