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Best states for a project lead engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for project lead engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for project lead engineer jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research shows that Michigan is the best state in the country for project lead engineers.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for project lead engineers. Michigan is the best state for project lead engineers, where the median salary is $114,826.Michigan is the best state, and Monterey is the city with the highest pay for project lead engineers.
10 best states for project lead engineers in 2026
1. Michigan
Total project lead engineer jobs: 2,586 Average annual salary: $114,826 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
2. California
Total project lead engineer jobs: 8,587 Average annual salary: $140,817 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $203,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
3. Missouri
Total project lead engineer jobs: 1,625 Average annual salary: $117,084 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
4. Wyoming
Total project lead engineer jobs: 232 Average annual salary: $106,803 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.69
5. Virginia
Total project lead engineer jobs: 2,004 Average annual salary: $127,820 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
6. Rhode Island
Total project lead engineer jobs: 432 Average annual salary: $107,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
7. Massachusetts
Total project lead engineer jobs: 1,835 Average annual salary: $127,429 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
8. Texas
Total project lead engineer jobs: 5,190 Average annual salary: $110,579 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
9. Arizona
Total project lead engineer jobs: 1,198 Average annual salary: $116,852 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
10. New Mexico
Total project lead engineer jobs: 562 Average annual salary: $105,775 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
Project lead engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a project lead engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a project lead engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $114,826 | $81,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,586 |
| 2 | California | $140,817 | $97,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,587 |
| 3 | Missouri | $117,084 | $82,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,625 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $106,803 | $75,000 | 579,315 | 232 |
| 5 | Virginia | $127,820 | $91,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,004 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $107,636 | $76,000 | 1,059,639 | 432 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $127,429 | $91,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,835 |
| 8 | Texas | $110,579 | $77,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,190 |
| 9 | Arizona | $116,852 | $80,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,198 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $105,775 | $73,000 | 2,088,070 | 562 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $99,404 | $70,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,846 |
| 12 | Washington | $110,691 | $76,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,617 |
| 13 | Maryland | $116,823 | $82,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,160 |
| 14 | Nevada | $100,402 | $68,000 | 2,998,039 | 663 |
| 15 | Colorado | $106,804 | $74,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,337 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $108,305 | $77,000 | 693,972 | 509 |
| 17 | Delaware | $106,723 | $75,000 | 961,939 | 247 |
| 18 | Georgia | $105,390 | $75,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,386 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $98,851 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,441 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $112,874 | $80,000 | 9,005,644 | 929 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $97,060 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 654 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $101,163 | $72,000 | 5,024,369 | 777 |
| 23 | Utah | $95,816 | $65,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,032 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $102,830 | $72,000 | 4,684,333 | 414 |
| 25 | Montana | $97,412 | $68,000 | 1,050,493 | 363 |
| 26 | Oregon | $103,045 | $70,000 | 4,142,776 | 928 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $98,453 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 647 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $101,248 | $78,000 | 1,427,538 | 276 |
| 29 | Idaho | $96,093 | $66,000 | 1,716,943 | 512 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $98,134 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 226 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $92,854 | $65,000 | 3,004,279 | 706 |
| 32 | Ohio | $91,730 | $64,000 | 11,658,609 | 3,282 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $93,393 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 936 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $101,595 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 589 |
| 35 | Alabama | $93,468 | $66,000 | 4,874,747 | 912 |
| 36 | New York | $102,031 | $72,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,952 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $87,757 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,684 |
| 38 | Illinois | $98,634 | $69,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,660 |
| 39 | Florida | $98,575 | $70,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,997 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $91,981 | $65,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,659 |
| 41 | Alaska | $89,835 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 201 |
| 42 | Kansas | $86,911 | $61,000 | 2,913,123 | 777 |
| 43 | Maine | $93,697 | $68,000 | 1,335,907 | 235 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $87,146 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 621 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $86,711 | $61,000 | 869,666 | 237 |
| 46 | Vermont | $86,671 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 186 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $85,759 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 188 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $88,565 | $62,000 | 2,984,100 | 274 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $83,051 | $58,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,337 |
| 50 | Indiana | $84,909 | $60,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,289 |
| 51 | Iowa | $84,269 | $59,000 | 3,145,711 | 609 |
Highest paying states for project lead engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Project Lead Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $114,826 |
| 2 | California | $140,817 |
| 3 | Missouri | $117,084 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $106,803 |
| 5 | Virginia | $127,820 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $107,636 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $127,429 |
| 8 | Texas | $110,579 |
| 9 | Arizona | $116,852 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $105,775 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $99,404 |
| 12 | Washington | $110,691 |
| 13 | Maryland | $116,823 |
| 14 | Nevada | $100,402 |
| 15 | Colorado | $106,804 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $108,305 |
| 17 | Delaware | $106,723 |
| 18 | Georgia | $105,390 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $98,851 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $112,874 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $97,060 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $101,163 |
| 23 | Utah | $95,816 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $102,830 |
| 25 | Montana | $97,412 |
| 26 | Oregon | $103,045 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $98,453 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $101,248 |
| 29 | Idaho | $96,093 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $98,134 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $92,854 |
| 32 | Ohio | $91,730 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $93,393 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $101,595 |
| 35 | Alabama | $93,468 |
| 36 | New York | $102,031 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $87,757 |
| 38 | Illinois | $98,634 |
| 39 | Florida | $98,575 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $91,981 |
| 41 | Alaska | $89,835 |
| 42 | Kansas | $86,911 |
| 43 | Maine | $93,697 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $87,146 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $86,711 |
| 46 | Vermont | $86,671 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $85,759 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $88,565 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $83,051 |
| 50 | Indiana | $84,909 |
| 51 | Iowa | $84,269 |
Expert opinions on the best states for project lead engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for project lead engineers to find work opportunities?
Andy Gerrick
Associate Professor and Chair, Embry-Riddle, Prescott
Mechanical engineering is the most general field of engineering. Any industry that designs or produces physical products, from toys to spacecraft, hires mechanical engineers. The aerospace industry, where I spent 35 years as a mechanical engineer, hires many more mechanical engineers than aerospace engineers.
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Updated January 8, 2025