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Best states for a resident engineer
Quoted expert
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Resident engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for resident engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for resident engineers.Our research found that California is the best state for resident engineers, while California and Alaska are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $122,471 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for resident engineers.
The median salary for resident engineers in California is $122,471. Compare that to the median salary in North Carolina of $73,645, which ranked worst for resident engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a resident engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for resident engineers in 2025
1. California
Total resident engineer jobs: 2,464 Average annual salary: $122,471 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
2. Washington
Total resident engineer jobs: 631 Average annual salary: $108,673 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
3. Virginia
Total resident engineer jobs: 978 Average annual salary: $102,275 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.78
4. Pennsylvania
Total resident engineer jobs: 654 Average annual salary: $102,373 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
5. Oregon
Total resident engineer jobs: 387 Average annual salary: $94,403 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
6. Alaska
Total resident engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $113,626 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 0
7. Kentucky
Total resident engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $96,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0
8. Maine
Total resident engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $98,228 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0
9. New York
Total resident engineer jobs: 873 Average annual salary: $95,438 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
10. New Jersey
Total resident engineer jobs: 339 Average annual salary: $100,013 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
Resident engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a resident engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a resident engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $122,471 | $88,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,464 |
| 2 | Washington | $108,673 | $80,000 | 7,405,743 | 631 |
| 3 | Virginia | $102,275 | $73,000 | 8,470,020 | 978 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $102,373 | $74,000 | 12,805,537 | 654 |
| 5 | Oregon | $94,403 | $69,000 | 4,142,776 | 387 |
| 6 | Alaska | $113,626 | $91,000 | 739,795 | 0 |
| 7 | Kentucky | $96,986 | $70,000 | 4,454,189 | 0 |
| 8 | Maine | $98,228 | $72,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
| 9 | New York | $95,438 | $69,000 | 19,849,399 | 873 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $100,013 | $72,000 | 9,005,644 | 339 |
| 11 | Nevada | $90,809 | $65,000 | 2,998,039 | 126 |
| 12 | Idaho | $91,498 | $66,000 | 1,716,943 | 95 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $94,360 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 122 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $88,584 | $65,000 | 5,576,606 | 842 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $93,326 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 136 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $95,411 | $69,000 | 6,859,819 | 492 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $94,554 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 186 |
| 18 | Vermont | $93,578 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 41 |
| 19 | Texas | $88,517 | $63,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,223 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $92,522 | $66,000 | 693,972 | 196 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $85,901 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 60 |
| 22 | Georgia | $86,841 | $62,000 | 10,429,379 | 675 |
| 23 | Colorado | $87,425 | $63,000 | 5,607,154 | 577 |
| 24 | Delaware | $93,630 | $67,000 | 961,939 | 0 |
| 25 | Utah | $85,584 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 197 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $87,640 | $63,000 | 2,984,100 | 81 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $89,851 | $65,000 | 1,059,639 | 39 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $87,955 | $64,000 | 1,342,795 | 74 |
| 29 | Iowa | $83,270 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 208 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $83,464 | $60,000 | 1,815,857 | 58 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $81,154 | $59,000 | 5,795,483 | 366 |
| 32 | Maryland | $83,373 | $60,000 | 6,052,177 | 547 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $80,614 | $58,000 | 6,715,984 | 310 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $83,144 | $60,000 | 2,088,070 | 85 |
| 35 | Illinois | $84,184 | $61,000 | 12,802,023 | 648 |
| 36 | Arizona | $80,428 | $58,000 | 7,016,270 | 390 |
| 37 | Ohio | $78,755 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 565 |
| 38 | Montana | $78,160 | $57,000 | 1,050,493 | 110 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $70,061 | $58,000 | 1,427,538 | 89 |
| 40 | Florida | $83,859 | $59,000 | 20,984,400 | 0 |
| 41 | Indiana | $78,031 | $56,000 | 6,666,818 | 362 |
| 42 | Kansas | $79,863 | $58,000 | 2,913,123 | 121 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $76,907 | $56,000 | 1,920,076 | 139 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $71,856 | $52,000 | 579,315 | 46 |
| 45 | Alabama | $78,122 | $56,000 | 4,874,747 | 0 |
| 46 | Missouri | $79,076 | $57,000 | 6,113,532 | 242 |
| 47 | Michigan | $77,195 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 0 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $76,210 | $55,000 | 3,004,279 | 93 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $76,025 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 228 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $73,755 | $54,000 | 869,666 | 51 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $73,645 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 518 |
Highest paying states for resident engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Resident Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $122,471 |
| 2 | Washington | $108,673 |
| 3 | Virginia | $102,275 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $102,373 |
| 5 | Oregon | $94,403 |
| 6 | Alaska | $113,626 |
| 7 | Kentucky | $96,986 |
| 8 | Maine | $98,228 |
| 9 | New York | $95,438 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $100,013 |
| 11 | Nevada | $90,809 |
| 12 | Idaho | $91,498 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $94,360 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $88,584 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $93,326 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $95,411 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $94,554 |
| 18 | Vermont | $93,578 |
| 19 | Texas | $88,517 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $92,522 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $85,901 |
| 22 | Georgia | $86,841 |
| 23 | Colorado | $87,425 |
| 24 | Delaware | $93,630 |
| 25 | Utah | $85,584 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $87,640 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $89,851 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $87,955 |
| 29 | Iowa | $83,270 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $83,464 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $81,154 |
| 32 | Maryland | $83,373 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $80,614 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $83,144 |
| 35 | Illinois | $84,184 |
| 36 | Arizona | $80,428 |
| 37 | Ohio | $78,755 |
| 38 | Montana | $78,160 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $70,061 |
| 40 | Florida | $83,859 |
| 41 | Indiana | $78,031 |
| 42 | Kansas | $79,863 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $76,907 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $71,856 |
| 45 | Alabama | $78,122 |
| 46 | Missouri | $79,076 |
| 47 | Michigan | $77,195 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $76,210 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $76,025 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $73,755 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $73,645 |
Expert opinions on the best states for resident engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for resident engineers to find work opportunities?
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Texas
In my opinion, career fairs are viewed as the best platform for students to get hired for entry-level jobs. They should also access campus and community resources for employment support. It is highly suggested that students should gain work-based learning experiences during their time at their academic institute. These experiences not only help them to develop their work-readiness skills but also provide significant networking opportunities. My message would be: "Don't wait until you graduate."
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Updated January 8, 2025