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Best states for a building engineer
Quoted expert
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for building engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for building engineer jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Although there are abundant building engineer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. California is the best state in the country for building engineer jobs.
We figured that the best places for building engineer jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that California is the best state for building engineer jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for building engineers in 2025
1. California
Total building engineer jobs: 2,290 Average annual salary: $102,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
2. District of Columbia
Total building engineer jobs: 235 Average annual salary: $99,346 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 2.46
3. Delaware
Total building engineer jobs: 89 Average annual salary: $92,701 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
4. Massachusetts
Total building engineer jobs: 498 Average annual salary: $97,823 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
5. Nevada
Total building engineer jobs: 117 Average annual salary: $93,096 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
6. New Jersey
Total building engineer jobs: 355 Average annual salary: $100,264 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
7. Pennsylvania
Total building engineer jobs: 509 Average annual salary: $91,500 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
8. Washington
Total building engineer jobs: 597 Average annual salary: $84,899 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
9. New York
Total building engineer jobs: 681 Average annual salary: $91,539 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
10. North Carolina
Total building engineer jobs: 533 Average annual salary: $83,537 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Building engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a building engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a building engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $102,093 | $61,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,290 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $99,346 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 235 |
| 3 | Delaware | $92,701 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 89 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $97,823 | $64,000 | 6,859,819 | 498 |
| 5 | Nevada | $93,096 | $54,000 | 2,998,039 | 117 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $100,264 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 355 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $91,500 | $59,000 | 12,805,537 | 509 |
| 8 | Washington | $84,899 | $51,000 | 7,405,743 | 597 |
| 9 | New York | $91,539 | $60,000 | 19,849,399 | 681 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $83,537 | $51,000 | 10,273,419 | 533 |
| 11 | Virginia | $82,463 | $52,000 | 8,470,020 | 904 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $89,764 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 153 |
| 13 | Ohio | $82,785 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 455 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $88,801 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 47 |
| 15 | Texas | $75,585 | $45,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,408 |
| 16 | Maryland | $81,099 | $52,000 | 6,052,177 | 556 |
| 17 | Vermont | $83,345 | $55,000 | 623,657 | 31 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $83,533 | $55,000 | 1,342,795 | 58 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $78,681 | $49,000 | 5,795,483 | 230 |
| 20 | Illinois | $79,905 | $49,000 | 12,802,023 | 547 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $74,832 | $45,000 | 579,315 | 29 |
| 22 | Oregon | $74,529 | $45,000 | 4,142,776 | 289 |
| 23 | Michigan | $75,184 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 400 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $76,806 | $48,000 | 1,815,857 | 49 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $72,813 | $45,000 | 5,576,606 | 350 |
| 26 | Georgia | $71,973 | $43,000 | 10,429,379 | 523 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $76,081 | $48,000 | 755,393 | 26 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $72,540 | $44,000 | 5,024,369 | 189 |
| 29 | Indiana | $69,107 | $42,000 | 6,666,818 | 352 |
| 30 | Arizona | $67,967 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 387 |
| 31 | Florida | $69,340 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 906 |
| 32 | Alaska | $68,541 | $50,000 | 739,795 | 54 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $71,542 | $43,000 | 4,454,189 | 106 |
| 34 | Alabama | $69,339 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 169 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $62,773 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 49 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $67,482 | $40,000 | 6,715,984 | 226 |
| 37 | Kansas | $69,513 | $41,000 | 2,913,123 | 87 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $67,252 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 141 |
| 39 | Idaho | $68,360 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 47 |
| 40 | Colorado | $56,700 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 532 |
| 41 | Iowa | $62,696 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 184 |
| 42 | Utah | $59,006 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 190 |
| 43 | Missouri | $65,684 | $39,000 | 6,113,532 | 195 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $65,258 | $40,000 | 869,666 | 15 |
| 45 | Maine | $66,460 | $44,000 | 1,335,907 | 23 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $56,331 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 108 |
| 47 | Montana | $65,249 | $39,000 | 1,050,493 | 34 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $64,466 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 57 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $60,370 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 75 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $53,007 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 112 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $49,038 | $29,000 | 3,004,279 | 86 |
Highest paying states for building engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Building Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $102,093 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $99,346 |
| 3 | Delaware | $92,701 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $97,823 |
| 5 | Nevada | $93,096 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $100,264 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $91,500 |
| 8 | Washington | $84,899 |
| 9 | New York | $91,539 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $83,537 |
| 11 | Virginia | $82,463 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $89,764 |
| 13 | Ohio | $82,785 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $88,801 |
| 15 | Texas | $75,585 |
| 16 | Maryland | $81,099 |
| 17 | Vermont | $83,345 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $83,533 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $78,681 |
| 20 | Illinois | $79,905 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $74,832 |
| 22 | Oregon | $74,529 |
| 23 | Michigan | $75,184 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $76,806 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $72,813 |
| 26 | Georgia | $71,973 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $76,081 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $72,540 |
| 29 | Indiana | $69,107 |
| 30 | Arizona | $67,967 |
| 31 | Florida | $69,340 |
| 32 | Alaska | $68,541 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $71,542 |
| 34 | Alabama | $69,339 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $62,773 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $67,482 |
| 37 | Kansas | $69,513 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $67,252 |
| 39 | Idaho | $68,360 |
| 40 | Colorado | $56,700 |
| 41 | Iowa | $62,696 |
| 42 | Utah | $59,006 |
| 43 | Missouri | $65,684 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $65,258 |
| 45 | Maine | $66,460 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $56,331 |
| 47 | Montana | $65,249 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $64,466 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $60,370 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $53,007 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $49,038 |
Expert opinions on the best states for building engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for building engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti
Associate Professor, University of Baltimore
Cities that are typically associated with technology will probably remain hubs of innovation, especially if they have local administrations that are favorable towards entrepreneurship. However, the recent need for companies to leverage the ability to work remotely has opened up the possibilities of workers who may not otherwise be willing to relocate. This trend is probably here to stay for a while, so the ability of graduates to work with virtual collaborators will bring tech jobs to parts of the country that are not typically known for innovation. Even though there probably will not be clusters that will identify new equivalents of Silicon Valley out of nowhere, the fact that the reach of potential employees has extended beyond their geographical immediacy will create major opportunities for any location.
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Updated January 8, 2025