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Best states for a design/applications engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for design/applications engineers in the United States. Design/applications engineer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for design/applications engineers.Our research shows that Washington is the best state in the country for design/applications engineers.
In order to get you the best states for design/applications engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Washington is the best state for design/applications engineer jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for design/applications engineers in 2026
1. Washington
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 2,143 Average annual salary: $104,911 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
2. Connecticut
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 621 Average annual salary: $101,776 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
3. California
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 10,928 Average annual salary: $98,594 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 2.03
4. Oregon
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 1,188 Average annual salary: $91,608 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
5. Arizona
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 1,384 Average annual salary: $90,172 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
6. Alaska
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 143 Average annual salary: $93,367 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
7. Massachusetts
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 1,946 Average annual salary: $90,899 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
8. New York
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 2,263 Average annual salary: $95,627 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
9. Delaware
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 258 Average annual salary: $89,165 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
10. New Mexico
Total design/applications engineer jobs: 232 Average annual salary: $95,152 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
Design/applications engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a design/applications engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a design/applications engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $104,911 | $70,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,143 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $101,776 | $73,000 | 3,588,184 | 621 |
| 3 | California | $98,594 | $66,000 | 39,536,653 | 10,928 |
| 4 | Oregon | $91,608 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,188 |
| 5 | Arizona | $90,172 | $63,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,384 |
| 6 | Alaska | $93,367 | $69,000 | 739,795 | 143 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $90,899 | $65,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,946 |
| 8 | New York | $95,627 | $69,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,263 |
| 9 | Delaware | $89,165 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 258 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $95,152 | $68,000 | 2,088,070 | 232 |
| 11 | Idaho | $88,529 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 253 |
| 12 | Nevada | $89,876 | $60,000 | 2,998,039 | 280 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $84,134 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 298 |
| 14 | Virginia | $81,811 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,380 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $85,950 | $63,000 | 693,972 | 509 |
| 16 | Texas | $81,210 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,596 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $81,547 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 214 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $84,848 | $61,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,129 |
| 19 | Illinois | $82,613 | $61,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,714 |
| 20 | Colorado | $80,592 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,360 |
| 21 | Maine | $82,796 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 162 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $82,538 | $60,000 | 4,684,333 | 255 |
| 23 | Vermont | $75,451 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 158 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $78,532 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,580 |
| 25 | Maryland | $79,200 | $58,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,307 |
| 26 | Michigan | $71,878 | $53,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,411 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $78,670 | $58,000 | 1,815,857 | 135 |
| 28 | Utah | $72,511 | $50,000 | 3,101,833 | 671 |
| 29 | Georgia | $76,520 | $57,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,382 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $71,565 | $53,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,559 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $69,164 | $49,000 | 579,315 | 111 |
| 32 | Kansas | $73,245 | $54,000 | 2,913,123 | 354 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $71,147 | $53,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,060 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $72,230 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 481 |
| 35 | Indiana | $69,536 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 820 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $74,194 | $61,000 | 1,427,538 | 116 |
| 37 | Alabama | $67,209 | $50,000 | 4,874,747 | 713 |
| 38 | Montana | $69,034 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 178 |
| 39 | Iowa | $68,990 | $51,000 | 3,145,711 | 426 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $68,417 | $51,000 | 6,715,984 | 518 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $69,152 | $51,000 | 3,930,864 | 260 |
| 42 | Ohio | $66,160 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,234 |
| 43 | Missouri | $68,073 | $50,000 | 6,113,532 | 640 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $63,692 | $47,000 | 5,795,483 | 852 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $66,029 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 346 |
| 46 | Florida | $66,370 | $49,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,020 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $62,987 | $47,000 | 755,393 | 131 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $64,355 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 105 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $61,924 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 291 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $64,145 | $47,000 | 2,984,100 | 146 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $60,852 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 282 |
Highest paying states for design/applications engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Design/Applications Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $104,911 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $101,776 |
| 3 | California | $98,594 |
| 4 | Oregon | $91,608 |
| 5 | Arizona | $90,172 |
| 6 | Alaska | $93,367 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $90,899 |
| 8 | New York | $95,627 |
| 9 | Delaware | $89,165 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $95,152 |
| 11 | Idaho | $88,529 |
| 12 | Nevada | $89,876 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $84,134 |
| 14 | Virginia | $81,811 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $85,950 |
| 16 | Texas | $81,210 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $81,547 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $84,848 |
| 19 | Illinois | $82,613 |
| 20 | Colorado | $80,592 |
| 21 | Maine | $82,796 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $82,538 |
| 23 | Vermont | $75,451 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $78,532 |
| 25 | Maryland | $79,200 |
| 26 | Michigan | $71,878 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $78,670 |
| 28 | Utah | $72,511 |
| 29 | Georgia | $76,520 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $71,565 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $69,164 |
| 32 | Kansas | $73,245 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $71,147 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $72,230 |
| 35 | Indiana | $69,536 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $74,194 |
| 37 | Alabama | $67,209 |
| 38 | Montana | $69,034 |
| 39 | Iowa | $68,990 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $68,417 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $69,152 |
| 42 | Ohio | $66,160 |
| 43 | Missouri | $68,073 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $63,692 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $66,029 |
| 46 | Florida | $66,370 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $62,987 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $64,355 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $61,924 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $64,145 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $60,852 |
Expert opinions on the best states for design/applications engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for design/applications engineers to find work opportunities?
Andy Gerrick
Associate Professor and Chair, Embry-Riddle, Prescott
Mechanical engineering is the most general field of engineering. Any industry that designs or produces physical products, from toys to spacecraft, hires mechanical engineers. The aerospace industry, where I spent 35 years as a mechanical engineer, hires many more mechanical engineers than aerospace engineers.
Design/applications engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025