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Best states for a quality control engineer
Quoted expert
Jonathan Puthoff
- Rank 1 - 10
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for quality control engineers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for quality control engineer jobs.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for quality control engineer jobs.
The median salary for quality control engineers in Washington is $83,413. Compare that to the median salary in Vermont of $54,886, which ranked worst for quality control engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Northeast is best for quality control engineers, and the West is the worst. San Rafael, CA is the best city in the country for quality control engineer jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for quality control engineers in 2025
1. Washington
Total quality control engineer jobs: 1,572 Average annual salary: $83,413 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.092. Oregon
Total quality control engineer jobs: 885 Average annual salary: $82,909 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.083. Massachusetts
Total quality control engineer jobs: 2,033 Average annual salary: $81,743 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.124. Wyoming
Total quality control engineer jobs: 95 Average annual salary: $87,547 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 0.85. Delaware
Total quality control engineer jobs: 268 Average annual salary: $80,471 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.086. Utah
Total quality control engineer jobs: 810 Average annual salary: $76,153 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.287. Idaho
Total quality control engineer jobs: 285 Average annual salary: $81,407 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.888. Rhode Island
Total quality control engineer jobs: 211 Average annual salary: $80,908 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 0.889. Minnesota
Total quality control engineer jobs: 1,407 Average annual salary: $77,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.0710. California
Total quality control engineer jobs: 9,059 Average annual salary: $81,114 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
Quality control engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a quality control engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a quality control engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $83,413 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,572 |
| 2 | Oregon | $82,909 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 885 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $81,743 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,033 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $87,547 | $67,000 | 579,315 | 95 |
| 5 | Delaware | $80,471 | $61,000 | 961,939 | 268 |
| 6 | Utah | $76,153 | $58,000 | 3,101,833 | 810 |
| 7 | Idaho | $81,407 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 285 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $80,908 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 211 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $77,744 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,407 |
| 10 | California | $81,114 | $61,000 | 39,536,653 | 9,059 |
| 11 | Montana | $83,665 | $65,000 | 1,050,493 | 132 |
| 12 | Michigan | $74,495 | $58,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,627 |
| 13 | Arizona | $75,489 | $57,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,282 |
| 14 | Colorado | $78,874 | $60,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,207 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $79,682 | $60,000 | 4,684,333 | 315 |
| 16 | Virginia | $77,551 | $59,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,945 |
| 17 | Maryland | $77,615 | $59,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,379 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $78,989 | $59,000 | 3,930,864 | 282 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $71,438 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 459 |
| 20 | Alaska | $81,396 | $71,000 | 739,795 | 107 |
| 21 | Iowa | $73,694 | $57,000 | 3,145,711 | 592 |
| 22 | Texas | $72,926 | $55,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,610 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $73,334 | $58,000 | 755,393 | 127 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $74,095 | $56,000 | 2,088,070 | 270 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $70,707 | $53,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,007 |
| 26 | Nevada | $73,132 | $55,000 | 2,998,039 | 307 |
| 27 | Illinois | $71,291 | $55,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,282 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $72,886 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 345 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $69,269 | $52,000 | 3,588,184 | 747 |
| 30 | Ohio | $68,989 | $53,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,800 |
| 31 | Indiana | $66,974 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,476 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $70,661 | $54,000 | 1,920,076 | 347 |
| 33 | Kansas | $69,698 | $53,000 | 2,913,123 | 467 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $70,331 | $55,000 | 869,666 | 100 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $68,252 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 425 |
| 36 | New York | $71,316 | $53,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,161 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $68,657 | $52,000 | 1,815,857 | 172 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $72,261 | $64,000 | 1,427,538 | 126 |
| 39 | Georgia | $67,047 | $50,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,974 |
| 40 | Alabama | $65,178 | $49,000 | 4,874,747 | 883 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $66,546 | $50,000 | 5,024,369 | 804 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $63,654 | $50,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,158 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $66,539 | $50,000 | 6,715,984 | 881 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $64,736 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 695 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $67,809 | $51,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,349 |
| 46 | Maine | $67,652 | $50,000 | 1,335,907 | 171 |
| 47 | Missouri | $68,085 | $52,000 | 6,113,532 | 791 |
| 48 | Florida | $54,890 | $43,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,810 |
| 49 | Pennsylvania | $56,973 | $43,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,956 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $61,812 | $46,000 | 2,984,100 | 310 |
| 51 | Vermont | $54,886 | $41,000 | 623,657 | 125 |
Highest paying states for quality control engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Quality Control Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $83,413 |
| 2 | Oregon | $82,909 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $81,743 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $87,547 |
| 5 | Delaware | $80,471 |
| 6 | Utah | $76,153 |
| 7 | Idaho | $81,407 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $80,908 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $77,744 |
| 10 | California | $81,114 |
| 11 | Montana | $83,665 |
| 12 | Michigan | $74,495 |
| 13 | Arizona | $75,489 |
| 14 | Colorado | $78,874 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $79,682 |
| 16 | Virginia | $77,551 |
| 17 | Maryland | $77,615 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $78,989 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $71,438 |
| 20 | Alaska | $81,396 |
| 21 | Iowa | $73,694 |
| 22 | Texas | $72,926 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $73,334 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $74,095 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $70,707 |
| 26 | Nevada | $73,132 |
| 27 | Illinois | $71,291 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $72,886 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $69,269 |
| 30 | Ohio | $68,989 |
| 31 | Indiana | $66,974 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $70,661 |
| 33 | Kansas | $69,698 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $70,331 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $68,252 |
| 36 | New York | $71,316 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $68,657 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $72,261 |
| 39 | Georgia | $67,047 |
| 40 | Alabama | $65,178 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $66,546 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $63,654 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $66,539 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $64,736 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $67,809 |
| 46 | Maine | $67,652 |
| 47 | Missouri | $68,085 |
| 48 | Florida | $54,890 |
| 49 | Pennsylvania | $56,973 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $61,812 |
| 51 | Vermont | $54,886 |
Expert opinions on the best states for quality control engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for quality control engineers to find work opportunities?
Jonathan Puthoff
Associate Professor, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
I always encourage students to look as far afield as their personal circumstances and skill set can accommodate. Geography is a relatively minor constraint in a world with well-developed travel and telework options. I also anticipate that early- and mid-career relocation will be an option or requirement at some point for most tech workers. For these reasons, I think that associating particular opportunities with particular regions might not be a good strategy in an entry-level job search. Graduates should rather identify opportunities and ask "Can I see myself working in this region for the opening years of my career?", understanding that the location will likely change depending on factors both internal and external to their employer.
Quality control engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025