Best cities for a performance engineer
The best cities for performance engineers are San Francisco, CA, Fremont, CA, and North Las Vegas, NV, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for performance engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for performance engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a performance engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for performance engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for performance engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a performance engineer. While the absolute best city for performance engineers is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for performance engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a performance engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for performance engineers in 2025
1. San Francisco, CA
Total performance engineer jobs: 196 Average annual salary: $138,066 Lowest 10 percent warn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location quotient: 13.24 2. Fremont, CA
Total performance engineer jobs: 56 Average annual salary: $137,154 Lowest 10 percent warn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location quotient: 18.81 3. North Las Vegas, NV
Total performance engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $103,788 Lowest 10 percent warn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location quotient: 24.72 4. Columbus, OH
Total performance engineer jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $89,676 Lowest 10 percent warn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location quotient: 10.31 5. Seattle, WA
Total performance engineer jobs: 77 Average annual salary: $119,460 Lowest 10 percent warn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location quotient: 6.16 6. Austin, TX
Total performance engineer jobs: 94 Average annual salary: $93,706 Lowest 10 percent warn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location quotient: 9.50 7. Oakland, CA
Total performance engineer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $137,791 Lowest 10 percent warn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location quotient: 4.24 8. San Jose, CA
Total performance engineer jobs: 41 Average annual salary: $136,676 Lowest 10 percent warn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location quotient: 3.91 9. San Diego, CA
Total performance engineer jobs: 61 Average annual salary: $118,419 Lowest 10 percent warn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location quotient: 6.79 10. Cincinnati, OH
Total performance engineer jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $88,874 Lowest 10 percent warn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location quotient: 4.69
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Best cities for performance engineers
- San Francisco, CA
- Fremont, CA
- North Las Vegas, NV
- Columbus, OH
- Seattle, WA
- Austin, TX
- Oakland, CA
- San Jose, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Cincinnati, OH
- (196 performance engineer jobs)
- (56 performance engineer jobs)
- (4 performance engineer jobs)
- (68 performance engineer jobs)
- (77 performance engineer jobs)
- (94 performance engineer jobs)
- (6 performance engineer jobs)
- (41 performance engineer jobs)
- (61 performance engineer jobs)
- (15 performance engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a performance engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $138,066 | $100,000 | 870,887 | 196 |
| 2 | Fremont, CA | $137,154 | $99,000 | 233,136 | 56 |
| 3 | North Las Vegas, NV | $103,788 | $75,000 | 238,702 | 4 |
| 4 | Columbus, OH | $89,676 | $67,000 | 860,090 | 68 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $119,460 | $87,000 | 704,352 | 77 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $93,706 | $69,000 | 947,890 | 94 |
| 7 | Oakland, CA | $137,791 | $100,000 | 420,005 | 6 |
| 8 | San Jose, CA | $136,676 | $99,000 | 1,025,350 | 41 |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | $118,419 | $87,000 | 1,406,630 | 61 |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH | $88,874 | $67,000 | 298,800 | 15 |
| 11 | Detroit, MI | $88,424 | $67,000 | 672,795 | 24 |
| 12 | Irving, TX | $92,975 | $69,000 | 238,289 | 34 |
| 13 | Arlington, TX | $93,103 | $69,000 | 392,772 | 4 |
| 14 | Glendale, AZ | $92,122 | $68,000 | 245,895 | 9 |
| 15 | Plano, TX | $92,727 | $69,000 | 286,057 | 30 |
| 16 | Sacramento, CA | $137,264 | $99,000 | 495,234 | 7 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $89,947 | $67,000 | 458,880 | 27 |
| 18 | Durham, NC | $89,895 | $67,000 | 263,016 | 17 |
| 19 | Scottsdale, AZ | $92,084 | $68,000 | 246,645 | 12 |
| 20 | Pittsburgh, PA | $89,522 | $67,000 | 303,625 | 20 |
| 21 | Long Beach, CA | $121,330 | $89,000 | 470,130 | 2 |
| 22 | Charlotte, NC | $88,792 | $66,000 | 842,051 | 63 |
| 23 | Portland, OR | $106,036 | $77,000 | 639,863 | 14 |
| 24 | Irvine, CA | $120,664 | $89,000 | 266,122 | 9 |
| 25 | Dallas, TX | $92,965 | $69,000 | 1,317,929 | 30 |
| 26 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $88,346 | $64,000 | 260,999 | 10 |
| 27 | Las Vegas, NV | $103,886 | $76,000 | 632,912 | 5 |
| 28 | Reno, NV | $111,608 | $81,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 29 | Chandler, AZ | $91,813 | $68,000 | 247,477 | 8 |
| 30 | Houston, TX | $93,299 | $69,000 | 2,303,482 | 44 |
| 31 | Stockton, CA | $136,839 | $99,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 32 | Fort Worth, TX | $93,161 | $69,000 | 854,113 | 6 |
| 33 | Philadelphia, PA | $91,422 | $68,000 | 1,567,872 | 14 |
| 34 | Atlanta, GA | $85,869 | $64,000 | 472,522 | 97 |
| 35 | Los Angeles, CA | $122,402 | $90,000 | 3,976,322 | 16 |
| 36 | Tucson, AZ | $90,779 | $67,000 | 530,706 | 8 |
| 37 | Fresno, CA | $133,113 | $97,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 38 | Cleveland, OH | $90,596 | $68,000 | 385,809 | 2 |
| 39 | Bakersfield, CA | $128,212 | $93,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 40 | Anaheim, CA | $121,226 | $89,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 41 | Henderson, NV | $103,103 | $75,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 42 | Riverside, CA | $120,983 | $89,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 43 | Toledo, OH | $89,820 | $68,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 44 | Santa Ana, CA | $120,928 | $89,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 45 | Jersey City, NJ | $97,677 | $73,000 | 264,152 | 25 |
| 46 | San Antonio, TX | $93,770 | $69,000 | 1,492,510 | 5 |
| 47 | Phoenix, AZ | $92,105 | $68,000 | 1,615,017 | 27 |
| 48 | El Paso, TX | $95,871 | $71,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 49 | Lexington, KY | $88,758 | $67,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 50 | Chicago, IL | $88,699 | $67,000 | 2,704,958 | 72 |
Highest paying cities for performance engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. performance engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $138,066 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $119,460 |
| 3 | Wilmington, DE | $102,290 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $97,677 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $96,652 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $95,144 |
| 7 | Bethesda, MD | $94,662 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $94,426 |
| 9 | Merrimack, NH | $94,201 |
| 10 | Reston, VA | $93,792 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $93,706 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $92,105 |
| 13 | Boulder, CO | $91,856 |
| 14 | Raleigh, NC | $89,947 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $89,676 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $88,699 |
| 17 | Detroit, MI | $88,424 |
| 18 | Tampa, FL | $88,280 |
| 19 | Milford, CT | $87,566 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | $86,207 |
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Updated January 8, 2025