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Best states for a chief engineer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to chief engineer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for chief engineer jobs.
We figured that the best places for chief 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.California is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for chief engineers.
10 best states for chief engineers in 2026
1. California
Total chief engineer jobs: 8,094 Average annual salary: $148,092 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $229,000 Location Quotient: 1.8
2. Arizona
Total chief engineer jobs: 1,067 Average annual salary: $134,296 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $214,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
3. Texas
Total chief engineer jobs: 2,806 Average annual salary: $134,990 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $218,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
4. District of Columbia
Total chief engineer jobs: 566 Average annual salary: $125,785 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 2.19
5. Massachusetts
Total chief engineer jobs: 1,893 Average annual salary: $120,247 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
6. Virginia
Total chief engineer jobs: 1,986 Average annual salary: $120,617 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
7. Nevada
Total chief engineer jobs: 276 Average annual salary: $126,496 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
8. Maryland
Total chief engineer jobs: 1,239 Average annual salary: $123,286 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
9. New Mexico
Total chief engineer jobs: 263 Average annual salary: $116,387 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
10. Alabama
Total chief engineer jobs: 545 Average annual salary: $123,326 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
Chief engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $148,092 | $95,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,094 |
| 2 | Arizona | $134,296 | $84,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,067 |
| 3 | Texas | $134,990 | $83,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,806 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $125,785 | $80,000 | 693,972 | 566 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $120,247 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,893 |
| 6 | Virginia | $120,617 | $76,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,986 |
| 7 | Nevada | $126,496 | $78,000 | 2,998,039 | 276 |
| 8 | Maryland | $123,286 | $79,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,239 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $116,387 | $70,000 | 2,088,070 | 263 |
| 10 | Alabama | $123,326 | $75,000 | 4,874,747 | 545 |
| 11 | Utah | $109,608 | $68,000 | 3,101,833 | 505 |
| 12 | Michigan | $109,597 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,191 |
| 13 | Colorado | $107,151 | $66,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,165 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $107,361 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 523 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $110,166 | $70,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,262 |
| 16 | Delaware | $103,008 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 244 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $101,872 | $65,000 | 1,059,639 | 180 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $107,082 | $64,000 | 6,715,984 | 402 |
| 19 | Oregon | $100,250 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 923 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $106,532 | $67,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,051 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $103,661 | $64,000 | 1,815,857 | 131 |
| 22 | Indiana | $101,971 | $63,000 | 6,666,818 | 696 |
| 23 | Illinois | $101,511 | $64,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,558 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $100,838 | $64,000 | 5,795,483 | 608 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $103,540 | $60,000 | 4,684,333 | 245 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $100,741 | $61,000 | 4,454,189 | 271 |
| 27 | Alaska | $101,283 | $68,000 | 739,795 | 93 |
| 28 | New York | $95,946 | $61,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,266 |
| 29 | Washington | $91,803 | $57,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,680 |
| 30 | Georgia | $95,737 | $56,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,226 |
| 31 | Ohio | $92,860 | $58,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,112 |
| 32 | Kansas | $94,164 | $57,000 | 2,913,123 | 304 |
| 33 | Florida | $93,815 | $53,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,853 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $88,946 | $57,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,011 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $94,936 | $56,000 | 3,930,864 | 208 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $99,112 | $63,000 | 1,427,538 | 107 |
| 37 | Iowa | $93,037 | $58,000 | 3,145,711 | 344 |
| 38 | Missouri | $94,419 | $57,000 | 6,113,532 | 568 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $93,314 | $54,000 | 2,984,100 | 124 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $86,377 | $55,000 | 1,342,795 | 256 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $87,032 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,365 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $85,213 | $53,000 | 579,315 | 82 |
| 43 | Maine | $92,125 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 124 |
| 44 | Vermont | $85,515 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 113 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $89,832 | $53,000 | 5,024,369 | 399 |
| 46 | Montana | $85,781 | $55,000 | 1,050,493 | 149 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $85,702 | $53,000 | 1,920,076 | 249 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $84,627 | $55,000 | 755,393 | 92 |
| 49 | Idaho | $82,563 | $51,000 | 1,716,943 | 214 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $79,744 | $46,000 | 3,004,279 | 220 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $73,495 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 74 |
Highest paying states for chief engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $148,092 |
| 2 | Arizona | $134,296 |
| 3 | Texas | $134,990 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $125,785 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $120,247 |
| 6 | Virginia | $120,617 |
| 7 | Nevada | $126,496 |
| 8 | Maryland | $123,286 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $116,387 |
| 10 | Alabama | $123,326 |
| 11 | Utah | $109,608 |
| 12 | Michigan | $109,597 |
| 13 | Colorado | $107,151 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $107,361 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $110,166 |
| 16 | Delaware | $103,008 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $101,872 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $107,082 |
| 19 | Oregon | $100,250 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $106,532 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $103,661 |
| 22 | Indiana | $101,971 |
| 23 | Illinois | $101,511 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $100,838 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $103,540 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $100,741 |
| 27 | Alaska | $101,283 |
| 28 | New York | $95,946 |
| 29 | Washington | $91,803 |
| 30 | Georgia | $95,737 |
| 31 | Ohio | $92,860 |
| 32 | Kansas | $94,164 |
| 33 | Florida | $93,815 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $88,946 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $94,936 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $99,112 |
| 37 | Iowa | $93,037 |
| 38 | Missouri | $94,419 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $93,314 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $86,377 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $87,032 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $85,213 |
| 43 | Maine | $92,125 |
| 44 | Vermont | $85,515 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $89,832 |
| 46 | Montana | $85,781 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $85,702 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $84,627 |
| 49 | Idaho | $82,563 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $79,744 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $73,495 |
Chief engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025