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Best states for a civil/structural engineer
Quoted expert
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and architecture and engineering careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to civil/structural engineer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for civil/structural engineers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for civil/structural engineers. We found that California is the best state in the nation for civil/structural engineers, and people in Eureka earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for civil/structural engineers. California is the best state for civil/structural engineers, where the median salary is $95,513.We found that the Midwest is best for civil/structural engineers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for civil/structural engineer jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for civil/structural engineers in 2026
1. California
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 2,167 Average annual salary: $95,513 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
2. Alaska
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 74 Average annual salary: $84,103 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
3. Washington
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 574 Average annual salary: $79,826 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
4. Nevada
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 102 Average annual salary: $79,040 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
5. District of Columbia
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 177 Average annual salary: $86,445 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
6. Oregon
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 353 Average annual salary: $75,930 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
7. Utah
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 196 Average annual salary: $73,970 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
8. Maine
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $74,664 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. Oklahoma
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 118 Average annual salary: $79,278 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
10. Delaware
Total civil/structural engineer jobs: 92 Average annual salary: $75,147 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
Civil/structural engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a civil/structural engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a civil/structural engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,513 | $68,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,167 |
| 2 | Alaska | $84,103 | $68,000 | 739,795 | 74 |
| 3 | Washington | $79,826 | $58,000 | 7,405,743 | 574 |
| 4 | Nevada | $79,040 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 102 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $86,445 | $62,000 | 693,972 | 177 |
| 6 | Oregon | $75,930 | $54,000 | 4,142,776 | 353 |
| 7 | Utah | $73,970 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 196 |
| 8 | Maine | $74,664 | $53,000 | 1,335,907 | 76 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $79,278 | $56,000 | 3,930,864 | 118 |
| 10 | Delaware | $75,147 | $53,000 | 961,939 | 92 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $75,154 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 436 |
| 12 | Idaho | $73,251 | $52,000 | 1,716,943 | 89 |
| 13 | Vermont | $73,541 | $52,000 | 623,657 | 48 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $79,145 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 303 |
| 15 | Texas | $71,749 | $50,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,114 |
| 16 | Virginia | $72,611 | $52,000 | 8,470,020 | 879 |
| 17 | New York | $75,474 | $53,000 | 19,849,399 | 635 |
| 18 | Indiana | $72,241 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 262 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $74,559 | $53,000 | 3,588,184 | 140 |
| 20 | Florida | $70,850 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 788 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $73,978 | $52,000 | 6,859,819 | 423 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $71,743 | $49,000 | 2,984,100 | 69 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $70,598 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 127 |
| 24 | Colorado | $69,163 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 474 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $68,210 | $58,000 | 1,427,538 | 81 |
| 26 | Alabama | $67,023 | $46,000 | 4,874,747 | 219 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $72,128 | $51,000 | 1,059,639 | 43 |
| 28 | Montana | $65,876 | $47,000 | 1,050,493 | 99 |
| 29 | Illinois | $70,144 | $51,000 | 12,802,023 | 530 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $68,591 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 435 |
| 31 | Iowa | $67,494 | $49,000 | 3,145,711 | 138 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $68,638 | $50,000 | 4,454,189 | 112 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $66,414 | $48,000 | 1,815,857 | 56 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $69,850 | $49,000 | 1,342,795 | 62 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $64,103 | $47,000 | 755,393 | 50 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $67,371 | $48,000 | 2,088,070 | 77 |
| 37 | Michigan | $64,350 | $46,000 | 9,962,311 | 376 |
| 38 | Arizona | $63,943 | $46,000 | 7,016,270 | 357 |
| 39 | Georgia | $63,412 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 570 |
| 40 | Maryland | $61,487 | $44,000 | 6,052,177 | 480 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $63,539 | $46,000 | 5,795,483 | 214 |
| 42 | Missouri | $65,042 | $47,000 | 6,113,532 | 204 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $59,277 | $43,000 | 1,920,076 | 116 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $61,349 | $43,000 | 5,024,369 | 200 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $62,463 | $46,000 | 5,576,606 | 276 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $56,538 | $40,000 | 579,315 | 36 |
| 47 | Ohio | $60,613 | $44,000 | 11,658,609 | 386 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $56,856 | $41,000 | 869,666 | 48 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $58,418 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 197 |
| 50 | Kansas | $55,632 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 121 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $55,737 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 82 |
Highest paying states for civil/structural engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Civil/Structural Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,513 |
| 2 | Alaska | $84,103 |
| 3 | Washington | $79,826 |
| 4 | Nevada | $79,040 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $86,445 |
| 6 | Oregon | $75,930 |
| 7 | Utah | $73,970 |
| 8 | Maine | $74,664 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $79,278 |
| 10 | Delaware | $75,147 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $75,154 |
| 12 | Idaho | $73,251 |
| 13 | Vermont | $73,541 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $79,145 |
| 15 | Texas | $71,749 |
| 16 | Virginia | $72,611 |
| 17 | New York | $75,474 |
| 18 | Indiana | $72,241 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $74,559 |
| 20 | Florida | $70,850 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $73,978 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $71,743 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $70,598 |
| 24 | Colorado | $69,163 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $68,210 |
| 26 | Alabama | $67,023 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $72,128 |
| 28 | Montana | $65,876 |
| 29 | Illinois | $70,144 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $68,591 |
| 31 | Iowa | $67,494 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $68,638 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $66,414 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $69,850 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $64,103 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $67,371 |
| 37 | Michigan | $64,350 |
| 38 | Arizona | $63,943 |
| 39 | Georgia | $63,412 |
| 40 | Maryland | $61,487 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $63,539 |
| 42 | Missouri | $65,042 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $59,277 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $61,349 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $62,463 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $56,538 |
| 47 | Ohio | $60,613 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $56,856 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $58,418 |
| 50 | Kansas | $55,632 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $55,737 |
Expert opinions on the best states for civil/structural engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for civil/structural engineers to find work opportunities?
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Texas
In my opinion, career fairs are viewed as the best platform for students to get hired for entry-level jobs. They should also access campus and community resources for employment support. It is highly suggested that students should gain work-based learning experiences during their time at their academic institute. These experiences not only help them to develop their work-readiness skills but also provide significant networking opportunities. My message would be: "Don't wait until you graduate."
Civil/structural engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025