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Best states for a design manufacturing 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 manufacturing engineer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for design manufacturing engineers.Although there are abundant design manufacturing engineer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. California is the best state in the country for design manufacturing engineer jobs.
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 manufacturing engineers.We found that California is the best state for design manufacturing engineer jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for design manufacturing engineers in 2025
1. California
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 11,042 Average annual salary: $126,461 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 1.68
2. Washington
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 2,062 Average annual salary: $109,556 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
3. Oregon
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 1,397 Average annual salary: $94,598 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
4. New Hampshire
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 424 Average annual salary: $97,030 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
5. Rhode Island
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 265 Average annual salary: $101,392 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
6. Delaware
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 288 Average annual salary: $94,221 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
7. Michigan
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 2,011 Average annual salary: $84,604 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
8. Idaho
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 303 Average annual salary: $106,874 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
9. Massachusetts
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 2,567 Average annual salary: $85,214 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
10. Nevada
Total design manufacturing engineer jobs: 364 Average annual salary: $98,039 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
Design manufacturing engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a design manufacturing engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a design manufacturing engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $126,461 | $83,000 | 39,536,653 | 11,042 |
| 2 | Washington | $109,556 | $72,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,062 |
| 3 | Oregon | $94,598 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,397 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $97,030 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 424 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $101,392 | $72,000 | 1,059,639 | 265 |
| 6 | Delaware | $94,221 | $66,000 | 961,939 | 288 |
| 7 | Michigan | $84,604 | $60,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,011 |
| 8 | Idaho | $106,874 | $70,000 | 1,716,943 | 303 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $85,214 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,567 |
| 10 | Nevada | $98,039 | $64,000 | 2,998,039 | 364 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $90,666 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 382 |
| 12 | Maryland | $85,187 | $60,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,515 |
| 13 | Arizona | $81,841 | $53,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,436 |
| 14 | Utah | $84,316 | $55,000 | 3,101,833 | 719 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $92,117 | $60,000 | 2,088,070 | 331 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $83,947 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 758 |
| 17 | New York | $83,729 | $59,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,659 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $80,691 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 290 |
| 19 | Vermont | $80,009 | $57,000 | 623,657 | 158 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $77,535 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,255 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $84,293 | $59,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,342 |
| 22 | Maine | $82,300 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 206 |
| 23 | Virginia | $74,840 | $53,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,160 |
| 24 | Iowa | $74,062 | $53,000 | 3,145,711 | 672 |
| 25 | Alabama | $66,210 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 976 |
| 26 | Texas | $66,188 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,590 |
| 27 | Ohio | $63,888 | $45,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,071 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $62,599 | $45,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,667 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $66,723 | $46,000 | 5,024,369 | 826 |
| 30 | Illinois | $66,527 | $47,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,208 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $61,673 | $43,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,267 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $60,302 | $40,000 | 579,315 | 134 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $62,727 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 657 |
| 34 | Colorado | $60,850 | $41,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,483 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $68,333 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 391 |
| 36 | Indiana | $59,903 | $42,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,299 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $62,338 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 899 |
| 38 | Montana | $64,987 | $42,000 | 1,050,493 | 173 |
| 39 | Georgia | $60,701 | $42,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,883 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $56,485 | $40,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,098 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $61,236 | $42,000 | 3,930,864 | 385 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $54,600 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 167 |
| 43 | Florida | $56,807 | $36,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,748 |
| 44 | Kansas | $55,922 | $39,000 | 2,913,123 | 499 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $56,527 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 303 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $55,434 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 109 |
| 47 | Missouri | $55,684 | $39,000 | 6,113,532 | 912 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $53,706 | $38,000 | 1,920,076 | 358 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $52,628 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 129 |
| 50 | Alaska | $49,070 | $38,000 | 739,795 | 125 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $51,334 | $36,000 | 3,004,279 | 367 |
Highest paying states for design manufacturing engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Design Manufacturing Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $126,461 |
| 2 | Washington | $109,556 |
| 3 | Oregon | $94,598 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $97,030 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $101,392 |
| 6 | Delaware | $94,221 |
| 7 | Michigan | $84,604 |
| 8 | Idaho | $106,874 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $85,214 |
| 10 | Nevada | $98,039 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $90,666 |
| 12 | Maryland | $85,187 |
| 13 | Arizona | $81,841 |
| 14 | Utah | $84,316 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $92,117 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $83,947 |
| 17 | New York | $83,729 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $80,691 |
| 19 | Vermont | $80,009 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $77,535 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $84,293 |
| 22 | Maine | $82,300 |
| 23 | Virginia | $74,840 |
| 24 | Iowa | $74,062 |
| 25 | Alabama | $66,210 |
| 26 | Texas | $66,188 |
| 27 | Ohio | $63,888 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $62,599 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $66,723 |
| 30 | Illinois | $66,527 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $61,673 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $60,302 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $62,727 |
| 34 | Colorado | $60,850 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $68,333 |
| 36 | Indiana | $59,903 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $62,338 |
| 38 | Montana | $64,987 |
| 39 | Georgia | $60,701 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $56,485 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $61,236 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $54,600 |
| 43 | Florida | $56,807 |
| 44 | Kansas | $55,922 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $56,527 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $55,434 |
| 47 | Missouri | $55,684 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $53,706 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $52,628 |
| 50 | Alaska | $49,070 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $51,334 |
Expert opinions on the best states for design manufacturing engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for design manufacturing 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