Best cities for an engineering director
The best cities for engineering directors are San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, and Oakland, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for engineering directors vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for engineering directors in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as an engineering director or considering a move, this list of the best cities for engineering directors to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for engineering directors. We also consider how easy it is to find work as an engineering director. While the absolute best city for engineering directors is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for engineering directors in 2024.
If you're looking for an engineering director job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for engineering directors in 2025
1. San Francisco, CA
Total engineering director jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $197,849 Lowest 10 percent warn: $129,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $302,000 Location quotient: 6.53 2. San Jose, CA
Total engineering director jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $196,951 Lowest 10 percent warn: $128,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $301,000 Location quotient: 3.11 3. Oakland, CA
Total engineering director jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $197,530 Lowest 10 percent warn: $129,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $302,000 Location quotient: 2.94 4. Fremont, CA
Total engineering director jobs: 37 Average annual salary: $197,121 Lowest 10 percent warn: $128,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $301,000 Location quotient: 2.72 5. Seattle, WA
Total engineering director jobs: 123 Average annual salary: $184,245 Lowest 10 percent warn: $121,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $278,000 Location quotient: 2.15 6. Phoenix, AZ
Total engineering director jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $158,395 Lowest 10 percent warn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $245,000 Location quotient: 2.58 7. Gilbert, AZ
Total engineering director jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $157,705 Lowest 10 percent warn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $244,000 Location quotient: 4.28 8. Scottsdale, AZ
Total engineering director jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $158,119 Lowest 10 percent warn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $244,000 Location quotient: 1.70 9. Long Beach, CA
Total engineering director jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $186,075 Lowest 10 percent warn: $120,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $288,000 Location quotient: 2.18 10. Santa Ana, CA
Total engineering director jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $185,323 Lowest 10 percent warn: $119,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $286,000 Location quotient: 2.07
Choose from 10+ customizable engineering director resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use engineering director 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 engineering director resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for engineering directors
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Fremont, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Gilbert, AZ
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Long Beach, CA
- Santa Ana, CA
- (186 engineering director jobs)
- (149 engineering director jobs)
- (19 engineering director jobs)
- (37 engineering director jobs)
- (123 engineering director jobs)
- (109 engineering director jobs)
- (7 engineering director jobs)
- (12 engineering director jobs)
- (9 engineering director jobs)
- (7 engineering director jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for an engineering director
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $197,849 | $129,000 | 870,887 | 186 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $196,951 | $128,000 | 1,025,350 | 149 |
| 3 | Oakland, CA | $197,530 | $129,000 | 420,005 | 19 |
| 4 | Fremont, CA | $197,121 | $128,000 | 233,136 | 37 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $184,245 | $121,000 | 704,352 | 123 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $158,395 | $102,000 | 1,615,017 | 109 |
| 7 | Gilbert, AZ | $157,705 | $101,000 | 237,133 | 7 |
| 8 | Scottsdale, AZ | $158,119 | $102,000 | 246,645 | 12 |
| 9 | Long Beach, CA | $186,075 | $120,000 | 470,130 | 9 |
| 10 | Santa Ana, CA | $185,323 | $119,000 | 334,217 | 7 |
| 11 | Sacramento, CA | $196,401 | $128,000 | 495,234 | 19 |
| 12 | Chandler, AZ | $157,843 | $101,000 | 247,477 | 10 |
| 13 | Riverside, CA | $184,566 | $119,000 | 324,722 | 8 |
| 14 | Irvine, CA | $184,982 | $119,000 | 266,122 | 33 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $140,437 | $90,000 | 947,890 | 109 |
| 16 | Fresno, CA | $193,686 | $126,000 | 522,053 | 5 |
| 17 | Los Angeles, CA | $187,041 | $120,000 | 3,976,322 | 94 |
| 18 | New Orleans, LA | $157,926 | $102,000 | 391,495 | 6 |
| 19 | San Diego, CA | $182,157 | $117,000 | 1,406,630 | 72 |
| 20 | Bakersfield, CA | $190,672 | $123,000 | 376,380 | 4 |
| 21 | Portland, OR | $163,930 | $107,000 | 639,863 | 31 |
| 22 | Stockton, CA | $196,170 | $128,000 | 307,072 | 2 |
| 23 | Raleigh, NC | $130,066 | $87,000 | 458,880 | 32 |
| 24 | Corpus Christi, TX | $141,246 | $90,000 | 325,733 | 2 |
| 25 | Boston, MA | $144,607 | $100,000 | 673,184 | 121 |
| 26 | Chula Vista, CA | $181,759 | $116,000 | 267,172 | 1 |
| 27 | Detroit, MI | $131,770 | $90,000 | 672,795 | 17 |
| 28 | Mesa, AZ | $157,722 | $101,000 | 484,587 | 2 |
| 29 | Tucson, AZ | $155,388 | $99,000 | 530,706 | 6 |
| 30 | Houston, TX | $138,794 | $89,000 | 2,303,482 | 81 |
| 31 | San Antonio, TX | $141,544 | $90,000 | 1,492,510 | 17 |
| 32 | Philadelphia, PA | $131,777 | $90,000 | 1,567,872 | 35 |
| 33 | Columbus, OH | $129,213 | $88,000 | 860,090 | 30 |
| 34 | Anchorage, AK | $180,590 | $122,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 35 | Reno, NV | $154,358 | $100,000 | 245,255 | 2 |
| 36 | New York, NY | $149,202 | $102,000 | 8,537,673 | 192 |
| 37 | Las Vegas, NV | $145,912 | $95,000 | 632,912 | 13 |
| 38 | Newark, NJ | $146,832 | $101,000 | 281,764 | 16 |
| 39 | Denver, CO | $131,330 | $87,000 | 693,060 | 141 |
| 40 | Glendale, AZ | $158,519 | $102,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 41 | Dallas, TX | $137,745 | $90,000 | 1,317,929 | 34 |
| 42 | Lincoln, NE | $116,348 | $78,000 | 280,364 | 18 |
| 43 | Durham, NC | $130,002 | $87,000 | 263,016 | 10 |
| 44 | Saint Paul, MN | $126,416 | $87,000 | 302,398 | 22 |
| 45 | Plano, TX | $136,987 | $89,000 | 286,057 | 20 |
| 46 | Indianapolis, IN | $123,236 | $83,000 | 855,164 | 36 |
| 47 | Anaheim, CA | $185,588 | $119,000 | 351,043 | 1 |
| 48 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $145,241 | $94,000 | 351,792 | 26 |
| 49 | Nashville, TN | $119,851 | $80,000 | 660,388 | 22 |
| 50 | Irving, TX | $137,781 | $90,000 | 238,289 | 16 |
Highest paying cities for engineering directors
| Rank | City | Avg. engineering director salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $197,849 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $184,245 |
| 3 | Beaverton, OR | $164,231 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $158,395 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $149,202 |
| 6 | Jersey City, NJ | $146,885 |
| 7 | Portland, ME | $145,559 |
| 8 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $145,241 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $144,607 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $140,437 |
| 11 | Washington, DC | $139,173 |
| 12 | Salt Lake City, UT | $135,821 |
| 13 | Hartford, CT | $133,607 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $131,777 |
| 15 | Detroit, MI | $131,770 |
| 16 | Englewood, CO | $131,470 |
| 17 | Richmond, VA | $130,461 |
| 18 | Raleigh, NC | $130,066 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $129,236 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $129,213 |
Engineering director best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for engineering director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025