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Best states for a highway engineer
Quoted expert
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for highway engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for highway engineer jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.As highway engineers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for highway engineers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a highway engineer, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for highway engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that California is the best state for highway engineer jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for highway engineers in 2025
1. California
Total highway engineer jobs: 2,294 Average annual salary: $97,789 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
2. Alaska
Total highway engineer jobs: 65 Average annual salary: $81,210 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. Colorado
Total highway engineer jobs: 539 Average annual salary: $78,940 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
4. Alabama
Total highway engineer jobs: 213 Average annual salary: $76,422 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
5. Oregon
Total highway engineer jobs: 356 Average annual salary: $73,845 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
6. Washington
Total highway engineer jobs: 599 Average annual salary: $73,949 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
7. Maine
Total highway engineer jobs: 71 Average annual salary: $72,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
8. Vermont
Total highway engineer jobs: 42 Average annual salary: $71,576 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
9. Missouri
Total highway engineer jobs: 195 Average annual salary: $76,332 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 0.59
10. Delaware
Total highway engineer jobs: 90 Average annual salary: $71,887 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
Highway engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a highway engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a highway engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $97,789 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,294 |
| 2 | Alaska | $81,210 | $68,000 | 739,795 | 65 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,940 | $61,000 | 5,607,154 | 539 |
| 4 | Alabama | $76,422 | $59,000 | 4,874,747 | 213 |
| 5 | Oregon | $73,845 | $56,000 | 4,142,776 | 356 |
| 6 | Washington | $73,949 | $57,000 | 7,405,743 | 599 |
| 7 | Maine | $72,366 | $57,000 | 1,335,907 | 71 |
| 8 | Vermont | $71,576 | $57,000 | 623,657 | 42 |
| 9 | Missouri | $76,332 | $60,000 | 6,113,532 | 195 |
| 10 | Delaware | $71,887 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 90 |
| 11 | New York | $74,473 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 732 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $72,525 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 116 |
| 13 | Arizona | $69,512 | $52,000 | 7,016,270 | 356 |
| 14 | Indiana | $70,103 | $55,000 | 6,666,818 | 323 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $72,703 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 166 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $71,613 | $58,000 | 1,427,538 | 83 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $71,298 | $57,000 | 5,576,606 | 294 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $71,826 | $57,000 | 6,859,819 | 461 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $70,480 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 124 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $70,982 | $54,000 | 2,984,100 | 68 |
| 21 | Texas | $67,544 | $50,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,121 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $68,941 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 451 |
| 23 | Utah | $67,197 | $51,000 | 3,101,833 | 191 |
| 24 | Nevada | $67,160 | $50,000 | 2,998,039 | 122 |
| 25 | Montana | $67,060 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 106 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $67,289 | $54,000 | 755,393 | 46 |
| 27 | Virginia | $68,188 | $53,000 | 8,470,020 | 926 |
| 28 | Idaho | $67,683 | $52,000 | 1,716,943 | 82 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $67,632 | $53,000 | 12,805,537 | 497 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $70,563 | $55,000 | 9,005,644 | 304 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $64,349 | $50,000 | 5,024,369 | 261 |
| 32 | Florida | $66,656 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 786 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $68,213 | $54,000 | 1,059,639 | 40 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $63,617 | $50,000 | 693,972 | 182 |
| 35 | Illinois | $66,906 | $53,000 | 12,802,023 | 562 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $66,894 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 66 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $66,129 | $49,000 | 4,684,333 | 131 |
| 38 | Maryland | $65,022 | $51,000 | 6,052,177 | 484 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $63,440 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 51 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $61,308 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 144 |
| 41 | Ohio | $62,264 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 455 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $64,627 | $48,000 | 2,088,070 | 77 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $57,203 | $44,000 | 579,315 | 59 |
| 44 | Kansas | $63,208 | $49,000 | 2,913,123 | 111 |
| 45 | Michigan | $57,998 | $46,000 | 9,962,311 | 419 |
| 46 | Iowa | $60,442 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 167 |
| 47 | Georgia | $56,760 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 565 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $59,061 | $46,000 | 6,715,984 | 207 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $59,769 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 39 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $57,888 | $46,000 | 5,795,483 | 229 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $56,367 | $43,000 | 3,004,279 | 81 |
Highest paying states for highway engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Highway Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $97,789 |
| 2 | Alaska | $81,210 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,940 |
| 4 | Alabama | $76,422 |
| 5 | Oregon | $73,845 |
| 6 | Washington | $73,949 |
| 7 | Maine | $72,366 |
| 8 | Vermont | $71,576 |
| 9 | Missouri | $76,332 |
| 10 | Delaware | $71,887 |
| 11 | New York | $74,473 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $72,525 |
| 13 | Arizona | $69,512 |
| 14 | Indiana | $70,103 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $72,703 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $71,613 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $71,298 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $71,826 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $70,480 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $70,982 |
| 21 | Texas | $67,544 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $68,941 |
| 23 | Utah | $67,197 |
| 24 | Nevada | $67,160 |
| 25 | Montana | $67,060 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $67,289 |
| 27 | Virginia | $68,188 |
| 28 | Idaho | $67,683 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $67,632 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $70,563 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $64,349 |
| 32 | Florida | $66,656 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $68,213 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $63,617 |
| 35 | Illinois | $66,906 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $66,894 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $66,129 |
| 38 | Maryland | $65,022 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $63,440 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $61,308 |
| 41 | Ohio | $62,264 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $64,627 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $57,203 |
| 44 | Kansas | $63,208 |
| 45 | Michigan | $57,998 |
| 46 | Iowa | $60,442 |
| 47 | Georgia | $56,760 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $59,061 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $59,769 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $57,888 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $56,367 |
Expert opinions on the best states for highway engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for highway 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."
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Updated January 8, 2025