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Best states for a manufacturing development engineer
Quoted expert
Neil Littell
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for manufacturing development engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for manufacturing development 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.Although there are abundant manufacturing development engineer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. California is the best state in the country for manufacturing development engineer jobs.
We figured that the best places for manufacturing development 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.We found that California is the best state for manufacturing development engineer jobs, whereas Vermont is the worst.
10 best states for manufacturing development engineers in 2026
1. California
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 7,921 Average annual salary: $106,497 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
2. New Mexico
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 473 Average annual salary: $92,255 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
3. Texas
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 5,310 Average annual salary: $83,354 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
4. Oregon
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 840 Average annual salary: $89,842 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
5. Michigan
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 2,335 Average annual salary: $77,619 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
6. Arizona
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 1,793 Average annual salary: $77,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
7. Massachusetts
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 2,037 Average annual salary: $83,919 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
8. Montana
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 281 Average annual salary: $78,937 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
9. Washington
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 1,290 Average annual salary: $90,292 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
10. Pennsylvania
Total manufacturing development engineer jobs: 2,578 Average annual salary: $78,946 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
Manufacturing development engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a manufacturing development engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a manufacturing development engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $106,497 | $77,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,921 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $92,255 | $67,000 | 2,088,070 | 473 |
| 3 | Texas | $83,354 | $60,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,310 |
| 4 | Oregon | $89,842 | $66,000 | 4,142,776 | 840 |
| 5 | Michigan | $77,619 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,335 |
| 6 | Arizona | $77,925 | $57,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,793 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $83,919 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,037 |
| 8 | Montana | $78,937 | $56,000 | 1,050,493 | 281 |
| 9 | Washington | $90,292 | $66,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,290 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $78,946 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,578 |
| 11 | Nevada | $78,592 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 463 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $84,534 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 75 |
| 13 | Idaho | $83,587 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 221 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $73,426 | $54,000 | 755,393 | 231 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $82,857 | $60,000 | 3,588,184 | 560 |
| 16 | Colorado | $81,897 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,068 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $74,995 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,303 |
| 18 | Alaska | $74,217 | $60,000 | 739,795 | 172 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $70,673 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 428 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $68,255 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 326 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $72,432 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 330 |
| 22 | Indiana | $66,132 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,641 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $79,221 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 969 |
| 24 | Virginia | $77,065 | $56,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,538 |
| 25 | Utah | $72,459 | $51,000 | 3,101,833 | 524 |
| 26 | Alabama | $65,579 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,163 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $69,797 | $51,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,813 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $72,562 | $53,000 | 1,059,639 | 152 |
| 29 | New York | $76,469 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,701 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $66,148 | $48,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,191 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $69,889 | $49,000 | 4,684,333 | 531 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $77,190 | $56,000 | 693,972 | 236 |
| 33 | Delaware | $73,516 | $53,000 | 961,939 | 197 |
| 34 | Ohio | $64,980 | $47,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,350 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $68,665 | $50,000 | 5,024,369 | 871 |
| 36 | Maryland | $72,725 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,197 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,890 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 790 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $64,886 | $47,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,347 |
| 39 | Illinois | $72,211 | $53,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,661 |
| 40 | Maine | $69,812 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 137 |
| 41 | Georgia | $64,526 | $47,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,453 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $69,234 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 171 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $62,394 | $46,000 | 4,454,189 | 904 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $63,283 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 513 |
| 45 | Kansas | $63,830 | $46,000 | 2,913,123 | 659 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $65,951 | $48,000 | 3,930,864 | 463 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $60,335 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 586 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $63,625 | $46,000 | 869,666 | 187 |
| 49 | Florida | $56,595 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,599 |
| 50 | Missouri | $61,241 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,240 |
| 51 | Vermont | $65,335 | $48,000 | 623,657 | 97 |
Highest paying states for manufacturing development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Manufacturing Development Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $106,497 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $92,255 |
| 3 | Texas | $83,354 |
| 4 | Oregon | $89,842 |
| 5 | Michigan | $77,619 |
| 6 | Arizona | $77,925 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $83,919 |
| 8 | Montana | $78,937 |
| 9 | Washington | $90,292 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $78,946 |
| 11 | Nevada | $78,592 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $84,534 |
| 13 | Idaho | $83,587 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $73,426 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $82,857 |
| 16 | Colorado | $81,897 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $74,995 |
| 18 | Alaska | $74,217 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $70,673 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $68,255 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $72,432 |
| 22 | Indiana | $66,132 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $79,221 |
| 24 | Virginia | $77,065 |
| 25 | Utah | $72,459 |
| 26 | Alabama | $65,579 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $69,797 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $72,562 |
| 29 | New York | $76,469 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $66,148 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $69,889 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $77,190 |
| 33 | Delaware | $73,516 |
| 34 | Ohio | $64,980 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $68,665 |
| 36 | Maryland | $72,725 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,890 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $64,886 |
| 39 | Illinois | $72,211 |
| 40 | Maine | $69,812 |
| 41 | Georgia | $64,526 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $69,234 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $62,394 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $63,283 |
| 45 | Kansas | $63,830 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $65,951 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $60,335 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $63,625 |
| 49 | Florida | $56,595 |
| 50 | Missouri | $61,241 |
| 51 | Vermont | $65,335 |
Expert opinions on the best states for manufacturing development engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for manufacturing development engineers to find work opportunities?
Neil Littell
Associate Professor and Kraft Family Scholar, Ohio University
Manufacturing in the United States is booming almost everywhere. California, Texas, Ohio, and Indiana are all doing exceptionally well. For new graduates, this is a terrific time to be in manufacturing because many openings are being created through workforce retirements and a desire to implement new technologies, such as robotic automation. Right now, we are at the beginning of the 4th industrial revolution. We are driven by technology to lower manufacturing costs while increasing the speed and technological innovation within manufacturing facilities. In the U.S., new digital engineering and manufacturing technologies are enabling companies to launch better products faster and with more options and advanced features. This is driving American product innovation and creating domestic jobs.
Manufacturing development engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025