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Best states for a research and development senior engineer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for research and development senior 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 research and development senior engineer jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for research and development senior engineers. We found that New Mexico is the best state in the nation for research and development senior engineers, and people in Windsor earn the most in the field.
The median salary for research and development senior engineers in New Mexico is $123,062. Compare that to the median salary in Arkansas of $77,187, which ranked worst for research and development senior engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that New Mexico is the best state for research and development senior engineer jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for research and development senior engineers in 2025
1. New Mexico
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 597 Average annual salary: $123,062 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
2. Rhode Island
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 385 Average annual salary: $118,137 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
3. Washington
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 3,814 Average annual salary: $116,594 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.79
4. California
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 13,277 Average annual salary: $124,881 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
5. District of Columbia
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 461 Average annual salary: $136,651 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. Oregon
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 1,628 Average annual salary: $111,675 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
7. New Hampshire
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 464 Average annual salary: $114,724 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
8. Delaware
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 341 Average annual salary: $112,383 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
9. Idaho
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 360 Average annual salary: $120,693 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
10. Arizona
Total research and development senior engineer jobs: 2,180 Average annual salary: $103,242 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
Research and development senior engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research and development senior engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research and development senior engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $123,062 | $94,000 | 2,088,070 | 597 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $118,137 | $94,000 | 1,059,639 | 385 |
| 3 | Washington | $116,594 | $89,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,814 |
| 4 | California | $124,881 | $94,000 | 39,536,653 | 13,277 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $136,651 | $108,000 | 693,972 | 461 |
| 6 | Oregon | $111,675 | $85,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,628 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $114,724 | $92,000 | 1,342,795 | 464 |
| 8 | Delaware | $112,383 | $88,000 | 961,939 | 341 |
| 9 | Idaho | $120,693 | $92,000 | 1,716,943 | 360 |
| 10 | Arizona | $103,242 | $79,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,180 |
| 11 | Texas | $101,459 | $78,000 | 28,304,596 | 6,727 |
| 12 | Nevada | $103,527 | $78,000 | 2,998,039 | 568 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $109,702 | $87,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,473 |
| 14 | Iowa | $108,707 | $86,000 | 3,145,711 | 795 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $103,525 | $82,000 | 1,815,857 | 343 |
| 16 | Colorado | $101,150 | $78,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,734 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $95,746 | $75,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,802 |
| 18 | Alaska | $106,737 | $90,000 | 739,795 | 190 |
| 19 | Michigan | $95,396 | $76,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,420 |
| 20 | Alabama | $98,957 | $77,000 | 4,874,747 | 946 |
| 21 | Maryland | $111,092 | $87,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,247 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $100,757 | $78,000 | 4,684,333 | 561 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $95,525 | $75,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,471 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $102,582 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,979 |
| 25 | Illinois | $102,147 | $81,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,497 |
| 26 | Virginia | $97,387 | $77,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,811 |
| 27 | Vermont | $96,279 | $78,000 | 623,657 | 206 |
| 28 | Utah | $96,133 | $73,000 | 3,101,833 | 842 |
| 29 | Georgia | $94,848 | $75,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,746 |
| 30 | Maine | $98,454 | $80,000 | 1,335,907 | 234 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $90,799 | $73,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,396 |
| 32 | Ohio | $91,768 | $73,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,653 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $98,118 | $77,000 | 3,588,184 | 780 |
| 34 | Indiana | $91,946 | $73,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,726 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $93,504 | $75,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,386 |
| 36 | Montana | $88,666 | $69,000 | 1,050,493 | 387 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $91,836 | $76,000 | 1,427,538 | 257 |
| 38 | New York | $100,682 | $79,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,380 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $94,788 | $75,000 | 5,024,369 | 887 |
| 40 | Florida | $91,283 | $71,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,334 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $93,568 | $73,000 | 3,930,864 | 610 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $85,108 | $68,000 | 755,393 | 254 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $91,796 | $71,000 | 579,315 | 124 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $88,269 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,128 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $81,201 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 645 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $86,534 | $68,000 | 4,454,189 | 737 |
| 47 | Kansas | $83,902 | $66,000 | 2,913,123 | 766 |
| 48 | Missouri | $81,854 | $64,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,563 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $81,038 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 279 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $85,656 | $67,000 | 2,984,100 | 370 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $77,187 | $60,000 | 3,004,279 | 623 |
Highest paying states for research and development senior engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Research And Development Senior Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $123,062 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $118,137 |
| 3 | Washington | $116,594 |
| 4 | California | $124,881 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $136,651 |
| 6 | Oregon | $111,675 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $114,724 |
| 8 | Delaware | $112,383 |
| 9 | Idaho | $120,693 |
| 10 | Arizona | $103,242 |
| 11 | Texas | $101,459 |
| 12 | Nevada | $103,527 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $109,702 |
| 14 | Iowa | $108,707 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $103,525 |
| 16 | Colorado | $101,150 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $95,746 |
| 18 | Alaska | $106,737 |
| 19 | Michigan | $95,396 |
| 20 | Alabama | $98,957 |
| 21 | Maryland | $111,092 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $100,757 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $95,525 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $102,582 |
| 25 | Illinois | $102,147 |
| 26 | Virginia | $97,387 |
| 27 | Vermont | $96,279 |
| 28 | Utah | $96,133 |
| 29 | Georgia | $94,848 |
| 30 | Maine | $98,454 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $90,799 |
| 32 | Ohio | $91,768 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $98,118 |
| 34 | Indiana | $91,946 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $93,504 |
| 36 | Montana | $88,666 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $91,836 |
| 38 | New York | $100,682 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $94,788 |
| 40 | Florida | $91,283 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $93,568 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $85,108 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $91,796 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $88,269 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $81,201 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $86,534 |
| 47 | Kansas | $83,902 |
| 48 | Missouri | $81,854 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $81,038 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $85,656 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $77,187 |
Research and development senior engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025