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Best states for a process design engineer
Quoted expert
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.
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Do you want to become a process design engineer at Foster Wheeler USA, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for process design engineers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. In fact, our research shows that Arizona is the best state for process design engineers in America. The best city in America for process design engineers with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
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 process design engineers.We found that Arizona is the best state for process design engineer jobs, whereas Nebraska is the worst.
10 best states for process design engineers in 2026
1. Arizona
Total process design engineer jobs: 1,177 Average annual salary: $96,915 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
2. Texas
Total process design engineer jobs: 2,702 Average annual salary: $101,060 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
3. Massachusetts
Total process design engineer jobs: 2,009 Average annual salary: $100,071 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
4. Connecticut
Total process design engineer jobs: 541 Average annual salary: $100,758 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
5. Michigan
Total process design engineer jobs: 1,413 Average annual salary: $94,446 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
6. Washington
Total process design engineer jobs: 1,361 Average annual salary: $97,409 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
7. Colorado
Total process design engineer jobs: 1,058 Average annual salary: $97,259 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
8. California
Total process design engineer jobs: 8,448 Average annual salary: $99,933 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.85
9. Kansas
Total process design engineer jobs: 366 Average annual salary: $96,726 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
10. Rhode Island
Total process design engineer jobs: 150 Average annual salary: $98,227 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
Process design engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a process design engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a process design engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $96,915 | $71,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,177 |
| 2 | Texas | $101,060 | $74,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,702 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $100,071 | $69,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,009 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $100,758 | $71,000 | 3,588,184 | 541 |
| 5 | Michigan | $94,446 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,413 |
| 6 | Washington | $97,409 | $72,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,361 |
| 7 | Colorado | $97,259 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,058 |
| 8 | California | $99,933 | $72,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,448 |
| 9 | Kansas | $96,726 | $72,000 | 2,913,123 | 366 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $98,227 | $69,000 | 1,059,639 | 150 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $100,458 | $74,000 | 4,684,333 | 206 |
| 12 | Virginia | $96,845 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,422 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $92,240 | $69,000 | 579,315 | 86 |
| 14 | Alabama | $89,593 | $66,000 | 4,874,747 | 674 |
| 15 | Oregon | $90,981 | $67,000 | 4,142,776 | 930 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $98,015 | $70,000 | 9,005,644 | 959 |
| 17 | Illinois | $93,606 | $69,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,548 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $93,722 | $70,000 | 3,930,864 | 220 |
| 19 | Maryland | $95,541 | $69,000 | 6,052,177 | 960 |
| 20 | Nevada | $93,181 | $68,000 | 2,998,039 | 243 |
| 21 | Delaware | $90,230 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 225 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $90,899 | $67,000 | 2,088,070 | 237 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $88,168 | $65,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,530 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $91,741 | $66,000 | 693,972 | 307 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $90,135 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 382 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $88,489 | $63,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,381 |
| 27 | Idaho | $86,745 | $64,000 | 1,716,943 | 263 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $89,116 | $65,000 | 5,024,369 | 514 |
| 29 | Utah | $84,100 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 526 |
| 30 | Iowa | $85,979 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 445 |
| 31 | New York | $89,456 | $63,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,847 |
| 32 | Maine | $87,104 | $58,000 | 1,335,907 | 148 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $83,214 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 301 |
| 34 | Montana | $88,026 | $67,000 | 1,050,493 | 125 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $83,878 | $63,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,080 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $84,797 | $63,000 | 3,004,279 | 250 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $80,773 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 819 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $83,293 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 111 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $89,013 | $73,000 | 1,427,538 | 83 |
| 40 | Alaska | $83,834 | $70,000 | 739,795 | 99 |
| 41 | Indiana | $78,221 | $58,000 | 6,666,818 | 898 |
| 42 | Ohio | $77,751 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,370 |
| 43 | Florida | $82,529 | $61,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,928 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $80,777 | $60,000 | 6,715,984 | 500 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $77,523 | $59,000 | 755,393 | 120 |
| 46 | Vermont | $75,384 | $51,000 | 623,657 | 105 |
| 47 | Georgia | $77,359 | $57,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,297 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,135 | $57,000 | 2,984,100 | 194 |
| 49 | Missouri | $78,353 | $58,000 | 6,113,532 | 648 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $76,340 | $57,000 | 869,666 | 74 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $74,192 | $55,000 | 1,920,076 | 269 |
Highest paying states for process design engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Process Design Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $96,915 |
| 2 | Texas | $101,060 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $100,071 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $100,758 |
| 5 | Michigan | $94,446 |
| 6 | Washington | $97,409 |
| 7 | Colorado | $97,259 |
| 8 | California | $99,933 |
| 9 | Kansas | $96,726 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $98,227 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $100,458 |
| 12 | Virginia | $96,845 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $92,240 |
| 14 | Alabama | $89,593 |
| 15 | Oregon | $90,981 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $98,015 |
| 17 | Illinois | $93,606 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $93,722 |
| 19 | Maryland | $95,541 |
| 20 | Nevada | $93,181 |
| 21 | Delaware | $90,230 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $90,899 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $88,168 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $91,741 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $90,135 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $88,489 |
| 27 | Idaho | $86,745 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $89,116 |
| 29 | Utah | $84,100 |
| 30 | Iowa | $85,979 |
| 31 | New York | $89,456 |
| 32 | Maine | $87,104 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $83,214 |
| 34 | Montana | $88,026 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $83,878 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $84,797 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $80,773 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $83,293 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $89,013 |
| 40 | Alaska | $83,834 |
| 41 | Indiana | $78,221 |
| 42 | Ohio | $77,751 |
| 43 | Florida | $82,529 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $80,777 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $77,523 |
| 46 | Vermont | $75,384 |
| 47 | Georgia | $77,359 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,135 |
| 49 | Missouri | $78,353 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $76,340 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $74,192 |
Expert opinions on the best states for process design engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for process design engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Maria Benavides Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry Program Coordinator, Assistant Chair, University of Houston - Downtown
Texas is a good place for Chemistry graduates, particularly the city of Houston, which houses the largest medical center in the world, and the largest petroleum industry hub in the world. Most of our graduates find employment in the oil industry but also in those companies that provide services to the petroleum industry, such as chemical supply, waste disposal, chemical safety, etc. Our graduates also find employment in the medical research field, in research labs such as the famous UT Anderson Cancer Center.
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Updated January 8, 2025