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Best states for a lead mechanical engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to lead mechanical engineer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Although there are abundant lead mechanical engineer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. California is the best state in the country for lead mechanical engineer jobs.
In order to get you the best states for lead mechanical 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 lead mechanical engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for lead mechanical engineers in 2025
1. California
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 7,872 Average annual salary: $127,748 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.72. Idaho
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 403 Average annual salary: $112,591 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.553. District of Columbia
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 407 Average annual salary: $129,907 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.534. Oregon
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 914 Average annual salary: $114,423 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 1.45. New Hampshire
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 324 Average annual salary: $105,212 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.176. Rhode Island
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 176 Average annual salary: $109,226 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.927. Delaware
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 197 Average annual salary: $106,215 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.998. Massachusetts
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 1,856 Average annual salary: $101,289 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.289. Nevada
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 541 Average annual salary: $97,148 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.6410. Texas
Total lead mechanical engineer jobs: 2,906 Average annual salary: $102,566 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
Lead mechanical engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead mechanical engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead mechanical engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $127,748 | $93,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,872 |
| 2 | Idaho | $112,591 | $83,000 | 1,716,943 | 403 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $129,907 | $98,000 | 693,972 | 407 |
| 4 | Oregon | $114,423 | $84,000 | 4,142,776 | 914 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $105,212 | $80,000 | 1,342,795 | 324 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $109,226 | $83,000 | 1,059,639 | 176 |
| 7 | Delaware | $106,215 | $80,000 | 961,939 | 197 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $101,289 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,856 |
| 9 | Nevada | $97,148 | $71,000 | 2,998,039 | 541 |
| 10 | Texas | $102,566 | $76,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,906 |
| 11 | Arizona | $99,162 | $74,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,040 |
| 12 | Alaska | $97,781 | $79,000 | 739,795 | 180 |
| 13 | Michigan | $98,167 | $76,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,086 |
| 14 | Washington | $97,369 | $72,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,553 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $96,330 | $73,000 | 3,930,864 | 499 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $93,802 | $70,000 | 2,088,070 | 450 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $99,218 | $75,000 | 3,588,184 | 491 |
| 18 | Colorado | $97,463 | $73,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,099 |
| 19 | Utah | $94,026 | $69,000 | 3,101,833 | 582 |
| 20 | Virginia | $97,046 | $73,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,819 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $97,767 | $75,000 | 1,815,857 | 105 |
| 22 | New York | $98,734 | $75,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,026 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $100,388 | $76,000 | 9,005,644 | 956 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $97,402 | $74,000 | 6,715,984 | 454 |
| 25 | Maryland | $97,859 | $74,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,132 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $92,284 | $72,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,041 |
| 27 | Illinois | $92,754 | $72,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,503 |
| 28 | Ohio | $86,273 | $66,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,203 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $89,133 | $67,000 | 5,024,369 | 475 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $91,094 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 222 |
| 31 | Vermont | $87,929 | $67,000 | 623,657 | 110 |
| 32 | Montana | $81,885 | $62,000 | 1,050,493 | 278 |
| 33 | Alabama | $84,182 | $63,000 | 4,874,747 | 564 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $84,798 | $64,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,437 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $84,689 | $64,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,328 |
| 36 | Georgia | $85,191 | $65,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,311 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $83,114 | $63,000 | 579,315 | 75 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $83,470 | $65,000 | 5,795,483 | 686 |
| 39 | Maine | $85,687 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 118 |
| 40 | Kansas | $73,527 | $56,000 | 2,913,123 | 640 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $71,364 | $55,000 | 1,920,076 | 483 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $73,604 | $57,000 | 869,666 | 175 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $80,908 | $62,000 | 4,454,189 | 264 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $78,667 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 101 |
| 45 | Indiana | $77,554 | $60,000 | 6,666,818 | 741 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $69,915 | $53,000 | 3,004,279 | 472 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $80,803 | $67,000 | 1,427,538 | 88 |
| 48 | Florida | $79,440 | $57,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,698 |
| 49 | Missouri | $78,976 | $60,000 | 6,113,532 | 577 |
| 50 | Iowa | $76,377 | $59,000 | 3,145,711 | 384 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $77,696 | $58,000 | 2,984,100 | 128 |
Highest paying states for lead mechanical engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Mechanical Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $127,748 |
| 2 | Idaho | $112,591 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $129,907 |
| 4 | Oregon | $114,423 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $105,212 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $109,226 |
| 7 | Delaware | $106,215 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $101,289 |
| 9 | Nevada | $97,148 |
| 10 | Texas | $102,566 |
| 11 | Arizona | $99,162 |
| 12 | Alaska | $97,781 |
| 13 | Michigan | $98,167 |
| 14 | Washington | $97,369 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $96,330 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $93,802 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $99,218 |
| 18 | Colorado | $97,463 |
| 19 | Utah | $94,026 |
| 20 | Virginia | $97,046 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $97,767 |
| 22 | New York | $98,734 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $100,388 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $97,402 |
| 25 | Maryland | $97,859 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $92,284 |
| 27 | Illinois | $92,754 |
| 28 | Ohio | $86,273 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $89,133 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $91,094 |
| 31 | Vermont | $87,929 |
| 32 | Montana | $81,885 |
| 33 | Alabama | $84,182 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $84,798 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $84,689 |
| 36 | Georgia | $85,191 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $83,114 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $83,470 |
| 39 | Maine | $85,687 |
| 40 | Kansas | $73,527 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $71,364 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $73,604 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $80,908 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $78,667 |
| 45 | Indiana | $77,554 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $69,915 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $80,803 |
| 48 | Florida | $79,440 |
| 49 | Missouri | $78,976 |
| 50 | Iowa | $76,377 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $77,696 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead mechanical engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead mechanical engineers to find work opportunities?
Andy Gerrick
Associate Professor and Chair, Embry-Riddle, Prescott
Mechanical engineering is the most general field of engineering. Any industry that designs or produces physical products, from toys to spacecraft, hires mechanical engineers. The aerospace industry, where I spent 35 years as a mechanical engineer, hires many more mechanical engineers than aerospace engineers.
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Updated January 8, 2025