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Best states for a design engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and architecture and engineering careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to design engineer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for design engineers.We wanted to look at the best states for design engineers -- where there are plenty of design engineer jobs to go around and design engineers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for design engineers.If you are currently seeking employment as a design engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for design engineers in 2026
1. California
Total design engineer jobs: 7,817 Average annual salary: $100,682 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.93
2. Oregon
Total design engineer jobs: 805 Average annual salary: $85,262 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
3. Massachusetts
Total design engineer jobs: 1,781 Average annual salary: $86,990 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
4. Arizona
Total design engineer jobs: 1,120 Average annual salary: $81,198 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
5. Texas
Total design engineer jobs: 2,653 Average annual salary: $81,288 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. New Hampshire
Total design engineer jobs: 218 Average annual salary: $81,810 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
7. New Mexico
Total design engineer jobs: 201 Average annual salary: $85,362 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 0.74
8. Idaho
Total design engineer jobs: 200 Average annual salary: $81,144 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
9. Washington
Total design engineer jobs: 1,320 Average annual salary: $79,959 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
10. Connecticut
Total design engineer jobs: 515 Average annual salary: $77,858 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
Design engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a design engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a design engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $100,682 | $72,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,817 |
| 2 | Oregon | $85,262 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 805 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $86,990 | $66,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,781 |
| 4 | Arizona | $81,198 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,120 |
| 5 | Texas | $81,288 | $60,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,653 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $81,810 | $62,000 | 1,342,795 | 218 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $85,362 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 201 |
| 8 | Idaho | $81,144 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 200 |
| 9 | Washington | $79,959 | $59,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,320 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $77,858 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 515 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $83,443 | $65,000 | 693,972 | 295 |
| 12 | Virginia | $77,691 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,447 |
| 13 | Alaska | $78,713 | $63,000 | 739,795 | 95 |
| 14 | Colorado | $75,482 | $57,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,042 |
| 15 | Michigan | $70,216 | $55,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,240 |
| 16 | Alabama | $71,826 | $56,000 | 4,874,747 | 601 |
| 17 | Delaware | $73,406 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 194 |
| 18 | Utah | $70,582 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 482 |
| 19 | Nevada | $76,541 | $55,000 | 2,998,039 | 176 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $76,131 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 173 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $72,530 | $55,000 | 1,059,639 | 137 |
| 22 | Maryland | $74,470 | $58,000 | 6,052,177 | 886 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $73,051 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 92 |
| 24 | Illinois | $71,786 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,423 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $67,365 | $51,000 | 579,315 | 77 |
| 26 | Maine | $71,971 | $54,000 | 1,335,907 | 115 |
| 27 | New York | $73,123 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,569 |
| 28 | Indiana | $66,630 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 777 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $70,090 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 403 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $74,743 | $57,000 | 9,005,644 | 688 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $67,358 | $53,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,108 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $67,744 | $52,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,116 |
| 33 | Georgia | $67,906 | $53,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,205 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $66,340 | $52,000 | 755,393 | 94 |
| 35 | Florida | $68,732 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,774 |
| 36 | Ohio | $65,175 | $51,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,028 |
| 37 | Vermont | $65,405 | $49,000 | 623,657 | 101 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $66,749 | $52,000 | 3,930,864 | 199 |
| 39 | Iowa | $64,555 | $50,000 | 3,145,711 | 427 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $64,223 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 926 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $65,675 | $51,000 | 5,024,369 | 423 |
| 42 | Kansas | $63,864 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 341 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $64,947 | $51,000 | 4,454,189 | 288 |
| 44 | Missouri | $65,409 | $51,000 | 6,113,532 | 537 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $62,077 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 680 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $63,044 | $49,000 | 1,920,076 | 213 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $60,737 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 76 |
| 48 | Montana | $59,754 | $45,000 | 1,050,493 | 112 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $61,561 | $47,000 | 2,984,100 | 130 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $55,097 | $44,000 | 1,427,538 | 84 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $57,588 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 221 |
Highest paying states for design engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Design Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $100,682 |
| 2 | Oregon | $85,262 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $86,990 |
| 4 | Arizona | $81,198 |
| 5 | Texas | $81,288 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $81,810 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $85,362 |
| 8 | Idaho | $81,144 |
| 9 | Washington | $79,959 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $77,858 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $83,443 |
| 12 | Virginia | $77,691 |
| 13 | Alaska | $78,713 |
| 14 | Colorado | $75,482 |
| 15 | Michigan | $70,216 |
| 16 | Alabama | $71,826 |
| 17 | Delaware | $73,406 |
| 18 | Utah | $70,582 |
| 19 | Nevada | $76,541 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $76,131 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $72,530 |
| 22 | Maryland | $74,470 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $73,051 |
| 24 | Illinois | $71,786 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $67,365 |
| 26 | Maine | $71,971 |
| 27 | New York | $73,123 |
| 28 | Indiana | $66,630 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $70,090 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $74,743 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $67,358 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $67,744 |
| 33 | Georgia | $67,906 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $66,340 |
| 35 | Florida | $68,732 |
| 36 | Ohio | $65,175 |
| 37 | Vermont | $65,405 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $66,749 |
| 39 | Iowa | $64,555 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $64,223 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $65,675 |
| 42 | Kansas | $63,864 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $64,947 |
| 44 | Missouri | $65,409 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $62,077 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $63,044 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $60,737 |
| 48 | Montana | $59,754 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $61,561 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $55,097 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $57,588 |
Expert opinions on the best states for design engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for design 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025