Best cities for an operations engineer
The best cities for operations engineers are San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, and Nashville, TN, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for operations engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for operations engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as an operations engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for operations engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for operations engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as an operations engineer. While the absolute best city for operations engineers is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for operations engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for an operations engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for operations engineers in 2025
1. San Francisco, CA
Operations engineer jobs in San FranciscoTotal operations engineer jobs: 251 Average annual salary: $118,147 Lowest 10 percent warn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location quotient: 3.78 2. San Jose, CA
Operations engineer jobs in San JoseTotal operations engineer jobs: 115 Average annual salary: $117,657 Lowest 10 percent warn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location quotient: 2.45 3. Nashville, TN
Operations engineer jobs in NashvilleTotal operations engineer jobs: 47 Average annual salary: $86,682 Lowest 10 percent warn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location quotient: 2.70 4. Austin, TX
Operations engineer jobs in AustinTotal operations engineer jobs: 130 Average annual salary: $91,188 Lowest 10 percent warn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location quotient: 2.93 5. Anaheim, CA
Operations engineer jobs in AnaheimTotal operations engineer jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $111,683 Lowest 10 percent warn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location quotient: 6.84 6. Gilbert, AZ
Operations engineer jobs in GilbertTotal operations engineer jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $91,422 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location quotient: 4.36 7. Bakersfield, CA
Total operations engineer jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $114,683 Lowest 10 percent warn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location quotient: 2.33 8. Fort Worth, TX
Operations engineer jobs in Fort WorthTotal operations engineer jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $90,942 Lowest 10 percent warn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location quotient: 2.64 9. El Paso, TX
Operations engineer jobs in El PasoTotal operations engineer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $94,061 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location quotient: 1.59 10. Columbus, OH
Operations engineer jobs in ColumbusTotal operations engineer jobs: 53 Average annual salary: $86,904 Lowest 10 percent warn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location quotient: 1.79
Choose from 10+ customizable operations engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use operations engineer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your operations engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for operations engineers
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
- Anaheim, CA
- Gilbert, AZ
- Bakersfield, CA
- Fort Worth, TX
- El Paso, TX
- Columbus, OH
Detailed list of the best cities for an operations engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $118,147 | $78,000 | 870,887 | 251 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $117,657 | $78,000 | 1,025,350 | 115 |
| 3 | Nashville, TN | $86,682 | $53,000 | 660,388 | 47 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $91,188 | $55,000 | 947,890 | 130 |
| 5 | Anaheim, CA | $111,683 | $73,000 | 351,043 | 23 |
| 6 | Gilbert, AZ | $91,422 | $60,000 | 237,133 | 7 |
| 7 | Bakersfield, CA | $114,683 | $76,000 | 376,380 | 7 |
| 8 | Fort Worth, TX | $90,942 | $56,000 | 854,113 | 29 |
| 9 | El Paso, TX | $94,061 | $60,000 | 683,080 | 6 |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | $86,904 | $55,000 | 860,090 | 53 |
| 11 | Raleigh, NC | $87,751 | $54,000 | 458,880 | 66 |
| 12 | Oakland, CA | $117,991 | $78,000 | 420,005 | 9 |
| 13 | Laredo, TX | $88,909 | $53,000 | 257,156 | 4 |
| 14 | Long Beach, CA | $111,774 | $74,000 | 470,130 | 11 |
| 15 | Santa Ana, CA | $111,469 | $73,000 | 334,217 | 9 |
| 16 | San Antonio, TX | $90,918 | $55,000 | 1,492,510 | 39 |
| 17 | Cincinnati, OH | $86,112 | $54,000 | 298,800 | 24 |
| 18 | Plano, TX | $90,245 | $56,000 | 286,057 | 53 |
| 19 | Sacramento, CA | $117,180 | $78,000 | 495,234 | 16 |
| 20 | Los Angeles, CA | $112,429 | $74,000 | 3,976,322 | 108 |
| 21 | Fremont, CA | $117,775 | $78,000 | 233,136 | 14 |
| 22 | Las Vegas, NV | $92,097 | $60,000 | 632,912 | 18 |
| 23 | Philadelphia, PA | $82,513 | $53,000 | 1,567,872 | 109 |
| 24 | Seattle, WA | $94,700 | $65,000 | 704,352 | 206 |
| 25 | Irving, TX | $90,601 | $56,000 | 238,289 | 38 |
| 26 | Arlington, TX | $90,805 | $56,000 | 392,772 | 4 |
| 27 | Detroit, MI | $83,787 | $53,000 | 672,795 | 35 |
| 28 | Tulsa, OK | $82,128 | $51,000 | 403,090 | 20 |
| 29 | Saint Paul, MN | $82,310 | $54,000 | 302,398 | 49 |
| 30 | Phoenix, AZ | $91,849 | $60,000 | 1,615,017 | 52 |
| 31 | Durham, NC | $87,726 | $54,000 | 263,016 | 19 |
| 32 | New Orleans, LA | $82,704 | $48,000 | 391,495 | 16 |
| 33 | Norfolk, VA | $90,291 | $57,000 | 245,115 | 15 |
| 34 | Houston, TX | $89,755 | $53,000 | 2,303,482 | 110 |
| 35 | Oklahoma City, OK | $83,502 | $52,000 | 638,367 | 29 |
| 36 | Reno, NV | $94,629 | $63,000 | 245,255 | 3 |
| 37 | Irvine, CA | $111,260 | $73,000 | 266,122 | 22 |
| 38 | Dallas, TX | $90,545 | $56,000 | 1,317,929 | 41 |
| 39 | Chicago, IL | $87,703 | $56,000 | 2,704,958 | 136 |
| 40 | Minneapolis, MN | $82,282 | $54,000 | 413,651 | 69 |
| 41 | San Diego, CA | $108,726 | $72,000 | 1,406,630 | 74 |
| 42 | Stockton, CA | $117,219 | $78,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 43 | Toledo, OH | $85,742 | $55,000 | 278,508 | 2 |
| 44 | Scottsdale, AZ | $91,872 | $60,000 | 246,645 | 6 |
| 45 | Albuquerque, NM | $91,290 | $59,000 | 559,277 | 6 |
| 46 | Memphis, TN | $85,448 | $52,000 | 652,717 | 6 |
| 47 | North Las Vegas, NV | $91,937 | $60,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 48 | Fresno, CA | $115,816 | $76,000 | 522,053 | 1 |
| 49 | Riverside, CA | $111,452 | $73,000 | 324,722 | 4 |
| 50 | Henderson, NV | $91,878 | $60,000 | 292,969 | - |
Highest paying cities for operations engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. operations engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $118,147 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $106,768 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $94,700 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $93,126 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $91,849 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $91,188 |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | $89,880 |
| 8 | Raleigh, NC | $87,751 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $87,703 |
| 10 | Mount Laurel, NJ | $87,100 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $86,904 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $84,797 |
| 13 | Boston, MA | $84,769 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $83,787 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $82,513 |
| 16 | Saint Paul, MN | $82,310 |
| 17 | Denver, CO | $81,647 |
| 18 | Columbus, IN | $77,200 |
Operations engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for operations engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025