Best cities for a consulting engineer
The best cities for consulting engineers are Nashville, TN, Oakland, CA, and Columbus, OH, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for consulting engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for consulting engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a consulting engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for consulting engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for consulting engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a consulting engineer. While the absolute best city for consulting engineers is Nashville, TN, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for consulting engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a consulting engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for consulting engineers in 2026
1. Nashville, TN
Total consulting engineer jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $91,190 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location quotient: 3.37 2. Oakland, CA
Total consulting engineer jobs: 10 Average annual salary: $121,257 Lowest 10 percent warn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location quotient: 3.70 3. Columbus, OH
Total consulting engineer jobs: 44 Average annual salary: $90,880 Lowest 10 percent warn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location quotient: 3.49 4. San Jose, CA
Total consulting engineer jobs: 67 Average annual salary: $120,606 Lowest 10 percent warn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location quotient: 3.34 5. El Paso, TX
Total consulting engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $96,251 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location quotient: 1.86 6. Houston, TX
Total consulting engineer jobs: 132 Average annual salary: $93,784 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location quotient: 4.16 7. Scottsdale, AZ
Total consulting engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $97,911 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location quotient: 1.70 8. Sacramento, CA
Total consulting engineer jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $120,239 Lowest 10 percent warn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location quotient: 1.86 9. Cleveland, OH
Total consulting engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $92,337 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location quotient: 1.11 10. Seattle, WA
Total consulting engineer jobs: 33 Average annual salary: $114,002 Lowest 10 percent warn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location quotient: 1.38
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Best cities for consulting engineers
- Nashville, TN
- Oakland, CA
- Columbus, OH
- San Jose, CA
- El Paso, TX
- Houston, TX
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Sacramento, CA
- Cleveland, OH
- Seattle, WA
- (25 consulting engineer jobs)
- (10 consulting engineer jobs)
- (44 consulting engineer jobs)
- (67 consulting engineer jobs)
- (3 consulting engineer jobs)
- (132 consulting engineer jobs)
- (5 consulting engineer jobs)
- (11 consulting engineer jobs)
- (5 consulting engineer jobs)
- (33 consulting engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a consulting engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville, TN | $91,190 | $69,000 | 660,388 | 25 |
| 2 | Oakland, CA | $121,257 | $87,000 | 420,005 | 10 |
| 3 | Columbus, OH | $90,880 | $68,000 | 860,090 | 44 |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | $120,606 | $86,000 | 1,025,350 | 67 |
| 5 | El Paso, TX | $96,251 | $71,000 | 683,080 | 3 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | $93,784 | $69,000 | 2,303,482 | 132 |
| 7 | Scottsdale, AZ | $97,911 | $71,000 | 246,645 | 5 |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | $120,239 | $86,000 | 495,234 | 11 |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $92,337 | $69,000 | 385,809 | 5 |
| 10 | Seattle, WA | $114,002 | $83,000 | 704,352 | 33 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $94,341 | $69,000 | 947,890 | 36 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $97,981 | $71,000 | 1,615,017 | 22 |
| 13 | Boston, MA | $106,599 | $79,000 | 673,184 | 28 |
| 14 | Bakersfield, CA | $114,615 | $82,000 | 376,380 | 10 |
| 15 | San Francisco, CA | $121,525 | $87,000 | 870,887 | 27 |
| 16 | Irving, TX | $93,023 | $68,000 | 238,289 | 22 |
| 17 | Albuquerque, NM | $100,773 | $74,000 | 559,277 | 3 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $94,383 | $69,000 | 1,492,510 | 10 |
| 19 | Chandler, AZ | $97,765 | $71,000 | 247,477 | 2 |
| 20 | Fremont, CA | $120,834 | $86,000 | 233,136 | 4 |
| 21 | Raleigh, NC | $86,316 | $64,000 | 458,880 | 43 |
| 22 | Toledo, OH | $91,495 | $69,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 23 | Indianapolis, IN | $87,885 | $66,000 | 855,164 | 21 |
| 24 | Glendale, AZ | $98,014 | $71,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 25 | Dallas, TX | $93,032 | $68,000 | 1,317,929 | 20 |
| 26 | Memphis, TN | $90,617 | $68,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 27 | Mesa, AZ | $97,742 | $71,000 | 484,587 | - |
| 28 | Gilbert, AZ | $97,724 | $71,000 | 237,133 | - |
| 29 | Riverside, CA | $108,984 | $79,000 | 324,722 | 3 |
| 30 | Stockton, CA | $120,181 | $86,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 31 | Los Angeles, CA | $110,502 | $80,000 | 3,976,322 | 35 |
| 32 | Tucson, AZ | $97,017 | $71,000 | 530,706 | - |
| 33 | Cincinnati, OH | $89,915 | $67,000 | 298,800 | - |
| 34 | New Orleans, LA | $94,139 | $69,000 | 391,495 | - |
| 35 | Lubbock, TX | $94,429 | $69,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 36 | Atlanta, GA | $89,357 | $67,000 | 472,522 | 46 |
| 37 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,953 | $65,000 | 1,567,872 | 15 |
| 38 | Portland, OR | $97,103 | $71,000 | 639,863 | 8 |
| 39 | Laredo, TX | $93,656 | $69,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 40 | Reno, NV | $94,638 | $67,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 41 | Saint Louis, MO | $92,712 | $70,000 | 311,404 | 8 |
| 42 | Irvine, CA | $108,950 | $79,000 | 266,122 | 10 |
| 43 | Fort Worth, TX | $93,247 | $69,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 44 | Fresno, CA | $117,706 | $84,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 45 | Arlington, TX | $93,197 | $69,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 46 | San Diego, CA | $107,169 | $78,000 | 1,406,630 | 28 |
| 47 | Plano, TX | $92,738 | $68,000 | 286,057 | 6 |
| 48 | Lincoln, NE | $80,759 | $61,000 | 280,364 | 10 |
| 49 | Corpus Christi, TX | $93,475 | $68,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 50 | Saint Paul, MN | $85,588 | $65,000 | 302,398 | 14 |
Highest paying cities for consulting engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. consulting engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $121,525 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $114,002 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $106,599 |
| 4 | Wilmington, DE | $103,606 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $101,256 |
| 6 | Rockville, MD | $100,104 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $97,981 |
| 8 | Hartford, CT | $96,495 |
| 9 | Albany, NY | $96,115 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $95,967 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $94,341 |
| 12 | OFallon, MO | $92,663 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $90,880 |
| 14 | Alpharetta, GA | $89,534 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $88,744 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,953 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $87,885 |
| 18 | American Fork, UT | $87,706 |
| 19 | Troy, MI | $87,089 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $86,316 |
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Updated January 8, 2025