Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a geotechnical engineer
Quoted expert
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for geotechnical engineers? 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 geotechnical engineer jobs.Although there are abundant geotechnical engineer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. Alaska is the best state in the country for geotechnical engineer jobs.
In order to get you the best states for geotechnical engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a geotechnical engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for geotechnical engineers in 2025
1. Alaska
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $99,561 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.67
2. Oregon
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 289 Average annual salary: $81,350 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
3. Washington
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 471 Average annual salary: $80,036 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
4. Virginia
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 718 Average annual salary: $77,495 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
5. California
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 1,864 Average annual salary: $85,231 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
6. Maine
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 59 Average annual salary: $74,044 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
7. Arizona
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 276 Average annual salary: $74,511 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
8. Colorado
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 384 Average annual salary: $74,857 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
9. Delaware
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 78 Average annual salary: $74,134 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
10. Nevada
Total geotechnical engineer jobs: 98 Average annual salary: $72,072 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
Geotechnical engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a geotechnical engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a geotechnical engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $99,561 | $82,000 | 739,795 | 60 |
| 2 | Oregon | $81,350 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 289 |
| 3 | Washington | $80,036 | $61,000 | 7,405,743 | 471 |
| 4 | Virginia | $77,495 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 718 |
| 5 | California | $85,231 | $63,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,864 |
| 6 | Maine | $74,044 | $58,000 | 1,335,907 | 59 |
| 7 | Arizona | $74,511 | $55,000 | 7,016,270 | 276 |
| 8 | Colorado | $74,857 | $57,000 | 5,607,154 | 384 |
| 9 | Delaware | $74,134 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 78 |
| 10 | Nevada | $72,072 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 98 |
| 11 | New York | $77,801 | $60,000 | 19,849,399 | 540 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $72,453 | $54,000 | 4,684,333 | 120 |
| 13 | Vermont | $73,467 | $57,000 | 623,657 | 34 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $73,822 | $56,000 | 3,930,864 | 82 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $74,250 | $58,000 | 693,972 | 230 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $72,655 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 63 |
| 17 | Alabama | $69,962 | $54,000 | 4,874,747 | 186 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $74,573 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 368 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $68,925 | $55,000 | 755,393 | 47 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $74,218 | $59,000 | 5,576,606 | 203 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $71,441 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 331 |
| 22 | Idaho | $71,147 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 62 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $75,281 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 247 |
| 24 | Utah | $69,531 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 147 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $70,605 | $56,000 | 4,454,189 | 95 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $73,108 | $56,000 | 3,588,184 | 105 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $69,713 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 319 |
| 28 | Michigan | $67,413 | $53,000 | 9,962,311 | 303 |
| 29 | Montana | $67,818 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 62 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $70,407 | $54,000 | 1,059,639 | 36 |
| 31 | Missouri | $70,076 | $55,000 | 6,113,532 | 163 |
| 32 | Texas | $68,538 | $51,000 | 28,304,596 | 804 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $67,192 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 44 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $66,786 | $50,000 | 2,088,070 | 87 |
| 35 | Maryland | $66,792 | $52,000 | 6,052,177 | 438 |
| 36 | Illinois | $68,487 | $54,000 | 12,802,023 | 432 |
| 37 | Indiana | $66,372 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 204 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $68,860 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 48 |
| 39 | Florida | $65,096 | $48,000 | 20,984,400 | 627 |
| 40 | Iowa | $66,194 | $52,000 | 3,145,711 | 92 |
| 41 | Ohio | $63,926 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 305 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $63,019 | $49,000 | 1,920,076 | 93 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $66,178 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 142 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $52,644 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 72 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $58,445 | $45,000 | 579,315 | 30 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $62,155 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 157 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $60,775 | $48,000 | 869,666 | 34 |
| 48 | Georgia | $61,950 | $48,000 | 10,429,379 | 366 |
| 49 | Kansas | $64,233 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 54 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $59,919 | $47,000 | 6,715,984 | 139 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $57,393 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 65 |
Highest paying states for geotechnical engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Geotechnical Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $99,561 |
| 2 | Oregon | $81,350 |
| 3 | Washington | $80,036 |
| 4 | Virginia | $77,495 |
| 5 | California | $85,231 |
| 6 | Maine | $74,044 |
| 7 | Arizona | $74,511 |
| 8 | Colorado | $74,857 |
| 9 | Delaware | $74,134 |
| 10 | Nevada | $72,072 |
| 11 | New York | $77,801 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $72,453 |
| 13 | Vermont | $73,467 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $73,822 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $74,250 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $72,655 |
| 17 | Alabama | $69,962 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $74,573 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $68,925 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $74,218 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $71,441 |
| 22 | Idaho | $71,147 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $75,281 |
| 24 | Utah | $69,531 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $70,605 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $73,108 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $69,713 |
| 28 | Michigan | $67,413 |
| 29 | Montana | $67,818 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $70,407 |
| 31 | Missouri | $70,076 |
| 32 | Texas | $68,538 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $67,192 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $66,786 |
| 35 | Maryland | $66,792 |
| 36 | Illinois | $68,487 |
| 37 | Indiana | $66,372 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $68,860 |
| 39 | Florida | $65,096 |
| 40 | Iowa | $66,194 |
| 41 | Ohio | $63,926 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $63,019 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $66,178 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $52,644 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $58,445 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $62,155 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $60,775 |
| 48 | Georgia | $61,950 |
| 49 | Kansas | $64,233 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $59,919 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $57,393 |
Expert opinions on the best states for geotechnical engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for geotechnical engineers to find work opportunities?
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Texas
In my opinion, career fairs are viewed as the best platform for students to get hired for entry-level jobs. They should also access campus and community resources for employment support. It is highly suggested that students should gain work-based learning experiences during their time at their academic institute. These experiences not only help them to develop their work-readiness skills but also provide significant networking opportunities. My message would be: "Don't wait until you graduate."
Geotechnical engineer best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for geotechnical engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025