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Best states for a mechanical designer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for mechanical designers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for mechanical designer 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 mechanical designers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for mechanical designers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a mechanical designer, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for mechanical designers. Massachusetts is the best state for mechanical designers, where the median salary is $74,633.We found that the West is best for mechanical designers, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for mechanical designer jobs, where as Massachusetts is the best state in the country.
10 best states for mechanical designers in 2026
1. Massachusetts
Total mechanical designer jobs: 1,012 Average annual salary: $74,633 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
2. Washington
Total mechanical designer jobs: 1,007 Average annual salary: $71,828 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
3. Michigan
Total mechanical designer jobs: 653 Average annual salary: $68,584 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
4. District of Columbia
Total mechanical designer jobs: 232 Average annual salary: $78,541 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
5. New Hampshire
Total mechanical designer jobs: 192 Average annual salary: $67,328 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. Maryland
Total mechanical designer jobs: 579 Average annual salary: $74,226 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
7. Virginia
Total mechanical designer jobs: 947 Average annual salary: $69,622 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
8. South Carolina
Total mechanical designer jobs: 310 Average annual salary: $67,741 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
9. Connecticut
Total mechanical designer jobs: 269 Average annual salary: $70,028 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
10. Oregon
Total mechanical designer jobs: 599 Average annual salary: $66,105 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
Mechanical designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a mechanical designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a mechanical designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $74,633 | $56,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,012 |
| 2 | Washington | $71,828 | $54,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,007 |
| 3 | Michigan | $68,584 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 653 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $78,541 | $58,000 | 693,972 | 232 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $67,328 | $51,000 | 1,342,795 | 192 |
| 6 | Maryland | $74,226 | $55,000 | 6,052,177 | 579 |
| 7 | Virginia | $69,622 | $51,000 | 8,470,020 | 947 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $67,741 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 310 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $70,028 | $52,000 | 3,588,184 | 269 |
| 10 | Oregon | $66,105 | $49,000 | 4,142,776 | 599 |
| 11 | California | $70,414 | $49,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,421 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $66,129 | $50,000 | 1,059,639 | 93 |
| 13 | Illinois | $66,724 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 971 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $62,431 | $47,000 | 5,795,483 | 557 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $63,965 | $47,000 | 10,273,419 | 737 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $65,814 | $48,000 | 1,815,857 | 53 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $62,429 | $46,000 | 12,805,537 | 922 |
| 18 | Ohio | $61,672 | $46,000 | 11,658,609 | 775 |
| 19 | Delaware | $66,714 | $49,000 | 961,939 | 77 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $63,608 | $46,000 | 2,088,070 | 136 |
| 21 | Texas | $62,666 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,748 |
| 22 | New York | $64,229 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,557 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $63,173 | $46,000 | 6,715,984 | 324 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $65,926 | $49,000 | 9,005,644 | 532 |
| 25 | Alaska | $68,349 | $58,000 | 739,795 | 40 |
| 26 | Iowa | $61,342 | $46,000 | 3,145,711 | 246 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $62,532 | $46,000 | 4,454,189 | 184 |
| 28 | Kansas | $60,872 | $45,000 | 2,913,123 | 249 |
| 29 | Arizona | $60,922 | $44,000 | 7,016,270 | 517 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $60,029 | $47,000 | 755,393 | 64 |
| 31 | Colorado | $60,735 | $46,000 | 5,607,154 | 549 |
| 32 | Utah | $59,232 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 375 |
| 33 | Georgia | $58,946 | $42,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,079 |
| 34 | Indiana | $59,987 | $45,000 | 6,666,818 | 364 |
| 35 | Maine | $61,113 | $47,000 | 1,335,907 | 80 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $59,045 | $45,000 | 5,576,606 | 636 |
| 37 | Missouri | $60,330 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 392 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $61,598 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 139 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $59,205 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 169 |
| 40 | Alabama | $57,348 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 300 |
| 41 | Nevada | $58,255 | $42,000 | 2,998,039 | 131 |
| 42 | Vermont | $57,569 | $44,000 | 623,657 | 64 |
| 43 | Florida | $58,659 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 998 |
| 44 | Montana | $58,270 | $45,000 | 1,050,493 | 66 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $56,299 | $43,000 | 1,920,076 | 144 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $55,985 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 31 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $55,545 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 76 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $56,872 | $45,000 | 1,427,538 | 29 |
| 49 | Idaho | $52,504 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 84 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $50,028 | $38,000 | 869,666 | 50 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $49,662 | $36,000 | 3,004,279 | 121 |
Highest paying states for mechanical designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Mechanical Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $74,633 |
| 2 | Washington | $71,828 |
| 3 | Michigan | $68,584 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $78,541 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $67,328 |
| 6 | Maryland | $74,226 |
| 7 | Virginia | $69,622 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $67,741 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $70,028 |
| 10 | Oregon | $66,105 |
| 11 | California | $70,414 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $66,129 |
| 13 | Illinois | $66,724 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $62,431 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $63,965 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $65,814 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $62,429 |
| 18 | Ohio | $61,672 |
| 19 | Delaware | $66,714 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $63,608 |
| 21 | Texas | $62,666 |
| 22 | New York | $64,229 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $63,173 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $65,926 |
| 25 | Alaska | $68,349 |
| 26 | Iowa | $61,342 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $62,532 |
| 28 | Kansas | $60,872 |
| 29 | Arizona | $60,922 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $60,029 |
| 31 | Colorado | $60,735 |
| 32 | Utah | $59,232 |
| 33 | Georgia | $58,946 |
| 34 | Indiana | $59,987 |
| 35 | Maine | $61,113 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $59,045 |
| 37 | Missouri | $60,330 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $61,598 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $59,205 |
| 40 | Alabama | $57,348 |
| 41 | Nevada | $58,255 |
| 42 | Vermont | $57,569 |
| 43 | Florida | $58,659 |
| 44 | Montana | $58,270 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $56,299 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $55,985 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $55,545 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $56,872 |
| 49 | Idaho | $52,504 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $50,028 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $49,662 |
Expert opinions on the best states for mechanical designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for mechanical designers 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