Best cities for a research engineer
The best cities for research engineers are San Jose, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Pittsburgh, PA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for research engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for research engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a research engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for research engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for research engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a research engineer. While the absolute best city for research engineers is San Jose, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for research engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a research engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for research engineers in 2025
1. San Jose, CA
Total research engineer jobs: 242 Average annual salary: $133,132 Lowest 10 percent warn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location quotient: 7.60 2. San Francisco, CA
Total research engineer jobs: 166 Average annual salary: $133,389 Lowest 10 percent warn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location quotient: 3.69 3. Pittsburgh, PA
Total research engineer jobs: 118 Average annual salary: $89,699 Lowest 10 percent warn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location quotient: 8.69 4. Irvine, CA
Total research engineer jobs: 67 Average annual salary: $121,937 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location quotient: 5.46 5. San Diego, CA
Total research engineer jobs: 230 Average annual salary: $117,189 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location quotient: 8.43 6. Seattle, WA
Total research engineer jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $117,302 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location quotient: 2.24 7. Oakland, CA
Total research engineer jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $132,952 Lowest 10 percent warn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location quotient: 2.10 8. Santa Ana, CA
Total research engineer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $122,391 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location quotient: 2.68 9. Fremont, CA
Total research engineer jobs: 17 Average annual salary: $132,915 Lowest 10 percent warn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location quotient: 1.88 10. San Antonio, TX
Total research engineer jobs: 82 Average annual salary: $83,148 Lowest 10 percent warn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location quotient: 6.22
Choose from 10+ customizable research engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use research engineer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your research engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for research engineers
- San Jose, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Irvine, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Oakland, CA
- Santa Ana, CA
- Fremont, CA
- San Antonio, TX
- (242 research engineer jobs)
- (166 research engineer jobs)
- (118 research engineer jobs)
- (67 research engineer jobs)
- (230 research engineer jobs)
- (85 research engineer jobs)
- (9 research engineer jobs)
- (6 research engineer jobs)
- (17 research engineer jobs)
- (82 research engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a research engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $133,132 | $89,000 | 1,025,350 | 242 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $133,389 | $90,000 | 870,887 | 166 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh, PA | $89,699 | $64,000 | 303,625 | 118 |
| 4 | Irvine, CA | $121,937 | $82,000 | 266,122 | 67 |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | $117,189 | $79,000 | 1,406,630 | 230 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $117,302 | $82,000 | 704,352 | 85 |
| 7 | Oakland, CA | $132,952 | $89,000 | 420,005 | 9 |
| 8 | Santa Ana, CA | $122,391 | $82,000 | 334,217 | 6 |
| 9 | Fremont, CA | $132,915 | $89,000 | 233,136 | 17 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $83,148 | $56,000 | 1,492,510 | 82 |
| 11 | Chandler, AZ | $83,653 | $56,000 | 247,477 | 74 |
| 12 | Los Angeles, CA | $124,503 | $83,000 | 3,976,322 | 63 |
| 13 | Cleveland, OH | $78,583 | $56,000 | 385,809 | 16 |
| 14 | Toledo, OH | $76,817 | $56,000 | 278,508 | 6 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $81,685 | $56,000 | 947,890 | 99 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $80,478 | $53,000 | 632,912 | 25 |
| 17 | Madison, WI | $75,944 | $56,000 | 252,551 | 51 |
| 18 | New York, NY | $104,058 | $75,000 | 8,537,673 | 213 |
| 19 | Houston, TX | $80,480 | $55,000 | 2,303,482 | 2 |
| 20 | Sacramento, CA | $127,068 | $85,000 | 495,234 | 9 |
| 21 | Boston, MA | $96,168 | $70,000 | 673,184 | 54 |
| 22 | Mesa, AZ | $83,546 | $56,000 | 484,587 | 4 |
| 23 | Portland, OR | $95,314 | $66,000 | 639,863 | 25 |
| 24 | Tucson, AZ | $81,661 | $55,000 | 530,706 | 20 |
| 25 | Columbus, OH | $75,870 | $55,000 | 860,090 | 44 |
| 26 | Washington, DC | $117,574 | $84,000 | 681,170 | 25 |
| 27 | Newark, NJ | $89,594 | $64,000 | 281,764 | 23 |
| 28 | Philadelphia, PA | $93,655 | $67,000 | 1,567,872 | 18 |
| 29 | Stockton, CA | $130,054 | $87,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 30 | Fresno, CA | $129,916 | $87,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 31 | Long Beach, CA | $123,159 | $82,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 32 | Bakersfield, CA | $128,286 | $86,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 33 | Anaheim, CA | $122,823 | $82,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 34 | Scottsdale, AZ | $84,029 | $56,000 | 246,645 | 4 |
| 35 | Lincoln, NE | $73,195 | $53,000 | 280,364 | 13 |
| 36 | Riverside, CA | $122,019 | $81,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 37 | Chicago, IL | $80,506 | $59,000 | 2,704,958 | 120 |
| 38 | Nashville, TN | $75,178 | $54,000 | 660,388 | 13 |
| 39 | Islip, NY | $104,261 | $75,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 40 | Atlanta, GA | $71,763 | $51,000 | 472,522 | 16 |
| 41 | Chula Vista, CA | $116,390 | $78,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 42 | Brookhaven, NY | $104,216 | $75,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 43 | Reno, NV | $79,566 | $54,000 | 245,255 | 4 |
| 44 | Hempstead, NY | $104,186 | $75,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 45 | Oyster Bay, NY | $104,125 | $75,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 46 | Saint Paul, MN | $78,957 | $59,000 | 302,398 | 18 |
| 47 | Fort Wayne, IN | $77,867 | $57,000 | 264,488 | 2 |
| 48 | Indianapolis, IN | $74,816 | $54,000 | 855,164 | 21 |
| 49 | Phoenix, AZ | $84,348 | $57,000 | 1,615,017 | 13 |
| 50 | Cincinnati, OH | $72,396 | $52,000 | 298,800 | 15 |
Highest paying cities for research engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. research engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menlo Park, CA | $133,556 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $117,302 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $104,058 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $96,168 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $95,314 |
| 6 | Silver Spring, MD | $93,702 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | $89,699 |
| 8 | McLean, VA | $88,070 |
| 9 | Dearborn, MI | $83,932 |
| 10 | Chandler, AZ | $83,653 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $83,148 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $80,506 |
| 13 | East Chicago, IN | $76,817 |
| 14 | Madison, WI | $75,944 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $75,870 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $71,763 |
| 17 | Greenville, SC | $71,126 |
| 18 | Wichita, KS | $59,743 |
Research engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for research engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025