Best cities for a design engineering manager
The best cities for design engineering managers are Fremont, CA, San Jose, CA, and Seattle, WA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for design engineering managers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for design engineering managers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a design engineering manager or considering a move, this list of the best cities for design engineering managers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for design engineering managers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a design engineering manager. While the absolute best city for design engineering managers is Fremont, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for design engineering managers in 2024.
If you're looking for a design engineering manager job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for design engineering managers in 2026
1. Fremont, CA
Total design engineering manager jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $172,689 Lowest 10 percent warn: $122,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $244,000 Location quotient: 4.37 2. San Jose, CA
Total design engineering manager jobs: 41 Average annual salary: $172,431 Lowest 10 percent warn: $121,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $244,000 Location quotient: 5.65 3. Seattle, WA
Total design engineering manager jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $166,556 Lowest 10 percent warn: $117,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $235,000 Location quotient: 1.39 4. Anchorage, AK
Total design engineering manager jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $153,535 Lowest 10 percent warn: $114,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location quotient: 1.93 5. El Paso, TX
Total design engineering manager jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $136,553 Lowest 10 percent warn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location quotient: 3.42 6. Austin, TX
Total design engineering manager jobs: 26 Average annual salary: $133,012 Lowest 10 percent warn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location quotient: 3.80 7. Saint Louis, MO
Total design engineering manager jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $148,042 Lowest 10 percent warn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location quotient: 0.61 8. Gilbert, AZ
Total design engineering manager jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $134,007 Lowest 10 percent warn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location quotient: 8.07 9. Kansas City, MO
Total design engineering manager jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $148,026 Lowest 10 percent warn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location quotient: 0.46 10. Scottsdale, AZ
Total design engineering manager jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $134,348 Lowest 10 percent warn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location quotient: 2.82
Choose from 10+ customizable design engineering manager resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use design engineering manager 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 engineering manager resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for design engineering managers
- Fremont, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Anchorage, AK
- El Paso, TX
- Austin, TX
- Saint Louis, MO
- Gilbert, AZ
- Kansas City, MO
- Scottsdale, AZ
- (9 design engineering manager jobs)
- (41 design engineering manager jobs)
- (12 design engineering manager jobs)
- (1 design engineering manager jobs)
- (2 design engineering manager jobs)
- (26 design engineering manager jobs)
- (2 design engineering manager jobs)
- (2 design engineering manager jobs)
- (1 design engineering manager jobs)
- (3 design engineering manager jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a design engineering manager
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fremont, CA | $172,689 | $122,000 | 233,136 | 9 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $172,431 | $121,000 | 1,025,350 | 41 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $166,556 | $117,000 | 704,352 | 12 |
| 4 | Anchorage, AK | $153,535 | $114,000 | 298,192 | 1 |
| 5 | El Paso, TX | $136,553 | $95,000 | 683,080 | 2 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $133,012 | $91,000 | 947,890 | 26 |
| 7 | Saint Louis, MO | $148,042 | $106,000 | 311,404 | 2 |
| 8 | Gilbert, AZ | $134,007 | $94,000 | 237,133 | 2 |
| 9 | Kansas City, MO | $148,026 | $106,000 | 481,420 | 1 |
| 10 | Scottsdale, AZ | $134,348 | $94,000 | 246,645 | 3 |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $149,796 | $105,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $149,162 | $105,000 | 639,863 | 2 |
| 13 | North Las Vegas, NV | $149,660 | $105,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 14 | Mesa, AZ | $134,056 | $94,000 | 484,587 | 1 |
| 15 | Sacramento, CA | $172,218 | $121,000 | 495,234 | 1 |
| 16 | Reno, NV | $156,824 | $110,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 17 | Henderson, NV | $149,209 | $105,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 18 | Nashville, TN | $130,898 | $93,000 | 660,388 | 1 |
| 19 | San Antonio, TX | $132,869 | $91,000 | 1,492,510 | 2 |
| 20 | Memphis, TN | $130,058 | $92,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 21 | Chandler, AZ | $134,060 | $94,000 | 247,477 | 1 |
| 22 | Houston, TX | $132,166 | $91,000 | 2,303,482 | 9 |
| 23 | Irvine, CA | $160,789 | $113,000 | 266,122 | 7 |
| 24 | San Francisco, CA | $173,348 | $122,000 | 870,887 | - |
| 25 | Oakland, CA | $173,091 | $122,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 26 | Newark, NJ | $145,120 | $105,000 | 281,764 | 4 |
| 27 | Stockton, CA | $172,038 | $121,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 28 | Pittsburgh, PA | $131,166 | $94,000 | 303,625 | - |
| 29 | Lubbock, TX | $135,071 | $94,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 30 | San Diego, CA | $158,490 | $111,000 | 1,406,630 | 13 |
| 31 | Philadelphia, PA | $133,490 | $97,000 | 1,567,872 | - |
| 32 | Fresno, CA | $169,490 | $119,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 33 | Virginia Beach, VA | $141,431 | $102,000 | 452,602 | 1 |
| 34 | Fort Worth, TX | $132,762 | $92,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 35 | Arlington, TX | $132,659 | $92,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 36 | Indianapolis, IN | $123,057 | $88,000 | 855,164 | 5 |
| 37 | Bakersfield, CA | $166,066 | $117,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 38 | Irving, TX | $132,485 | $92,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 39 | Dallas, TX | $132,451 | $92,000 | 1,317,929 | - |
| 40 | Garland, TX | $132,241 | $92,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 41 | Plano, TX | $132,184 | $92,000 | 286,057 | - |
| 42 | Glendale, AZ | $134,438 | $94,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 43 | Phoenix, AZ | $134,405 | $94,000 | 1,615,017 | 1 |
| 44 | Los Angeles, CA | $162,245 | $114,000 | 3,976,322 | 3 |
| 45 | Laredo, TX | $131,957 | $90,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 46 | Corpus Christi, TX | $131,650 | $90,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 47 | Lincoln, NE | $120,865 | $86,000 | 280,364 | 1 |
| 48 | Long Beach, CA | $161,464 | $113,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 49 | Anaheim, CA | $161,266 | $113,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 50 | Santa Ana, CA | $161,033 | $113,000 | 334,217 | - |
Highest paying cities for design engineering managers
| Rank | City | Avg. design engineering manager salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $173,348 |
| 2 | Vancouver, WA | $168,938 |
| 3 | East Hartford, CT | $154,414 |
| 4 | Hillsboro, OR | $149,581 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $139,650 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $137,647 |
| 7 | El Paso, TX | $136,553 |
| 8 | Tempe, AZ | $134,172 |
| 9 | Magna, UT | $132,182 |
| 10 | Billings, MT | $131,307 |
| 11 | Sioux Falls, SD | $127,591 |
| 12 | Sterling Heights, MI | $123,601 |
| 13 | Colorado Springs, CO | $120,877 |
| 14 | Columbia, SC | $119,589 |
| 15 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $114,012 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $112,328 |
| 17 | Orlando, FL | $110,092 |
| 18 | Savannah, GA | $109,656 |
Design engineering manager best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for design engineering manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025