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Best states for a contracting engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to contracting 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. Our research shows that Washington is the best state in the country for contracting engineers.
Washington is the best state for jobs for contracting engineers, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in Washington is $136,823, while the median pay in Mississippi is $84,054.Washington is the best state, and Queensbury is the city with the highest pay for contracting engineers.
10 best states for contracting engineers in 2025
1. Washington
Total contracting engineer jobs: 2,011 Average annual salary: $136,823 Lowest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.452. New Hampshire
Total contracting engineer jobs: 327 Average annual salary: $131,078 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.983. California
Total contracting engineer jobs: 9,932 Average annual salary: $134,827 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.784. New York
Total contracting engineer jobs: 2,233 Average annual salary: $141,066 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 0.915. District of Columbia
Total contracting engineer jobs: 585 Average annual salary: $132,334 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.836. Massachusetts
Total contracting engineer jobs: 2,355 Average annual salary: $126,654 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.357. Utah
Total contracting engineer jobs: 793 Average annual salary: $116,876 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.38. Rhode Island
Total contracting engineer jobs: 218 Average annual salary: $119,589 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.949. Idaho
Total contracting engineer jobs: 234 Average annual salary: $122,450 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 0.7510. Vermont
Total contracting engineer jobs: 129 Average annual salary: $119,358 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
Contracting engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a contracting engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a contracting engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $136,823 | $99,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,011 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $131,078 | $93,000 | 1,342,795 | 327 |
| 3 | California | $134,827 | $95,000 | 39,536,653 | 9,932 |
| 4 | New York | $141,066 | $100,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,233 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $132,334 | $94,000 | 693,972 | 585 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $126,654 | $90,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,355 |
| 7 | Utah | $116,876 | $83,000 | 3,101,833 | 793 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $119,589 | $85,000 | 1,059,639 | 218 |
| 9 | Idaho | $122,450 | $87,000 | 1,716,943 | 234 |
| 10 | Vermont | $119,358 | $85,000 | 623,657 | 129 |
| 11 | Oregon | $114,164 | $82,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,127 |
| 12 | Arizona | $113,626 | $79,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,325 |
| 13 | Maine | $127,857 | $91,000 | 1,335,907 | 134 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $114,239 | $81,000 | 2,088,070 | 343 |
| 15 | Maryland | $115,160 | $81,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,672 |
| 16 | Alaska | $126,802 | $99,000 | 739,795 | 103 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $121,233 | $87,000 | 1,815,857 | 137 |
| 18 | Virginia | $111,635 | $79,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,799 |
| 19 | Alabama | $108,620 | $78,000 | 4,874,747 | 797 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $114,068 | $81,000 | 3,588,184 | 583 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $108,572 | $77,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,676 |
| 22 | Colorado | $104,480 | $75,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,566 |
| 23 | Texas | $101,448 | $72,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,760 |
| 24 | Michigan | $97,910 | $71,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,535 |
| 25 | Delaware | $102,845 | $73,000 | 961,939 | 228 |
| 26 | Nevada | $108,561 | $76,000 | 2,998,039 | 276 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $110,416 | $78,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,137 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $110,970 | $79,000 | 4,684,333 | 228 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $98,284 | $72,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,204 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $103,441 | $75,000 | 3,930,864 | 251 |
| 31 | Montana | $101,394 | $73,000 | 1,050,493 | 147 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $94,053 | $67,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,565 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $93,058 | $67,000 | 579,315 | 89 |
| 34 | Illinois | $97,210 | $71,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,753 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $101,827 | $74,000 | 1,427,538 | 126 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $95,235 | $69,000 | 6,715,984 | 556 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $94,158 | $70,000 | 755,393 | 121 |
| 38 | Ohio | $86,387 | $62,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,540 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $91,345 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 363 |
| 40 | Iowa | $90,123 | $66,000 | 3,145,711 | 483 |
| 41 | Georgia | $90,055 | $64,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,439 |
| 42 | Indiana | $87,352 | $63,000 | 6,666,818 | 898 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $85,615 | $62,000 | 5,795,483 | 859 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $88,784 | $63,000 | 5,024,369 | 582 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $87,012 | $63,000 | 1,920,076 | 298 |
| 46 | Florida | $88,599 | $61,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,220 |
| 47 | Kansas | $84,281 | $61,000 | 2,913,123 | 400 |
| 48 | Missouri | $86,020 | $62,000 | 6,113,532 | 742 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $83,291 | $61,000 | 869,666 | 86 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $82,021 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 250 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $84,054 | $60,000 | 2,984,100 | 163 |
Highest paying states for contracting engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Contracting Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $136,823 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $131,078 |
| 3 | California | $134,827 |
| 4 | New York | $141,066 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $132,334 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $126,654 |
| 7 | Utah | $116,876 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $119,589 |
| 9 | Idaho | $122,450 |
| 10 | Vermont | $119,358 |
| 11 | Oregon | $114,164 |
| 12 | Arizona | $113,626 |
| 13 | Maine | $127,857 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $114,239 |
| 15 | Maryland | $115,160 |
| 16 | Alaska | $126,802 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $121,233 |
| 18 | Virginia | $111,635 |
| 19 | Alabama | $108,620 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $114,068 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $108,572 |
| 22 | Colorado | $104,480 |
| 23 | Texas | $101,448 |
| 24 | Michigan | $97,910 |
| 25 | Delaware | $102,845 |
| 26 | Nevada | $108,561 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $110,416 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $110,970 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $98,284 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $103,441 |
| 31 | Montana | $101,394 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $94,053 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $93,058 |
| 34 | Illinois | $97,210 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $101,827 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $95,235 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $94,158 |
| 38 | Ohio | $86,387 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $91,345 |
| 40 | Iowa | $90,123 |
| 41 | Georgia | $90,055 |
| 42 | Indiana | $87,352 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $85,615 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $88,784 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $87,012 |
| 46 | Florida | $88,599 |
| 47 | Kansas | $84,281 |
| 48 | Missouri | $86,020 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $83,291 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $82,021 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $84,054 |
Expert opinions on the best states for contracting engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for contracting 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