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Best states for a senior cost engineer
Quoted expert
Chris P. Caddell
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Senior cost engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for senior cost engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for senior cost engineers.In fact, our research shows that Washington is the best state for senior cost engineers in America. The best city in America for senior cost engineers with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for senior cost engineers.We found that Washington is the best state for senior cost engineer jobs, whereas South Dakota is the worst.
10 best states for senior cost engineers in 2025
1. Washington
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 479 Average annual salary: $98,196 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
2. New Jersey
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 372 Average annual salary: $108,302 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
3. California
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 2,803 Average annual salary: $100,823 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
4. Connecticut
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 212 Average annual salary: $94,510 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
5. Massachusetts
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 835 Average annual salary: $92,681 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
6. Michigan
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 538 Average annual salary: $88,123 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
7. New York
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 761 Average annual salary: $95,351 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. North Carolina
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 593 Average annual salary: $87,981 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
9. Wyoming
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $93,797 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
10. Virginia
Total senior cost engineer jobs: 612 Average annual salary: $91,571 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
Senior cost engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior cost engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior cost engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $98,196 | $67,000 | 7,405,743 | 479 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $108,302 | $73,000 | 9,005,644 | 372 |
| 3 | California | $100,823 | $68,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,803 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $94,510 | $64,000 | 3,588,184 | 212 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $92,681 | $63,000 | 6,859,819 | 835 |
| 6 | Michigan | $88,123 | $59,000 | 9,962,311 | 538 |
| 7 | New York | $95,351 | $64,000 | 19,849,399 | 761 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $87,981 | $57,000 | 10,273,419 | 593 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $93,797 | $64,000 | 579,315 | 23 |
| 10 | Virginia | $91,571 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 612 |
| 11 | Florida | $92,580 | $59,000 | 20,984,400 | 722 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $92,661 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 65 |
| 13 | Idaho | $89,560 | $61,000 | 1,716,943 | 75 |
| 14 | Nevada | $89,771 | $61,000 | 2,998,039 | 89 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $92,842 | $61,000 | 3,930,864 | 76 |
| 16 | Missouri | $90,159 | $60,000 | 6,113,532 | 251 |
| 17 | Maryland | $89,376 | $60,000 | 6,052,177 | 441 |
| 18 | Utah | $84,202 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 210 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $88,863 | $59,000 | 693,972 | 171 |
| 20 | Delaware | $84,295 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 92 |
| 21 | Arizona | $83,693 | $57,000 | 7,016,270 | 406 |
| 22 | Texas | $84,725 | $56,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,059 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $82,327 | $56,000 | 1,342,795 | 126 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $83,524 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 239 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $84,913 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 88 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $84,020 | $56,000 | 12,805,537 | 515 |
| 27 | Oregon | $83,579 | $57,000 | 4,142,776 | 277 |
| 28 | Alabama | $80,178 | $52,000 | 4,874,747 | 287 |
| 29 | Colorado | $84,534 | $57,000 | 5,607,154 | 366 |
| 30 | Montana | $86,596 | $59,000 | 1,050,493 | 27 |
| 31 | Ohio | $79,185 | $53,000 | 11,658,609 | 596 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $80,344 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 45 |
| 33 | Maine | $82,472 | $56,000 | 1,335,907 | 52 |
| 34 | Illinois | $82,043 | $55,000 | 12,802,023 | 645 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $82,548 | $56,000 | 1,059,639 | 51 |
| 36 | Alaska | $84,476 | $62,000 | 739,795 | 27 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $79,909 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 40 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $78,895 | $51,000 | 6,715,984 | 216 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $81,459 | $53,000 | 4,684,333 | 80 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $77,054 | $51,000 | 4,454,189 | 174 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $73,506 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 485 |
| 42 | Georgia | $77,708 | $50,000 | 10,429,379 | 534 |
| 43 | Indiana | $73,750 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 377 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $72,837 | $48,000 | 3,004,279 | 122 |
| 45 | Kansas | $74,332 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 117 |
| 46 | Iowa | $74,430 | $50,000 | 3,145,711 | 131 |
| 47 | Vermont | $74,214 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 33 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $71,528 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 107 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $70,608 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 275 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $68,034 | $54,000 | 1,427,538 | 25 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $70,644 | $48,000 | 869,666 | 26 |
Highest paying states for senior cost engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Cost Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $98,196 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $108,302 |
| 3 | California | $100,823 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $94,510 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $92,681 |
| 6 | Michigan | $88,123 |
| 7 | New York | $95,351 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $87,981 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $93,797 |
| 10 | Virginia | $91,571 |
| 11 | Florida | $92,580 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $92,661 |
| 13 | Idaho | $89,560 |
| 14 | Nevada | $89,771 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $92,842 |
| 16 | Missouri | $90,159 |
| 17 | Maryland | $89,376 |
| 18 | Utah | $84,202 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $88,863 |
| 20 | Delaware | $84,295 |
| 21 | Arizona | $83,693 |
| 22 | Texas | $84,725 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $82,327 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $83,524 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $84,913 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $84,020 |
| 27 | Oregon | $83,579 |
| 28 | Alabama | $80,178 |
| 29 | Colorado | $84,534 |
| 30 | Montana | $86,596 |
| 31 | Ohio | $79,185 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $80,344 |
| 33 | Maine | $82,472 |
| 34 | Illinois | $82,043 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | $82,548 |
| 36 | Alaska | $84,476 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $79,909 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $78,895 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $81,459 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $77,054 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $73,506 |
| 42 | Georgia | $77,708 |
| 43 | Indiana | $73,750 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $72,837 |
| 45 | Kansas | $74,332 |
| 46 | Iowa | $74,430 |
| 47 | Vermont | $74,214 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $71,528 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $70,608 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $68,034 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $70,644 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior cost engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior cost engineers to find work opportunities?
Chris P. Caddell
Board President, AACEI
The best places for graduates to find work in the cost estimating field, at least for construction, is dependent in part on the industry. Smaller owners and contractors are prevalent throughout the U.S. in cities and large towns. Major cities continue to be the hub for owners and contractors that are involved with major construction projects. Houston, Atlanta, Denver, and Philadelphia are some of the more active cities, but it really depends.
Senior cost engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025