Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for an engineering director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for engineering directors in the United States. Engineering director positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for engineering directors.Our research found that Washington is the best state for engineering directors, while California and Washington are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Washington has a median salary of $175,580 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for engineering directors.
The median salary for engineering directors in Washington is $175,580. Compare that to the median salary in Missouri of $115,700, which ranked worst for engineering directors, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Washington is the best state for engineering director jobs, whereas Missouri is the worst.
10 best states for engineering directors in 2025
1. Washington
Total engineering director jobs: 1,255 Average annual salary: $175,580 Lowest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $248,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
2. Louisiana
Total engineering director jobs: 727 Average annual salary: $155,643 Lowest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $227,000 Location Quotient: 1.8
3. Oregon
Total engineering director jobs: 764 Average annual salary: $161,200 Lowest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $233,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
4. Alaska
Total engineering director jobs: 122 Average annual salary: $174,140 Lowest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $243,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
5. Idaho
Total engineering director jobs: 240 Average annual salary: $157,688 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $228,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
6. California
Total engineering director jobs: 3,905 Average annual salary: $179,437 Lowest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $254,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
7. Arizona
Total engineering director jobs: 675 Average annual salary: $154,763 Lowest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $228,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
8. Rhode Island
Total engineering director jobs: 215 Average annual salary: $143,982 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
9. Montana
Total engineering director jobs: 159 Average annual salary: $145,902 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $210,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
10. Maine
Total engineering director jobs: 169 Average annual salary: $145,308 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
Engineering director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an engineering director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an engineering director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $175,580 | $124,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,255 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $155,643 | $106,000 | 4,684,333 | 727 |
| 3 | Oregon | $161,200 | $111,000 | 4,142,776 | 764 |
| 4 | Alaska | $174,140 | $124,000 | 739,795 | 122 |
| 5 | Idaho | $157,688 | $108,000 | 1,716,943 | 240 |
| 6 | California | $179,437 | $126,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,905 |
| 7 | Arizona | $154,763 | $104,000 | 7,016,270 | 675 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $143,982 | $100,000 | 1,059,639 | 215 |
| 9 | Montana | $145,902 | $101,000 | 1,050,493 | 159 |
| 10 | Maine | $145,308 | $102,000 | 1,335,907 | 169 |
| 11 | New York | $148,649 | $104,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,823 |
| 12 | Utah | $135,870 | $91,000 | 3,101,833 | 542 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $143,776 | $100,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,465 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $142,569 | $99,000 | 1,342,795 | 220 |
| 15 | Nevada | $145,647 | $98,000 | 2,998,039 | 203 |
| 16 | Texas | $138,724 | $92,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,273 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $145,739 | $101,000 | 9,005,644 | 934 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $138,760 | $96,000 | 693,972 | 303 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $132,695 | $92,000 | 3,588,184 | 484 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $143,667 | $96,000 | 1,427,538 | 111 |
| 21 | Michigan | $131,364 | $91,000 | 9,962,311 | 841 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $126,200 | $88,000 | 755,393 | 133 |
| 23 | Delaware | $130,258 | $90,000 | 961,939 | 183 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $131,160 | $90,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,172 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $128,349 | $85,000 | 2,088,070 | 233 |
| 26 | Iowa | $122,370 | $83,000 | 3,145,711 | 838 |
| 27 | Colorado | $131,139 | $88,000 | 5,607,154 | 850 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $127,166 | $88,000 | 5,795,483 | 606 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $128,408 | $87,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,077 |
| 30 | Ohio | $129,623 | $89,000 | 11,658,609 | 903 |
| 31 | Virginia | $130,502 | $89,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,339 |
| 32 | Vermont | $133,270 | $92,000 | 623,657 | 58 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $120,025 | $81,000 | 579,315 | 97 |
| 34 | Alabama | $116,652 | $78,000 | 4,874,747 | 892 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $123,000 | $84,000 | 1,815,857 | 156 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $126,343 | $88,000 | 5,576,606 | 732 |
| 37 | Illinois | $128,712 | $88,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,272 |
| 38 | Indiana | $123,881 | $84,000 | 6,666,818 | 622 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $123,920 | $84,000 | 4,454,189 | 323 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $114,728 | $77,000 | 3,930,864 | 642 |
| 41 | Maryland | $126,507 | $87,000 | 6,052,177 | 746 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $111,162 | $74,000 | 3,004,279 | 741 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $113,184 | $75,000 | 2,984,100 | 480 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $121,383 | $82,000 | 5,024,369 | 439 |
| 45 | Georgia | $123,641 | $83,000 | 10,429,379 | 956 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $119,815 | $81,000 | 6,715,984 | 461 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $116,570 | $78,000 | 1,920,076 | 252 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $114,572 | $78,000 | 869,666 | 112 |
| 49 | Kansas | $117,271 | $79,000 | 2,913,123 | 280 |
| 50 | Florida | $114,915 | $75,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,513 |
| 51 | Missouri | $115,700 | $78,000 | 6,113,532 | 502 |
Highest paying states for engineering directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Engineering Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $175,580 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $155,643 |
| 3 | Oregon | $161,200 |
| 4 | Alaska | $174,140 |
| 5 | Idaho | $157,688 |
| 6 | California | $179,437 |
| 7 | Arizona | $154,763 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $143,982 |
| 9 | Montana | $145,902 |
| 10 | Maine | $145,308 |
| 11 | New York | $148,649 |
| 12 | Utah | $135,870 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $143,776 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $142,569 |
| 15 | Nevada | $145,647 |
| 16 | Texas | $138,724 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $145,739 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $138,760 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $132,695 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $143,667 |
| 21 | Michigan | $131,364 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $126,200 |
| 23 | Delaware | $130,258 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $131,160 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $128,349 |
| 26 | Iowa | $122,370 |
| 27 | Colorado | $131,139 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $127,166 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $128,408 |
| 30 | Ohio | $129,623 |
| 31 | Virginia | $130,502 |
| 32 | Vermont | $133,270 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $120,025 |
| 34 | Alabama | $116,652 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $123,000 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $126,343 |
| 37 | Illinois | $128,712 |
| 38 | Indiana | $123,881 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $123,920 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $114,728 |
| 41 | Maryland | $126,507 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $111,162 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $113,184 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $121,383 |
| 45 | Georgia | $123,641 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $119,815 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $116,570 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $114,572 |
| 49 | Kansas | $117,271 |
| 50 | Florida | $114,915 |
| 51 | Missouri | $115,700 |
Engineering director best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for engineering director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025