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Best states for an industrial engineer
Quoted expert
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for industrial engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for industrial 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 industrial engineers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for industrial engineers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an industrial engineer, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for industrial engineer jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.Washington is the best state, and Anchorage is the city with the highest pay for industrial engineers.
10 best states for industrial engineers in 2026
1. Washington
Total industrial engineer jobs: 1,020 Average annual salary: $97,694 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
2. Oregon
Total industrial engineer jobs: 584 Average annual salary: $89,311 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
3. Massachusetts
Total industrial engineer jobs: 1,326 Average annual salary: $87,722 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
4. New Hampshire
Total industrial engineer jobs: 203 Average annual salary: $84,874 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
5. California
Total industrial engineer jobs: 5,583 Average annual salary: $90,841 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
6. Arizona
Total industrial engineer jobs: 771 Average annual salary: $82,083 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
7. Idaho
Total industrial engineer jobs: 184 Average annual salary: $82,935 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
8. Delaware
Total industrial engineer jobs: 163 Average annual salary: $83,420 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
9. New Mexico
Total industrial engineer jobs: 159 Average annual salary: $87,451 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
10. Alaska
Total industrial engineer jobs: 47 Average annual salary: $106,246 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.51
Industrial engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an industrial engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an industrial engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $97,694 | $75,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,020 |
| 2 | Oregon | $89,311 | $68,000 | 4,142,776 | 584 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $87,722 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,326 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $84,874 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 203 |
| 5 | California | $90,841 | $69,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,583 |
| 6 | Arizona | $82,083 | $63,000 | 7,016,270 | 771 |
| 7 | Idaho | $82,935 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 184 |
| 8 | Delaware | $83,420 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 163 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $87,451 | $67,000 | 2,088,070 | 159 |
| 10 | Alaska | $106,246 | $91,000 | 739,795 | 47 |
| 11 | Nevada | $83,137 | $63,000 | 2,998,039 | 168 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $80,410 | $63,000 | 5,576,606 | 762 |
| 13 | Utah | $78,066 | $59,000 | 3,101,833 | 443 |
| 14 | Michigan | $78,031 | $61,000 | 9,962,311 | 942 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $81,481 | $63,000 | 579,315 | 44 |
| 16 | Texas | $79,417 | $61,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,909 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $81,040 | $63,000 | 693,972 | 285 |
| 18 | Colorado | $79,679 | $62,000 | 5,607,154 | 746 |
| 19 | Virginia | $79,022 | $62,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,215 |
| 20 | Montana | $81,102 | $62,000 | 1,050,493 | 68 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $78,633 | $61,000 | 3,588,184 | 403 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $82,377 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 585 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $78,070 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 104 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $78,613 | $60,000 | 4,684,333 | 176 |
| 25 | Maryland | $76,460 | $60,000 | 6,052,177 | 768 |
| 26 | Alabama | $70,713 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 507 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $73,483 | $58,000 | 1,815,857 | 99 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $72,269 | $57,000 | 3,004,279 | 228 |
| 29 | Maine | $76,730 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 81 |
| 30 | Illinois | $73,219 | $57,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,244 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $71,919 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 71 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $70,848 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 433 |
| 33 | Ohio | $69,170 | $54,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,057 |
| 34 | Iowa | $69,362 | $54,000 | 3,145,711 | 398 |
| 35 | New York | $74,505 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,180 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $71,370 | $56,000 | 869,666 | 47 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $69,444 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,007 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $68,266 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 957 |
| 39 | Indiana | $67,318 | $53,000 | 6,666,818 | 753 |
| 40 | Missouri | $70,768 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 430 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $67,801 | $53,000 | 4,454,189 | 355 |
| 42 | Georgia | $69,074 | $54,000 | 10,429,379 | 978 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $68,201 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 421 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $70,227 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 152 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $68,274 | $54,000 | 1,920,076 | 192 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $65,770 | $51,000 | 5,795,483 | 631 |
| 47 | Kansas | $66,906 | $53,000 | 2,913,123 | 249 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $67,112 | $52,000 | 2,984,100 | 137 |
| 49 | Florida | $63,592 | $48,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,390 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $68,093 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 45 |
| 51 | Vermont | $60,463 | $47,000 | 623,657 | 67 |
Highest paying states for industrial engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Industrial Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $97,694 |
| 2 | Oregon | $89,311 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $87,722 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $84,874 |
| 5 | California | $90,841 |
| 6 | Arizona | $82,083 |
| 7 | Idaho | $82,935 |
| 8 | Delaware | $83,420 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $87,451 |
| 10 | Alaska | $106,246 |
| 11 | Nevada | $83,137 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $80,410 |
| 13 | Utah | $78,066 |
| 14 | Michigan | $78,031 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $81,481 |
| 16 | Texas | $79,417 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $81,040 |
| 18 | Colorado | $79,679 |
| 19 | Virginia | $79,022 |
| 20 | Montana | $81,102 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $78,633 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $82,377 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $78,070 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $78,613 |
| 25 | Maryland | $76,460 |
| 26 | Alabama | $70,713 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $73,483 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $72,269 |
| 29 | Maine | $76,730 |
| 30 | Illinois | $73,219 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $71,919 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $70,848 |
| 33 | Ohio | $69,170 |
| 34 | Iowa | $69,362 |
| 35 | New York | $74,505 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $71,370 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $69,444 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $68,266 |
| 39 | Indiana | $67,318 |
| 40 | Missouri | $70,768 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $67,801 |
| 42 | Georgia | $69,074 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $68,201 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $70,227 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $68,274 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $65,770 |
| 47 | Kansas | $66,906 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $67,112 |
| 49 | Florida | $63,592 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $68,093 |
| 51 | Vermont | $60,463 |
Expert opinions on the best states for industrial engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for industrial engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry Program Coordinator, Assistant Chair, University of Houston - Downtown
Texas is a good place for Chemistry graduates, particularly the city of Houston, which houses the largest medical center in the world, and the largest petroleum industry hub in the world. Most of our graduates find employment in the oil industry but also in those companies that provide services to the petroleum industry, such as chemical supply, waste disposal, chemical safety, etc. Our graduates also find employment in the medical research field, in research labs such as the famous UT Anderson Cancer Center.
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Updated January 8, 2025