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Best states for a communications engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for communications 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 communications engineer jobs.In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for communications engineers in America. The best city in America for communications engineers with the highest pay is Palo Alto, CA.
California is the best state for jobs for communications engineers, and Kentucky is the worst. The most common pay in California is $115,258, while the median pay in Kentucky is $64,025.We found that the Midwest is best for communications engineers, and the Northeast is the worst. Palo Alto, CA is the best city in the country for communications engineer jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for communications engineers in 2026
1. California
Total communications engineer jobs: 5,290 Average annual salary: $115,258 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
2. Virginia
Total communications engineer jobs: 2,557 Average annual salary: $97,533 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 2.21
3. Rhode Island
Total communications engineer jobs: 137 Average annual salary: $108,484 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
4. Maryland
Total communications engineer jobs: 1,569 Average annual salary: $100,148 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 2.02
5. Massachusetts
Total communications engineer jobs: 1,268 Average annual salary: $101,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
6. District of Columbia
Total communications engineer jobs: 693 Average annual salary: $103,481 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 3.37
7. Colorado
Total communications engineer jobs: 1,074 Average annual salary: $92,634 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
8. Arizona
Total communications engineer jobs: 696 Average annual salary: $91,087 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
9. Texas
Total communications engineer jobs: 2,263 Average annual salary: $90,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
10. Michigan
Total communications engineer jobs: 865 Average annual salary: $89,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
Communications engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a communications engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a communications engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $115,258 | $82,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,290 |
| 2 | Virginia | $97,533 | $71,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,557 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $108,484 | $79,000 | 1,059,639 | 137 |
| 4 | Maryland | $100,148 | $73,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,569 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $101,410 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,268 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $103,481 | $76,000 | 693,972 | 693 |
| 7 | Colorado | $92,634 | $69,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,074 |
| 8 | Arizona | $91,087 | $67,000 | 7,016,270 | 696 |
| 9 | Texas | $90,359 | $67,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,263 |
| 10 | Michigan | $89,379 | $66,000 | 9,962,311 | 865 |
| 11 | Delaware | $87,142 | $64,000 | 961,939 | 222 |
| 12 | Alabama | $83,650 | $62,000 | 4,874,747 | 517 |
| 13 | Washington | $87,512 | $65,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,248 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $87,167 | $64,000 | 10,273,419 | 961 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $93,127 | $68,000 | 9,005,644 | 737 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $81,328 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 119 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $83,162 | $61,000 | 2,088,070 | 205 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $88,732 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 333 |
| 19 | Maine | $82,584 | $61,000 | 1,335,907 | 146 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $81,671 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 210 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $82,890 | $60,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,017 |
| 22 | Vermont | $80,870 | $59,000 | 623,657 | 119 |
| 23 | Alaska | $82,972 | $69,000 | 739,795 | 122 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $84,099 | $68,000 | 1,427,538 | 150 |
| 25 | Idaho | $79,865 | $59,000 | 1,716,943 | 170 |
| 26 | Oregon | $79,270 | $58,000 | 4,142,776 | 634 |
| 27 | Indiana | $79,594 | $59,000 | 6,666,818 | 535 |
| 28 | Georgia | $80,095 | $59,000 | 10,429,379 | 988 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $80,408 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 673 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $80,720 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 210 |
| 31 | Nevada | $77,603 | $55,000 | 2,998,039 | 217 |
| 32 | New York | $78,866 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,797 |
| 33 | Utah | $76,105 | $55,000 | 3,101,833 | 447 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $73,732 | $55,000 | 579,315 | 95 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $77,931 | $58,000 | 6,715,984 | 363 |
| 36 | Illinois | $77,056 | $57,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,141 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $74,431 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 156 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $73,502 | $55,000 | 3,004,279 | 190 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $75,647 | $55,000 | 4,684,333 | 241 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $66,315 | $50,000 | 1,920,076 | 232 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $73,470 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 313 |
| 42 | Missouri | $73,086 | $54,000 | 6,113,532 | 442 |
| 43 | Ohio | $69,827 | $51,000 | 11,658,609 | 795 |
| 44 | Florida | $70,452 | $51,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,394 |
| 45 | Iowa | $71,040 | $53,000 | 3,145,711 | 245 |
| 46 | Kansas | $69,697 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 219 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $63,765 | $46,000 | 1,815,857 | 128 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $58,145 | $44,000 | 869,666 | 110 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $63,816 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 446 |
| 50 | Montana | $56,738 | $42,000 | 1,050,493 | 108 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $64,025 | $47,000 | 4,454,189 | 231 |
Highest paying states for communications engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Communications Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $115,258 |
| 2 | Virginia | $97,533 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $108,484 |
| 4 | Maryland | $100,148 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $101,410 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $103,481 |
| 7 | Colorado | $92,634 |
| 8 | Arizona | $91,087 |
| 9 | Texas | $90,359 |
| 10 | Michigan | $89,379 |
| 11 | Delaware | $87,142 |
| 12 | Alabama | $83,650 |
| 13 | Washington | $87,512 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $87,167 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $93,127 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $81,328 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $83,162 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $88,732 |
| 19 | Maine | $82,584 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $81,671 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $82,890 |
| 22 | Vermont | $80,870 |
| 23 | Alaska | $82,972 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $84,099 |
| 25 | Idaho | $79,865 |
| 26 | Oregon | $79,270 |
| 27 | Indiana | $79,594 |
| 28 | Georgia | $80,095 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $80,408 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $80,720 |
| 31 | Nevada | $77,603 |
| 32 | New York | $78,866 |
| 33 | Utah | $76,105 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $73,732 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $77,931 |
| 36 | Illinois | $77,056 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $74,431 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $73,502 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $75,647 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $66,315 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $73,470 |
| 42 | Missouri | $73,086 |
| 43 | Ohio | $69,827 |
| 44 | Florida | $70,452 |
| 45 | Iowa | $71,040 |
| 46 | Kansas | $69,697 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $63,765 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $58,145 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $63,816 |
| 50 | Montana | $56,738 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $64,025 |
Expert opinions on the best states for communications engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for communications engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
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Updated January 8, 2025