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Best states for a consulting engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
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Consulting engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for consulting engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for consulting engineers.In fact, our research shows that Washington is the best state for consulting engineers in America. The best city in America for consulting engineers with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
The median salary for consulting engineers in Washington is $113,291. Compare that to the median salary in South Dakota of $70,278, which ranked worst for consulting engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Washington is the best state for consulting engineer jobs, whereas South Dakota is the worst.
10 best states for consulting engineers in 2026
1. Washington
Total consulting engineer jobs: 1,986 Average annual salary: $113,291 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
2. Massachusetts
Total consulting engineer jobs: 2,468 Average annual salary: $106,417 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. California
Total consulting engineer jobs: 10,116 Average annual salary: $113,083 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
4. Delaware
Total consulting engineer jobs: 258 Average annual salary: $103,320 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
5. Rhode Island
Total consulting engineer jobs: 224 Average annual salary: $100,206 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. Idaho
Total consulting engineer jobs: 278 Average annual salary: $101,989 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
7. New Mexico
Total consulting engineer jobs: 337 Average annual salary: $100,690 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
8. Arizona
Total consulting engineer jobs: 1,370 Average annual salary: $97,782 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
9. New Hampshire
Total consulting engineer jobs: 376 Average annual salary: $97,266 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. Maryland
Total consulting engineer jobs: 1,690 Average annual salary: $100,473 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
Consulting engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a consulting engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a consulting engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $113,291 | $83,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,986 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $106,417 | $79,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,468 |
| 3 | California | $113,083 | $81,000 | 39,536,653 | 10,116 |
| 4 | Delaware | $103,320 | $77,000 | 961,939 | 258 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $100,206 | $75,000 | 1,059,639 | 224 |
| 6 | Idaho | $101,989 | $74,000 | 1,716,943 | 278 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $100,690 | $74,000 | 2,088,070 | 337 |
| 8 | Arizona | $97,782 | $72,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,370 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $97,266 | $73,000 | 1,342,795 | 376 |
| 10 | Maryland | $100,473 | $75,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,690 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $101,193 | $75,000 | 693,972 | 637 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $101,036 | $76,000 | 1,815,857 | 170 |
| 13 | Oregon | $97,384 | $71,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,087 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $101,020 | $75,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,266 |
| 15 | Virginia | $96,473 | $72,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,663 |
| 16 | Colorado | $96,001 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,608 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $96,205 | $71,000 | 3,588,184 | 636 |
| 18 | Texas | $93,708 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,464 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $91,263 | $68,000 | 579,315 | 95 |
| 20 | Alaska | $99,613 | $84,000 | 739,795 | 111 |
| 21 | Ohio | $91,197 | $68,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,480 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $95,093 | $75,000 | 1,427,538 | 160 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $91,365 | $71,000 | 755,393 | 122 |
| 24 | Michigan | $86,855 | $65,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,679 |
| 25 | Utah | $87,988 | $64,000 | 3,101,833 | 727 |
| 26 | New York | $95,074 | $70,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,302 |
| 27 | Missouri | $92,378 | $70,000 | 6,113,532 | 792 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $94,249 | $69,000 | 4,684,333 | 294 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $91,041 | $68,000 | 6,715,984 | 551 |
| 30 | Nevada | $89,805 | $65,000 | 2,998,039 | 318 |
| 31 | Indiana | $87,973 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 986 |
| 32 | Maine | $91,580 | $69,000 | 1,335,907 | 145 |
| 33 | Georgia | $89,219 | $67,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,500 |
| 34 | Illinois | $88,581 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,920 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $85,723 | $64,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,749 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $87,278 | $65,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,559 |
| 37 | Alabama | $83,997 | $63,000 | 4,874,747 | 791 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $85,526 | $65,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,269 |
| 39 | Montana | $86,600 | $64,000 | 1,050,493 | 169 |
| 40 | Vermont | $83,820 | $63,000 | 623,657 | 140 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $86,005 | $64,000 | 5,024,369 | 526 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $80,876 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 330 |
| 43 | Kansas | $80,933 | $61,000 | 2,913,123 | 423 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $79,100 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 849 |
| 45 | Florida | $77,827 | $57,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,325 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $77,374 | $58,000 | 3,004,279 | 309 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $79,377 | $59,000 | 3,930,864 | 273 |
| 48 | Iowa | $75,039 | $57,000 | 3,145,711 | 511 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $75,533 | $57,000 | 4,454,189 | 409 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $72,554 | $54,000 | 2,984,100 | 173 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $70,278 | $53,000 | 869,666 | 90 |
Highest paying states for consulting engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Consulting Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $113,291 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $106,417 |
| 3 | California | $113,083 |
| 4 | Delaware | $103,320 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $100,206 |
| 6 | Idaho | $101,989 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $100,690 |
| 8 | Arizona | $97,782 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $97,266 |
| 10 | Maryland | $100,473 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $101,193 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $101,036 |
| 13 | Oregon | $97,384 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $101,020 |
| 15 | Virginia | $96,473 |
| 16 | Colorado | $96,001 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $96,205 |
| 18 | Texas | $93,708 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $91,263 |
| 20 | Alaska | $99,613 |
| 21 | Ohio | $91,197 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $95,093 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $91,365 |
| 24 | Michigan | $86,855 |
| 25 | Utah | $87,988 |
| 26 | New York | $95,074 |
| 27 | Missouri | $92,378 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $94,249 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $91,041 |
| 30 | Nevada | $89,805 |
| 31 | Indiana | $87,973 |
| 32 | Maine | $91,580 |
| 33 | Georgia | $89,219 |
| 34 | Illinois | $88,581 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $85,723 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $87,278 |
| 37 | Alabama | $83,997 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $85,526 |
| 39 | Montana | $86,600 |
| 40 | Vermont | $83,820 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $86,005 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $80,876 |
| 43 | Kansas | $80,933 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $79,100 |
| 45 | Florida | $77,827 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $77,374 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $79,377 |
| 48 | Iowa | $75,039 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $75,533 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $72,554 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $70,278 |
Expert opinions on the best states for consulting engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for consulting 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