Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a research and development engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to research and development engineer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for research and development engineers in America. The best city in America for research and development engineers with the highest pay is Santa Rosa, CA.
The median salary for research and development engineers in California is $124,903. Compare that to the median salary in South Carolina of $70,659, which ranked worst for research and development engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that California is the best state for research and development engineer jobs, whereas South Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for research and development engineers in 2025
1. California
Total research and development engineer jobs: 13,699 Average annual salary: $124,903 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.532. Washington
Total research and development engineer jobs: 4,049 Average annual salary: $104,396 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.83. New Mexico
Total research and development engineer jobs: 581 Average annual salary: $110,943 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.964. Nevada
Total research and development engineer jobs: 562 Average annual salary: $104,621 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.885. Oregon
Total research and development engineer jobs: 1,669 Average annual salary: $96,746 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.316. Arizona
Total research and development engineer jobs: 2,153 Average annual salary: $95,543 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.27. Colorado
Total research and development engineer jobs: 1,837 Average annual salary: $99,140 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.018. Texas
Total research and development engineer jobs: 7,166 Average annual salary: $92,499 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.159. Massachusetts
Total research and development engineer jobs: 2,550 Average annual salary: $100,025 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.910. Idaho
Total research and development engineer jobs: 382 Average annual salary: $102,750 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
Research and development engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research and development engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research and development engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $124,903 | $89,000 | 39,536,653 | 13,699 |
| 2 | Washington | $104,396 | $75,000 | 7,405,743 | 4,049 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $110,943 | $79,000 | 2,088,070 | 581 |
| 4 | Nevada | $104,621 | $75,000 | 2,998,039 | 562 |
| 5 | Oregon | $96,746 | $70,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,669 |
| 6 | Arizona | $95,543 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,153 |
| 7 | Colorado | $99,140 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,837 |
| 8 | Texas | $92,499 | $66,000 | 28,304,596 | 7,166 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $100,025 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,550 |
| 10 | Idaho | $102,750 | $74,000 | 1,716,943 | 382 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $91,935 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 270 |
| 12 | Alaska | $101,852 | $79,000 | 739,795 | 190 |
| 13 | Utah | $91,737 | $66,000 | 3,101,833 | 929 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $91,006 | $67,000 | 1,059,639 | 375 |
| 15 | Delaware | $94,755 | $70,000 | 961,939 | 348 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $91,568 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 465 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $93,021 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 348 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $99,940 | $74,000 | 693,972 | 434 |
| 19 | Virginia | $89,206 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,168 |
| 20 | Michigan | $83,006 | $62,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,652 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $83,288 | $61,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,932 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $89,762 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,995 |
| 23 | Vermont | $82,389 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 231 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $88,891 | $62,000 | 4,684,333 | 569 |
| 25 | Maryland | $93,089 | $69,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,332 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $80,286 | $61,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,541 |
| 27 | Maine | $87,367 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 232 |
| 28 | Illinois | $86,834 | $65,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,696 |
| 29 | Georgia | $79,799 | $58,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,162 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $79,432 | $60,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,475 |
| 31 | New York | $91,298 | $67,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,574 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $79,708 | $59,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,546 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $85,929 | $64,000 | 3,588,184 | 839 |
| 34 | Ohio | $76,127 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 3,015 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $82,939 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 624 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $81,139 | $59,000 | 579,315 | 132 |
| 37 | Indiana | $76,289 | $57,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,809 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $78,978 | $62,000 | 1,427,538 | 239 |
| 39 | Alabama | $76,771 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,069 |
| 40 | Florida | $76,816 | $51,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,439 |
| 41 | Montana | $80,103 | $58,000 | 1,050,493 | 232 |
| 42 | Iowa | $75,657 | $57,000 | 3,145,711 | 839 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $71,514 | $53,000 | 1,920,076 | 720 |
| 44 | Kansas | $74,984 | $55,000 | 2,913,123 | 752 |
| 45 | Missouri | $74,387 | $55,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,584 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $75,891 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,255 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $71,334 | $53,000 | 869,666 | 278 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $74,868 | $53,000 | 2,984,100 | 400 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $72,071 | $54,000 | 4,454,189 | 781 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $65,056 | $48,000 | 3,004,279 | 635 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $70,659 | $51,000 | 5,024,369 | 984 |
Highest paying states for research and development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Research And Development Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $124,903 |
| 2 | Washington | $104,396 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $110,943 |
| 4 | Nevada | $104,621 |
| 5 | Oregon | $96,746 |
| 6 | Arizona | $95,543 |
| 7 | Colorado | $99,140 |
| 8 | Texas | $92,499 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $100,025 |
| 10 | Idaho | $102,750 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $91,935 |
| 12 | Alaska | $101,852 |
| 13 | Utah | $91,737 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $91,006 |
| 15 | Delaware | $94,755 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $91,568 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $93,021 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $99,940 |
| 19 | Virginia | $89,206 |
| 20 | Michigan | $83,006 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $83,288 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $89,762 |
| 23 | Vermont | $82,389 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $88,891 |
| 25 | Maryland | $93,089 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $80,286 |
| 27 | Maine | $87,367 |
| 28 | Illinois | $86,834 |
| 29 | Georgia | $79,799 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $79,432 |
| 31 | New York | $91,298 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $79,708 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $85,929 |
| 34 | Ohio | $76,127 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $82,939 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $81,139 |
| 37 | Indiana | $76,289 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $78,978 |
| 39 | Alabama | $76,771 |
| 40 | Florida | $76,816 |
| 41 | Montana | $80,103 |
| 42 | Iowa | $75,657 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $71,514 |
| 44 | Kansas | $74,984 |
| 45 | Missouri | $74,387 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $75,891 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $71,334 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $74,868 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $72,071 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $65,056 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $70,659 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research and development engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research and development 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.
Research and development engineer best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for research and development engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025