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Best states for a principal consulting engineer
- 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 principal consulting engineers in the United States. Principal consulting 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 principal consulting engineers.Our research found that Washington is the best state for principal consulting engineers, while California and Washington are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Washington has a median salary of $124,453 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for principal consulting engineers.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for principal consulting engineers.We found that the Midwest is best for principal consulting engineers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for principal consulting engineer jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for principal consulting engineers in 2026
1. Washington
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 2,338 Average annual salary: $124,453 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
2. California
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 6,835 Average annual salary: $129,749 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
3. Nevada
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 295 Average annual salary: $122,417 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
4. Oregon
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 1,085 Average annual salary: $113,960 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
5. Florida
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 2,504 Average annual salary: $114,908 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
6. District of Columbia
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 495 Average annual salary: $120,985 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.81
7. Texas
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 3,101 Average annual salary: $112,658 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
8. New York
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 2,142 Average annual salary: $119,612 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
9. New Mexico
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 237 Average annual salary: $114,018 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.74
10. Illinois
Total principal consulting engineer jobs: 2,032 Average annual salary: $109,805 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
Principal consulting engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal consulting engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal consulting engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $124,453 | $92,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,338 |
| 2 | California | $129,749 | $98,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,835 |
| 3 | Nevada | $122,417 | $92,000 | 2,998,039 | 295 |
| 4 | Oregon | $113,960 | $84,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,085 |
| 5 | Florida | $114,908 | $89,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,504 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $120,985 | $93,000 | 693,972 | 495 |
| 7 | Texas | $112,658 | $86,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,101 |
| 8 | New York | $119,612 | $92,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,142 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $114,018 | $86,000 | 2,088,070 | 237 |
| 10 | Illinois | $109,805 | $85,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,032 |
| 11 | Arizona | $105,682 | $80,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,304 |
| 12 | Maryland | $112,595 | $86,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,257 |
| 13 | Georgia | $110,824 | $85,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,398 |
| 14 | Alaska | $113,635 | $94,000 | 739,795 | 101 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $113,197 | $87,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,177 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $101,156 | $78,000 | 1,059,639 | 309 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $109,833 | $84,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,334 |
| 18 | Idaho | $102,032 | $76,000 | 1,716,943 | 313 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $103,275 | $79,000 | 1,815,857 | 164 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $109,740 | $84,000 | 4,684,333 | 235 |
| 21 | Virginia | $101,884 | $78,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,536 |
| 22 | Colorado | $100,817 | $77,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,344 |
| 23 | Alabama | $99,359 | $76,000 | 4,874,747 | 552 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $96,667 | $75,000 | 1,342,795 | 321 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $106,813 | $87,000 | 1,427,538 | 128 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $99,430 | $76,000 | 6,715,984 | 437 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $97,948 | $75,000 | 3,588,184 | 626 |
| 28 | Delaware | $96,303 | $74,000 | 961,939 | 225 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $95,068 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,671 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $97,372 | $75,000 | 4,454,189 | 318 |
| 31 | Michigan | $96,466 | $74,000 | 9,962,311 | 886 |
| 32 | Maine | $98,337 | $76,000 | 1,335,907 | 112 |
| 33 | Utah | $93,711 | $70,000 | 3,101,833 | 437 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $96,575 | $74,000 | 3,930,864 | 205 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $91,225 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,414 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $88,950 | $68,000 | 579,315 | 99 |
| 37 | Vermont | $89,229 | $69,000 | 623,657 | 184 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $90,919 | $71,000 | 755,393 | 100 |
| 39 | Kansas | $91,169 | $70,000 | 2,913,123 | 326 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $93,046 | $72,000 | 5,024,369 | 410 |
| 41 | Indiana | $89,176 | $68,000 | 6,666,818 | 713 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $89,139 | $68,000 | 1,920,076 | 286 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $88,592 | $69,000 | 5,576,606 | 971 |
| 44 | Montana | $85,189 | $64,000 | 1,050,493 | 194 |
| 45 | Ohio | $87,036 | $67,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,078 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $88,176 | $68,000 | 2,984,100 | 113 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $83,858 | $65,000 | 5,795,483 | 774 |
| 48 | Missouri | $88,343 | $68,000 | 6,113,532 | 527 |
| 49 | Iowa | $87,010 | $67,000 | 3,145,711 | 378 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $77,057 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 343 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $83,923 | $65,000 | 869,666 | 81 |
Highest paying states for principal consulting engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Consulting Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $124,453 |
| 2 | California | $129,749 |
| 3 | Nevada | $122,417 |
| 4 | Oregon | $113,960 |
| 5 | Florida | $114,908 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $120,985 |
| 7 | Texas | $112,658 |
| 8 | New York | $119,612 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $114,018 |
| 10 | Illinois | $109,805 |
| 11 | Arizona | $105,682 |
| 12 | Maryland | $112,595 |
| 13 | Georgia | $110,824 |
| 14 | Alaska | $113,635 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $113,197 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $101,156 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $109,833 |
| 18 | Idaho | $102,032 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $103,275 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $109,740 |
| 21 | Virginia | $101,884 |
| 22 | Colorado | $100,817 |
| 23 | Alabama | $99,359 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $96,667 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $106,813 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $99,430 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $97,948 |
| 28 | Delaware | $96,303 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $95,068 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $97,372 |
| 31 | Michigan | $96,466 |
| 32 | Maine | $98,337 |
| 33 | Utah | $93,711 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $96,575 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $91,225 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $88,950 |
| 37 | Vermont | $89,229 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $90,919 |
| 39 | Kansas | $91,169 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $93,046 |
| 41 | Indiana | $89,176 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $89,139 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $88,592 |
| 44 | Montana | $85,189 |
| 45 | Ohio | $87,036 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $88,176 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $83,858 |
| 48 | Missouri | $88,343 |
| 49 | Iowa | $87,010 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $77,057 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $83,923 |
Principal consulting engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025