Best cities for a professional engineer
The best cities for professional engineers are Houston, TX, Oakland, CA, and San Francisco, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for professional engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for professional engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a professional engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for professional engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for professional engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a professional engineer. While the absolute best city for professional engineers is Houston, TX, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for professional engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a professional engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for professional engineers in 2025
1. Houston, TX
Total professional engineer jobs: 66 Average annual salary: $88,897 Lowest 10 percent warn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location quotient: 2.96 2. Oakland, CA
Total professional engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $113,542 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location quotient: 2.63 3. San Francisco, CA
Total professional engineer jobs: 39 Average annual salary: $113,768 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location quotient: 1.96 4. Austin, TX
Total professional engineer jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $89,574 Lowest 10 percent warn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location quotient: 1.73 5. Lubbock, TX
Total professional engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $89,592 Lowest 10 percent warn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location quotient: 3.37 6. Fresno, CA
Total professional engineer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $109,046 Lowest 10 percent warn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location quotient: 5.39 7. Gilbert, AZ
Total professional engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $86,326 Lowest 10 percent warn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location quotient: 8.32 8. Oklahoma City, OK
Total professional engineer jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $82,758 Lowest 10 percent warn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location quotient: 5.66 9. Fort Worth, TX
Total professional engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $88,601 Lowest 10 percent warn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location quotient: 1.52 10. Lexington, KY
Total professional engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $80,741 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location quotient: 2.42
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Best cities for professional engineers
- Houston, TX
- Oakland, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Austin, TX
- Lubbock, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gilbert, AZ
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Fort Worth, TX
- Lexington, KY
- (66 professional engineer jobs)
- (5 professional engineer jobs)
- (39 professional engineer jobs)
- (23 professional engineer jobs)
- (2 professional engineer jobs)
- (6 professional engineer jobs)
- (4 professional engineer jobs)
- (23 professional engineer jobs)
- (5 professional engineer jobs)
- (3 professional engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a professional engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston, TX | $88,897 | $63,000 | 2,303,482 | 66 |
| 2 | Oakland, CA | $113,542 | $82,000 | 420,005 | 5 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $113,768 | $82,000 | 870,887 | 39 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $89,574 | $63,000 | 947,890 | 23 |
| 5 | Lubbock, TX | $89,592 | $64,000 | 252,506 | 2 |
| 6 | Fresno, CA | $109,046 | $78,000 | 522,053 | 6 |
| 7 | Gilbert, AZ | $86,326 | $62,000 | 237,133 | 4 |
| 8 | Oklahoma City, OK | $82,758 | $59,000 | 638,367 | 23 |
| 9 | Fort Worth, TX | $88,601 | $63,000 | 854,113 | 5 |
| 10 | Lexington, KY | $80,741 | $58,000 | 318,449 | 3 |
| 11 | Sacramento, CA | $114,090 | $82,000 | 495,234 | 5 |
| 12 | Dallas, TX | $88,443 | $63,000 | 1,317,929 | 15 |
| 13 | Anchorage, AK | $110,273 | $88,000 | 298,192 | 1 |
| 14 | Raleigh, NC | $81,703 | $58,000 | 458,880 | 13 |
| 15 | Winston-Salem, NC | $81,257 | $58,000 | 242,203 | 2 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $85,721 | $62,000 | 311,404 | 7 |
| 17 | Kansas City, MO | $84,843 | $62,000 | 481,420 | 6 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $89,211 | $63,000 | 1,492,510 | - |
| 19 | Chesapeake, VA | $86,448 | $62,000 | 237,940 | 2 |
| 20 | Jersey City, NJ | $104,405 | $75,000 | 264,152 | - |
| 21 | Newark, NJ | $104,360 | $75,000 | 281,764 | - |
| 22 | Arlington, TX | $88,565 | $63,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 23 | Milwaukee, WI | $79,779 | $58,000 | 595,047 | 6 |
| 24 | Stockton, CA | $112,993 | $81,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 25 | Plano, TX | $88,224 | $63,000 | 286,057 | 2 |
| 26 | Fremont, CA | $112,823 | $81,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 27 | Irving, TX | $88,436 | $63,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 28 | El Paso, TX | $91,243 | $65,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 29 | Garland, TX | $88,292 | $63,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 30 | Durham, NC | $81,651 | $58,000 | 263,016 | 4 |
| 31 | Greensboro, NC | $81,391 | $58,000 | 287,027 | 2 |
| 32 | Madison, WI | $79,390 | $58,000 | 252,551 | 5 |
| 33 | San Jose, CA | $112,235 | $81,000 | 1,025,350 | 2 |
| 34 | Chicago, IL | $79,472 | $58,000 | 2,704,958 | 62 |
| 35 | Laredo, TX | $87,138 | $62,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 36 | Phoenix, AZ | $86,491 | $62,000 | 1,615,017 | 6 |
| 37 | Albuquerque, NM | $75,988 | $54,000 | 559,277 | 9 |
| 38 | Portland, OR | $87,014 | $63,000 | 639,863 | 9 |
| 39 | Louisville, KY | $80,319 | $58,000 | 597,337 | - |
| 40 | Buffalo, NY | $85,971 | $62,000 | 256,902 | 6 |
| 41 | New Orleans, LA | $81,786 | $58,000 | 391,495 | 2 |
| 42 | Toledo, OH | $69,229 | $50,000 | 278,508 | 4 |
| 43 | Boston, MA | $94,223 | $68,000 | 673,184 | 9 |
| 44 | Glendale, AZ | $86,510 | $62,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 45 | Irvine, CA | $103,331 | $75,000 | 266,122 | 4 |
| 46 | Scottsdale, AZ | $86,451 | $62,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 47 | Corpus Christi, TX | $87,084 | $61,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 48 | Chandler, AZ | $86,351 | $62,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 49 | Denver, CO | $79,963 | $58,000 | 693,060 | 51 |
| 50 | Tulsa, OK | $81,564 | $59,000 | 403,090 | 1 |
Highest paying cities for professional engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. professional engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $113,768 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $94,223 |
| 3 | Birmingham, AL | $92,730 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $89,574 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $89,103 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $88,042 |
| 7 | Alexandria, VA | $87,116 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $87,014 |
| 9 | Tempe, AZ | $86,397 |
| 10 | Oklahoma City, OK | $82,758 |
| 11 | Alexandria, LA | $82,203 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $81,703 |
| 13 | Saint Paul, MN | $81,168 |
| 14 | Englewood, CO | $80,050 |
| 15 | Milwaukee, WI | $79,779 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $79,472 |
| 17 | Albuquerque, NM | $75,988 |
| 18 | Alpharetta, GA | $72,651 |
| 19 | Tallahassee, FL | $72,072 |
| 20 | Lincoln, NE | $68,023 |
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Updated January 8, 2025