Best cities for a resident engineer
The best cities for resident engineers are Sacramento, CA, Stockton, CA, and San Jose, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for resident engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for resident engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a resident engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for resident engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for resident engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a resident engineer. While the absolute best city for resident engineers is Sacramento, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for resident engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a resident engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for resident engineers in 2025
1. Sacramento, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $133,180 Lowest 10 percent warn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location quotient: 3.16 2. Stockton, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $132,278 Lowest 10 percent warn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location quotient: 4.64 3. San Jose, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 37 Average annual salary: $131,842 Lowest 10 percent warn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location quotient: 2.87 4. Fresno, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $128,369 Lowest 10 percent warn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location quotient: 5.88 5. Oakland, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $133,074 Lowest 10 percent warn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location quotient: 2.30 6. Santa Ana, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $117,798 Lowest 10 percent warn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location quotient: 9.90 7. Fremont, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $132,369 Lowest 10 percent warn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location quotient: 1.36 8. San Francisco, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 20 Average annual salary: $133,341 Lowest 10 percent warn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location quotient: 1.10 9. Los Angeles, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 28 Average annual salary: $118,777 Lowest 10 percent warn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location quotient: 1.79 10. Irvine, CA
Total resident engineer jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $117,614 Lowest 10 percent warn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location quotient: 2.41
Choose from 10+ customizable resident engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use resident 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 resident engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for resident engineers
- Sacramento, CA
- Stockton, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Santa Ana, CA
- Fremont, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Irvine, CA
- (12 resident engineer jobs)
- (3 resident engineer jobs)
- (37 resident engineer jobs)
- (6 resident engineer jobs)
- (4 resident engineer jobs)
- (9 resident engineer jobs)
- (5 resident engineer jobs)
- (20 resident engineer jobs)
- (28 resident engineer jobs)
- (12 resident engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a resident engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $133,180 | $96,000 | 495,234 | 12 |
| 2 | Stockton, CA | $132,278 | $95,000 | 307,072 | 3 |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | $131,842 | $95,000 | 1,025,350 | 37 |
| 4 | Fresno, CA | $128,369 | $92,000 | 522,053 | 6 |
| 5 | Oakland, CA | $133,074 | $96,000 | 420,005 | 4 |
| 6 | Santa Ana, CA | $117,798 | $85,000 | 334,217 | 9 |
| 7 | Fremont, CA | $132,369 | $95,000 | 233,136 | 5 |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | $133,341 | $96,000 | 870,887 | 20 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | $118,777 | $85,000 | 3,976,322 | 28 |
| 10 | Irvine, CA | $117,614 | $85,000 | 266,122 | 12 |
| 11 | Tulsa, OK | $93,487 | $67,000 | 403,090 | 3 |
| 12 | San Diego, CA | $116,032 | $83,000 | 1,406,630 | 28 |
| 13 | Bakersfield, CA | $123,271 | $89,000 | 376,380 | 1 |
| 14 | Louisville, KY | $96,877 | $69,000 | 597,337 | 3 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh, PA | $99,936 | $72,000 | 303,625 | 5 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $102,893 | $74,000 | 1,567,872 | 7 |
| 17 | Plano, TX | $87,521 | $62,000 | 286,057 | 23 |
| 18 | Las Vegas, NV | $89,593 | $64,000 | 632,912 | 6 |
| 19 | Riverside, CA | $117,660 | $85,000 | 324,722 | 1 |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | $109,521 | $80,000 | 704,352 | 10 |
| 21 | El Paso, TX | $91,944 | $65,000 | 683,080 | 1 |
| 22 | Arlington, TX | $87,943 | $63,000 | 392,772 | 1 |
| 23 | Newark, NJ | $100,139 | $72,000 | 281,764 | 5 |
| 24 | Anchorage, AK | $114,079 | $92,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 25 | Austin, TX | $89,217 | $63,000 | 947,890 | 8 |
| 26 | Lexington, KY | $97,594 | $70,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 27 | Houston, TX | $88,591 | $62,000 | 2,303,482 | 16 |
| 28 | Long Beach, CA | $118,124 | $85,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 29 | Anaheim, CA | $117,978 | $85,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 30 | Reno, NV | $97,980 | $71,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 31 | Oklahoma City, OK | $94,826 | $68,000 | 638,367 | - |
| 32 | Portland, OR | $94,377 | $69,000 | 639,863 | 6 |
| 33 | San Antonio, TX | $89,112 | $63,000 | 1,492,510 | 2 |
| 34 | Detroit, MI | $77,316 | $56,000 | 672,795 | 11 |
| 35 | Atlanta, GA | $86,680 | $62,000 | 472,522 | 19 |
| 36 | New Orleans, LA | $93,422 | $66,000 | 391,495 | - |
| 37 | Chula Vista, CA | $115,806 | $83,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 38 | Virginia Beach, VA | $102,750 | $73,000 | 452,602 | - |
| 39 | New York, NY | $95,553 | $68,000 | 8,537,673 | 108 |
| 40 | Norfolk, VA | $102,590 | $73,000 | 245,115 | - |
| 41 | Chesapeake, VA | $102,502 | $73,000 | 237,940 | - |
| 42 | Dallas, TX | $87,774 | $63,000 | 1,317,929 | 3 |
| 43 | Boston, MA | $95,479 | $69,000 | 673,184 | 8 |
| 44 | North Las Vegas, NV | $89,502 | $64,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 45 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $85,252 | $59,000 | 260,999 | 2 |
| 46 | Lubbock, TX | $89,720 | $64,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 47 | Fort Worth, TX | $88,013 | $63,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 48 | Henderson, NV | $88,967 | $64,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 49 | Irving, TX | $87,785 | $63,000 | 238,289 | 1 |
| 50 | Chicago, IL | $84,563 | $61,000 | 2,704,958 | 24 |
Highest paying cities for resident engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. resident engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $133,341 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $109,521 |
| 3 | Reston, VA | $102,916 |
| 4 | Middletown, NJ | $100,116 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | $99,936 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $95,553 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $95,479 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $94,377 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $92,483 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $89,593 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $89,217 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $87,341 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $86,680 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $84,563 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $83,613 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $80,655 |
| 17 | Overland Park, KS | $79,563 |
| 18 | Warren, MI | $77,375 |
| 19 | Raleigh, NC | $74,199 |
Resident engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for resident engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025