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Best states for an engineering technician
Quoted expert
Klaus Dölle
- Rank 1 - 10
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for engineering technicians? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for engineering technician jobs.In order to help you decide which state is the best for engineering technicians, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for engineering technician 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 engineering technicians.We found that the South is best for engineering technicians, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for engineering technician jobs, where as Rhode Island is the best state in the country.
10 best states for engineering technicians in 2026
1. Rhode Island
Total engineering technician jobs: 277 Average annual salary: $74,207 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
2. Washington
Total engineering technician jobs: 1,494 Average annual salary: $81,492 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
3. Massachusetts
Total engineering technician jobs: 2,073 Average annual salary: $69,884 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
4. Oregon
Total engineering technician jobs: 1,041 Average annual salary: $65,764 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
5. Michigan
Total engineering technician jobs: 1,563 Average annual salary: $68,651 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
6. Maryland
Total engineering technician jobs: 1,279 Average annual salary: $72,087 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
7. New York
Total engineering technician jobs: 2,724 Average annual salary: $68,976 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
8. District of Columbia
Total engineering technician jobs: 323 Average annual salary: $77,470 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
9. Alaska
Total engineering technician jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $62,878 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
10. West Virginia
Total engineering technician jobs: 272 Average annual salary: $63,724 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
Engineering technician jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an engineering technician
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an engineering technician
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $74,207 | $45,000 | 1,059,639 | 277 |
| 2 | Washington | $81,492 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,494 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $69,884 | $42,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,073 |
| 4 | Oregon | $65,764 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,041 |
| 5 | Michigan | $68,651 | $40,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,563 |
| 6 | Maryland | $72,087 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,279 |
| 7 | New York | $68,976 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,724 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $77,470 | $45,000 | 693,972 | 323 |
| 9 | Alaska | $62,878 | $40,000 | 739,795 | 186 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $63,724 | $37,000 | 1,815,857 | 272 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $59,204 | $35,000 | 3,588,184 | 761 |
| 12 | Idaho | $59,884 | $35,000 | 1,716,943 | 331 |
| 13 | California | $75,761 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,908 |
| 14 | Maine | $56,465 | $34,000 | 1,335,907 | 341 |
| 15 | Delaware | $58,393 | $34,000 | 961,939 | 285 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $62,192 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 351 |
| 17 | Illinois | $62,496 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,198 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $57,326 | $35,000 | 1,342,795 | 375 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $61,642 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,960 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $66,896 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,404 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $56,852 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,375 |
| 22 | Texas | $58,977 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,498 |
| 23 | Ohio | $57,888 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,668 |
| 24 | Georgia | $59,445 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,762 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $51,098 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,204 |
| 26 | Virginia | $55,558 | $32,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,915 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $54,753 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 409 |
| 28 | Arizona | $54,230 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,088 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $50,321 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 196 |
| 30 | Montana | $52,827 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 224 |
| 31 | Utah | $47,529 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 820 |
| 32 | Colorado | $49,585 | $30,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,273 |
| 33 | Indiana | $49,754 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,212 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $52,345 | $31,000 | 2,984,100 | 362 |
| 35 | Nevada | $50,891 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 380 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $48,271 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 918 |
| 37 | Kansas | $48,419 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 594 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $41,287 | $31,000 | 1,427,538 | 185 |
| 39 | Missouri | $48,303 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,053 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $45,737 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 117 |
| 41 | Iowa | $44,158 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 774 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $48,585 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 603 |
| 43 | Alabama | $45,652 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 800 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $43,603 | $25,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,984 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $47,236 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 471 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $46,720 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 435 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $43,372 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 188 |
| 48 | Vermont | $44,001 | $26,000 | 623,657 | 137 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $43,232 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 988 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,129 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,781 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $39,442 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 463 |
Highest paying states for engineering technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. Engineering Technician Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $74,207 |
| 2 | Washington | $81,492 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $69,884 |
| 4 | Oregon | $65,764 |
| 5 | Michigan | $68,651 |
| 6 | Maryland | $72,087 |
| 7 | New York | $68,976 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $77,470 |
| 9 | Alaska | $62,878 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $63,724 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $59,204 |
| 12 | Idaho | $59,884 |
| 13 | California | $75,761 |
| 14 | Maine | $56,465 |
| 15 | Delaware | $58,393 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $62,192 |
| 17 | Illinois | $62,496 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $57,326 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $61,642 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $66,896 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $56,852 |
| 22 | Texas | $58,977 |
| 23 | Ohio | $57,888 |
| 24 | Georgia | $59,445 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $51,098 |
| 26 | Virginia | $55,558 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $54,753 |
| 28 | Arizona | $54,230 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $50,321 |
| 30 | Montana | $52,827 |
| 31 | Utah | $47,529 |
| 32 | Colorado | $49,585 |
| 33 | Indiana | $49,754 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $52,345 |
| 35 | Nevada | $50,891 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $48,271 |
| 37 | Kansas | $48,419 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $41,287 |
| 39 | Missouri | $48,303 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $45,737 |
| 41 | Iowa | $44,158 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $48,585 |
| 43 | Alabama | $45,652 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $43,603 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $47,236 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $46,720 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $43,372 |
| 48 | Vermont | $44,001 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $43,232 |
| 50 | Florida | $43,129 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $39,442 |
Expert opinions on the best states for engineering technicians
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for engineering technicians to find work opportunities?
Klaus Dölle
Associate Professor, School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences Senior Sustainability Scientist, Global Institute of Sustainability, SUNY College
Our graduates have no problems finding a well-paid job in the U.S. Paper Engineers are in high demand. More Paper Engineers are needed by the industry than Universities can produce. Currently, starting salary is around $70k.
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Updated January 8, 2025