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Best states for an operations engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for operations engineers in the United States. Operations engineer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for operations engineers.In order to help you decide which state is the best for operations engineers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for operations engineer jobs.
In order to get you the best states for operations engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Northeast is best for operations engineers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for operations engineer jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for operations engineers in 2025
1. California
Total operations engineer jobs: 8,597 Average annual salary: $113,365 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
2. District of Columbia
Total operations engineer jobs: 583 Average annual salary: $106,733 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
3. Washington
Total operations engineer jobs: 2,771 Average annual salary: $94,004 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.7
4. Texas
Total operations engineer jobs: 5,407 Average annual salary: $90,590 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
5. Nevada
Total operations engineer jobs: 460 Average annual salary: $92,471 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
6. Oregon
Total operations engineer jobs: 1,429 Average annual salary: $90,381 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
7. West Virginia
Total operations engineer jobs: 271 Average annual salary: $94,477 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
8. North Carolina
Total operations engineer jobs: 2,251 Average annual salary: $87,085 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
9. New Mexico
Total operations engineer jobs: 378 Average annual salary: $90,912 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
10. Virginia
Total operations engineer jobs: 2,432 Average annual salary: $89,856 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
Operations engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an operations engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an operations engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $113,365 | $75,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,597 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $106,733 | $69,000 | 693,972 | 583 |
| 3 | Washington | $94,004 | $65,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,771 |
| 4 | Texas | $90,590 | $56,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,407 |
| 5 | Nevada | $92,471 | $61,000 | 2,998,039 | 460 |
| 6 | Oregon | $90,381 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,429 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $94,477 | $60,000 | 1,815,857 | 271 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $87,085 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,251 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $90,912 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 378 |
| 10 | Virginia | $89,856 | $57,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,432 |
| 11 | Maryland | $95,800 | $62,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,276 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $82,468 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 252 |
| 13 | Arizona | $91,595 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,021 |
| 14 | Illinois | $87,602 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,784 |
| 15 | Ohio | $86,504 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,039 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $86,396 | $53,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,051 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $83,899 | $54,000 | 1,059,639 | 334 |
| 18 | Michigan | $83,470 | $53,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,819 |
| 19 | Utah | $81,586 | $55,000 | 3,101,833 | 964 |
| 20 | Georgia | $84,751 | $51,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,195 |
| 21 | Delaware | $89,950 | $58,000 | 961,939 | 204 |
| 22 | Alaska | $85,162 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 210 |
| 23 | New York | $92,568 | $60,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,781 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $82,082 | $53,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,506 |
| 25 | Idaho | $81,375 | $56,000 | 1,716,943 | 370 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $89,393 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 477 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $83,178 | $49,000 | 4,684,333 | 531 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $82,363 | $50,000 | 5,024,369 | 817 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $82,199 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,475 |
| 30 | Colorado | $81,833 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,418 |
| 31 | Alabama | $77,628 | $46,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,027 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $83,105 | $52,000 | 3,930,864 | 478 |
| 33 | Indiana | $76,948 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,368 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $85,108 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,504 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $86,585 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 817 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $71,394 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 167 |
| 37 | Missouri | $78,412 | $50,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,054 |
| 38 | Florida | $73,896 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,525 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $74,008 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 472 |
| 40 | Kansas | $76,082 | $49,000 | 2,913,123 | 538 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $72,016 | $47,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,219 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $61,114 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 230 |
| 43 | Vermont | $64,395 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 233 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $72,934 | $45,000 | 4,454,189 | 660 |
| 45 | Montana | $67,508 | $47,000 | 1,050,493 | 260 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $73,737 | $44,000 | 2,984,100 | 106 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | $75,269 | $48,000 | 1,342,795 | 215 |
| 48 | Iowa | $69,040 | $45,000 | 3,145,711 | 652 |
| 49 | Maine | $66,085 | $42,000 | 1,335,907 | 279 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $64,832 | $40,000 | 3,004,279 | 539 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $65,791 | $44,000 | 869,666 | 198 |
Highest paying states for operations engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Operations Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $113,365 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $106,733 |
| 3 | Washington | $94,004 |
| 4 | Texas | $90,590 |
| 5 | Nevada | $92,471 |
| 6 | Oregon | $90,381 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $94,477 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $87,085 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $90,912 |
| 10 | Virginia | $89,856 |
| 11 | Maryland | $95,800 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $82,468 |
| 13 | Arizona | $91,595 |
| 14 | Illinois | $87,602 |
| 15 | Ohio | $86,504 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $86,396 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $83,899 |
| 18 | Michigan | $83,470 |
| 19 | Utah | $81,586 |
| 20 | Georgia | $84,751 |
| 21 | Delaware | $89,950 |
| 22 | Alaska | $85,162 |
| 23 | New York | $92,568 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $82,082 |
| 25 | Idaho | $81,375 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $89,393 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $83,178 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $82,363 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $82,199 |
| 30 | Colorado | $81,833 |
| 31 | Alabama | $77,628 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $83,105 |
| 33 | Indiana | $76,948 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $85,108 |
| 35 | New Jersey | $86,585 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $71,394 |
| 37 | Missouri | $78,412 |
| 38 | Florida | $73,896 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $74,008 |
| 40 | Kansas | $76,082 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $72,016 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $61,114 |
| 43 | Vermont | $64,395 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $72,934 |
| 45 | Montana | $67,508 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $73,737 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | $75,269 |
| 48 | Iowa | $69,040 |
| 49 | Maine | $66,085 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $64,832 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $65,791 |
Expert opinions on the best states for operations engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for operations engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
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Updated January 8, 2025