Best cities for a design engineer
The best cities for design engineers are San Jose, CA, Houston, TX, and Austin, TX, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for design engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for design engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a design engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for design engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for design engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a design engineer. While the absolute best city for design engineers is San Jose, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for design engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a design engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for design engineers in 2025
1. San Jose, CA
Design engineer jobs in San JoseTotal design engineer jobs: 252 Average annual salary: $107,450 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location quotient: 16.02 2. Houston, TX
Design engineer jobs in HoustonTotal design engineer jobs: 243 Average annual salary: $82,289 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location quotient: 6.67 3. Austin, TX
Design engineer jobs in AustinTotal design engineer jobs: 98 Average annual salary: $82,565 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location quotient: 23.79 4. Fremont, CA
Design engineer jobs in FremontTotal design engineer jobs: 142 Average annual salary: $107,495 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location quotient: 5.23 5. Arlington, TX
Design engineer jobs in ArlingtonTotal design engineer jobs: 54 Average annual salary: $80,132 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location quotient: 8.34 6. Oakland, CA
Design engineer jobs in OaklandTotal design engineer jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $107,609 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location quotient: 2.25 7. Chandler, AZ
Design engineer jobs in ChandlerTotal design engineer jobs: 110 Average annual salary: $81,001 Lowest 10 percent warn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location quotient: 27.33 8. Bakersfield, CA
Design engineer jobs in BakersfieldTotal design engineer jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $103,054 Lowest 10 percent warn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location quotient: 3.77 9. Fort Worth, TX
Design engineer jobs in Fort WorthTotal design engineer jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $80,170 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location quotient: 2.78 10. Garland, TX
Design engineer jobs in GarlandTotal design engineer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $79,695 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location quotient: 2.40
Choose from 10+ customizable design engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use design engineer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your design engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for design engineers
- San Jose, CA
- Houston, TX
- Austin, TX
- Fremont, CA
- Arlington, TX
- Oakland, CA
- Chandler, AZ
- Bakersfield, CA
- Fort Worth, TX
- Garland, TX
Detailed list of the best cities for a design engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $107,450 | $77,000 | 1,025,350 | 252 |
| 2 | Houston, TX | $82,289 | $60,000 | 2,303,482 | 243 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $82,565 | $61,000 | 947,890 | 98 |
| 4 | Fremont, CA | $107,495 | $77,000 | 233,136 | 142 |
| 5 | Arlington, TX | $80,132 | $60,000 | 392,772 | 54 |
| 6 | Oakland, CA | $107,609 | $77,000 | 420,005 | 29 |
| 7 | Chandler, AZ | $81,001 | $59,000 | 247,477 | 110 |
| 8 | Bakersfield, CA | $103,054 | $74,000 | 376,380 | 23 |
| 9 | Fort Worth, TX | $80,170 | $60,000 | 854,113 | 62 |
| 10 | Garland, TX | $79,695 | $60,000 | 234,943 | 6 |
| 11 | Dallas, TX | $79,942 | $60,000 | 1,317,929 | 183 |
| 12 | Tucson, AZ | $80,134 | $59,000 | 530,706 | 98 |
| 13 | Plano, TX | $79,572 | $60,000 | 286,057 | 90 |
| 14 | Santa Ana, CA | $97,392 | $70,000 | 334,217 | 39 |
| 15 | Irvine, CA | $96,990 | $70,000 | 266,122 | 225 |
| 16 | Scottsdale, AZ | $81,412 | $60,000 | 246,645 | 27 |
| 17 | Long Beach, CA | $97,899 | $71,000 | 470,130 | 30 |
| 18 | Corpus Christi, TX | $81,842 | $60,000 | 325,733 | 5 |
| 19 | Fresno, CA | $105,833 | $76,000 | 522,053 | 13 |
| 20 | Anaheim, CA | $97,829 | $71,000 | 351,043 | 24 |
| 21 | Chula Vista, CA | $92,584 | $68,000 | 267,172 | 32 |
| 22 | Irving, TX | $79,907 | $60,000 | 238,289 | 91 |
| 23 | Mesa, AZ | $81,039 | $59,000 | 484,587 | 15 |
| 24 | San Diego, CA | $93,107 | $68,000 | 1,406,630 | 7 |
| 25 | Phoenix, AZ | $81,394 | $60,000 | 1,615,017 | 139 |
| 26 | Cleveland, OH | $65,350 | $51,000 | 385,809 | 84 |
| 27 | Louisville, KY | $64,991 | $51,000 | 597,337 | 169 |
| 28 | Sacramento, CA | $106,353 | $77,000 | 495,234 | 35 |
| 29 | Albuquerque, NM | $85,505 | $63,000 | 559,277 | 23 |
| 30 | Greensboro, NC | $67,497 | $53,000 | 287,027 | 172 |
| 31 | Fort Wayne, IN | $66,870 | $52,000 | 264,488 | 20 |
| 32 | Tulsa, OK | $66,625 | $52,000 | 403,090 | 65 |
| 33 | Los Angeles, CA | $99,074 | $72,000 | 3,976,322 | 158 |
| 34 | San Francisco, CA | $107,737 | $78,000 | 870,887 | 125 |
| 35 | San Antonio, TX | $82,762 | $61,000 | 1,492,510 | 41 |
| 36 | Riverside, CA | $97,606 | $71,000 | 324,722 | 13 |
| 37 | Glendale, AZ | $81,403 | $60,000 | 245,895 | 4 |
| 38 | Indianapolis, IN | $66,588 | $52,000 | 855,164 | 103 |
| 39 | Cincinnati, OH | $64,866 | $51,000 | 298,800 | 58 |
| 40 | New Orleans, LA | $76,243 | $57,000 | 391,495 | 20 |
| 41 | Detroit, MI | $70,262 | $55,000 | 672,795 | 53 |
| 42 | Orlando, FL | $69,223 | $51,000 | 277,173 | 150 |
| 43 | Wichita, KS | $63,804 | $50,000 | 389,902 | 180 |
| 44 | Memphis, TN | $69,764 | $54,000 | 652,717 | 46 |
| 45 | Colorado Springs, CO | $75,637 | $57,000 | 465,101 | 109 |
| 46 | Pittsburgh, PA | $66,393 | $52,000 | 303,625 | 90 |
| 47 | Lexington, KY | $65,185 | $51,000 | 318,449 | 16 |
| 48 | Portland, OR | $84,762 | $62,000 | 639,863 | 63 |
| 49 | Oklahoma City, OK | $66,767 | $52,000 | 638,367 | 48 |
| 50 | Stockton, CA | $106,866 | $77,000 | 307,072 | - |
Highest paying cities for design engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. design engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $107,737 |
| 2 | Plymouth, MA | $87,589 |
| 3 | Hillsboro, OR | $84,893 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $82,565 |
| 5 | Peoria, AZ | $81,816 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $80,393 |
| 7 | East Hartford, CT | $78,064 |
| 8 | Reston, VA | $77,811 |
| 9 | Fort Collins, CO | $75,225 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $73,259 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $71,865 |
| 12 | Warren, MI | $70,265 |
| 13 | Orlando, FL | $69,223 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $68,030 |
| 15 | Greensboro, NC | $67,497 |
| 16 | Columbus, IN | $66,584 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $65,193 |
| 18 | Plymouth, MN | $64,208 |
| 19 | Overland Park, KS | $64,085 |
| 20 | Columbus, MS | $61,047 |
Design engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for design engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025