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Best states for a principle engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and architecture and engineering careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to principle engineer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for principle engineers.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of principle engineers in America is $171,000.
In order to get you the best states for principle engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.California is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for principle engineers.
10 best states for principle engineers in 2026
1. California
Total principle engineer jobs: 8,746 Average annual salary: $153,902 Lowest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $213,000 Location Quotient: 1.9
2. Oregon
Total principle engineer jobs: 963 Average annual salary: $134,166 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
3. Washington
Total principle engineer jobs: 1,689 Average annual salary: $136,659 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
4. Maryland
Total principle engineer jobs: 1,415 Average annual salary: $139,176 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
5. Arizona
Total principle engineer jobs: 1,195 Average annual salary: $129,480 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
6. New Mexico
Total principle engineer jobs: 259 Average annual salary: $131,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
7. Delaware
Total principle engineer jobs: 216 Average annual salary: $128,631 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
8. Connecticut
Total principle engineer jobs: 483 Average annual salary: $128,446 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
9. Nevada
Total principle engineer jobs: 269 Average annual salary: $126,232 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
10. Massachusetts
Total principle engineer jobs: 2,049 Average annual salary: $124,447 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
Principle engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principle engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principle engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $153,902 | $111,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,746 |
| 2 | Oregon | $134,166 | $94,000 | 4,142,776 | 963 |
| 3 | Washington | $136,659 | $96,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,689 |
| 4 | Maryland | $139,176 | $102,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,415 |
| 5 | Arizona | $129,480 | $93,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,195 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $131,754 | $94,000 | 2,088,070 | 259 |
| 7 | Delaware | $128,631 | $94,000 | 961,939 | 216 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $128,446 | $95,000 | 3,588,184 | 483 |
| 9 | Nevada | $126,232 | $89,000 | 2,998,039 | 269 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $124,447 | $92,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,049 |
| 11 | Texas | $123,375 | $88,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,822 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $119,364 | $88,000 | 1,342,795 | 262 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $126,001 | $92,000 | 693,972 | 503 |
| 14 | Alabama | $116,504 | $84,000 | 4,874,747 | 634 |
| 15 | Iowa | $118,220 | $86,000 | 3,145,711 | 392 |
| 16 | Michigan | $112,971 | $83,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,199 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $117,065 | $85,000 | 1,815,857 | 127 |
| 18 | New York | $117,379 | $86,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,930 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $124,508 | $97,000 | 1,427,538 | 118 |
| 20 | Idaho | $113,710 | $80,000 | 1,716,943 | 211 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $120,398 | $86,000 | 4,684,333 | 224 |
| 22 | Indiana | $114,248 | $83,000 | 6,666,818 | 756 |
| 23 | Utah | $109,674 | $77,000 | 3,101,833 | 657 |
| 24 | Georgia | $115,805 | $84,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,184 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $110,124 | $81,000 | 1,059,639 | 175 |
| 26 | Illinois | $113,088 | $82,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,470 |
| 27 | Virginia | $107,921 | $79,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,106 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $114,351 | $84,000 | 9,005,644 | 922 |
| 29 | Florida | $111,520 | $78,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,812 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $107,800 | $79,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,311 |
| 31 | Alaska | $112,650 | $87,000 | 739,795 | 94 |
| 32 | Maine | $109,174 | $81,000 | 1,335,907 | 109 |
| 33 | Ohio | $103,072 | $75,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,162 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $107,486 | $78,000 | 5,024,369 | 401 |
| 35 | Colorado | $102,097 | $73,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,322 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $105,733 | $76,000 | 3,930,864 | 236 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $103,666 | $76,000 | 5,795,483 | 623 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $100,323 | $73,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,299 |
| 39 | Vermont | $101,369 | $75,000 | 623,657 | 108 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $102,235 | $74,000 | 6,715,984 | 414 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $97,347 | $70,000 | 579,315 | 74 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $96,066 | $71,000 | 5,576,606 | 962 |
| 43 | Missouri | $100,438 | $73,000 | 6,113,532 | 604 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $99,372 | $71,000 | 2,984,100 | 123 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $97,583 | $71,000 | 4,454,189 | 276 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $93,135 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 107 |
| 47 | Montana | $95,646 | $68,000 | 1,050,493 | 133 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $95,143 | $69,000 | 869,666 | 75 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $87,703 | $63,000 | 1,920,076 | 236 |
| 50 | Kansas | $86,774 | $63,000 | 2,913,123 | 323 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $84,496 | $61,000 | 3,004,279 | 209 |
Highest paying states for principle engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Principle Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $153,902 |
| 2 | Oregon | $134,166 |
| 3 | Washington | $136,659 |
| 4 | Maryland | $139,176 |
| 5 | Arizona | $129,480 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $131,754 |
| 7 | Delaware | $128,631 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $128,446 |
| 9 | Nevada | $126,232 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $124,447 |
| 11 | Texas | $123,375 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $119,364 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $126,001 |
| 14 | Alabama | $116,504 |
| 15 | Iowa | $118,220 |
| 16 | Michigan | $112,971 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $117,065 |
| 18 | New York | $117,379 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $124,508 |
| 20 | Idaho | $113,710 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $120,398 |
| 22 | Indiana | $114,248 |
| 23 | Utah | $109,674 |
| 24 | Georgia | $115,805 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $110,124 |
| 26 | Illinois | $113,088 |
| 27 | Virginia | $107,921 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $114,351 |
| 29 | Florida | $111,520 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $107,800 |
| 31 | Alaska | $112,650 |
| 32 | Maine | $109,174 |
| 33 | Ohio | $103,072 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $107,486 |
| 35 | Colorado | $102,097 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $105,733 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $103,666 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $100,323 |
| 39 | Vermont | $101,369 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $102,235 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $97,347 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $96,066 |
| 43 | Missouri | $100,438 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $99,372 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $97,583 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $93,135 |
| 47 | Montana | $95,646 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $95,143 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $87,703 |
| 50 | Kansas | $86,774 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $84,496 |
Expert opinions on the best states for principle engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for principle 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