Best cities for a senior design engineer
The best cities for senior design engineers are San Jose, CA, Fremont, CA, and Chandler, AZ, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for senior design engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for senior design engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a senior design engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for senior design engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for senior design engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a senior design engineer. While the absolute best city for senior design engineers is San Jose, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for senior design engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a senior design engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for senior design engineers in 2026
1. San Jose, CA
Total senior design engineer jobs: 165 Average annual salary: $132,931 Lowest 10 percent warn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location quotient: 23.95 2. Fremont, CA
Total senior design engineer jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $132,790 Lowest 10 percent warn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location quotient: 4.97 3. Chandler, AZ
Total senior design engineer jobs: 65 Average annual salary: $106,709 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location quotient: 11.91 4. Corpus Christi, TX
Total senior design engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $104,690 Lowest 10 percent warn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location quotient: 3.98 5. Austin, TX
Total senior design engineer jobs: 185 Average annual salary: $103,654 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location quotient: 18.96 6. Bakersfield, CA
Total senior design engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $130,227 Lowest 10 percent warn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location quotient: 1.61 7. Tucson, AZ
Total senior design engineer jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $105,780 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location quotient: 3.05 8. Phoenix, AZ
Total senior design engineer jobs: 50 Average annual salary: $107,402 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location quotient: 1.46 9. Scottsdale, AZ
Total senior design engineer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $107,418 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location quotient: 1.05 10. Gilbert, AZ
Total senior design engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $106,639 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location quotient: 1.50
Choose from 10+ customizable senior design engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use senior design 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 senior design engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for senior design engineers
- San Jose, CA
- Fremont, CA
- Chandler, AZ
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Tucson, AZ
- Phoenix, AZ
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Gilbert, AZ
- (165 senior design engineer jobs)
- (55 senior design engineer jobs)
- (65 senior design engineer jobs)
- (5 senior design engineer jobs)
- (185 senior design engineer jobs)
- (4 senior design engineer jobs)
- (19 senior design engineer jobs)
- (50 senior design engineer jobs)
- (6 senior design engineer jobs)
- (2 senior design engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a senior design engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $132,931 | $97,000 | 1,025,350 | 165 |
| 2 | Fremont, CA | $132,790 | $97,000 | 233,136 | 55 |
| 3 | Chandler, AZ | $106,709 | $79,000 | 247,477 | 65 |
| 4 | Corpus Christi, TX | $104,690 | $78,000 | 325,733 | 5 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $103,654 | $77,000 | 947,890 | 185 |
| 6 | Bakersfield, CA | $130,227 | $95,000 | 376,380 | 4 |
| 7 | Tucson, AZ | $105,780 | $79,000 | 530,706 | 19 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $107,402 | $79,000 | 1,615,017 | 50 |
| 9 | Scottsdale, AZ | $107,418 | $79,000 | 246,645 | 6 |
| 10 | Gilbert, AZ | $106,639 | $79,000 | 237,133 | 2 |
| 11 | Long Beach, CA | $125,547 | $92,000 | 470,130 | 10 |
| 12 | Irvine, CA | $124,541 | $92,000 | 266,122 | 144 |
| 13 | Reno, NV | $103,647 | $76,000 | 245,255 | 9 |
| 14 | Arlington, TX | $99,592 | $74,000 | 392,772 | 27 |
| 15 | San Francisco, CA | $132,864 | $97,000 | 870,887 | 48 |
| 16 | Sacramento, CA | $131,211 | $96,000 | 495,234 | 11 |
| 17 | Santa Ana, CA | $124,979 | $92,000 | 334,217 | 6 |
| 18 | San Diego, CA | $119,871 | $89,000 | 1,406,630 | 91 |
| 19 | Houston, TX | $103,426 | $77,000 | 2,303,482 | 91 |
| 20 | Albuquerque, NM | $110,574 | $82,000 | 559,277 | 3 |
| 21 | Oakland, CA | $132,733 | $97,000 | 420,005 | 2 |
| 22 | Orlando, FL | $93,376 | $69,000 | 277,173 | 59 |
| 23 | Las Vegas, NV | $103,892 | $76,000 | 632,912 | 10 |
| 24 | Dallas, TX | $99,171 | $74,000 | 1,317,929 | 39 |
| 25 | Los Angeles, CA | $126,841 | $93,000 | 3,976,322 | 45 |
| 26 | Mesa, AZ | $106,750 | $79,000 | 484,587 | 1 |
| 27 | Greensboro, NC | $82,274 | $62,000 | 287,027 | 89 |
| 28 | Anaheim, CA | $125,471 | $92,000 | 351,043 | 2 |
| 29 | Seattle, WA | $106,955 | $79,000 | 704,352 | 42 |
| 30 | Plano, TX | $98,169 | $74,000 | 286,057 | 16 |
| 31 | Portland, OR | $104,478 | $77,000 | 639,863 | 18 |
| 32 | El Paso, TX | $105,686 | $79,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 33 | Stockton, CA | $131,873 | $96,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 34 | Fresno, CA | $131,859 | $96,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 35 | Glendale, AZ | $107,423 | $79,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 36 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $94,919 | $70,000 | 260,999 | 3 |
| 37 | San Antonio, TX | $104,393 | $78,000 | 1,492,510 | 3 |
| 38 | Irving, TX | $99,065 | $74,000 | 238,289 | 11 |
| 39 | Colorado Springs, CO | $92,073 | $69,000 | 465,101 | 25 |
| 40 | Oklahoma City, OK | $81,232 | $61,000 | 638,367 | 18 |
| 41 | Laredo, TX | $105,225 | $78,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 42 | New Orleans, LA | $104,468 | $78,000 | 391,495 | - |
| 43 | Raleigh, NC | $82,842 | $63,000 | 458,880 | 21 |
| 44 | Fort Worth, TX | $99,653 | $74,000 | 854,113 | 3 |
| 45 | Nashville, TN | $85,960 | $65,000 | 660,388 | 10 |
| 46 | Lincoln, NE | $82,161 | $63,000 | 280,364 | 8 |
| 47 | Durham, NC | $82,703 | $63,000 | 263,016 | 9 |
| 48 | Lexington, KY | $76,062 | $58,000 | 318,449 | 10 |
| 49 | North Las Vegas, NV | $103,741 | $76,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 50 | Memphis, TN | $86,359 | $65,000 | 652,717 | 5 |
Highest paying cities for senior design engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. senior design engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cupertino, CA | $133,044 |
| 2 | Peoria, AZ | $108,146 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $106,955 |
| 4 | Hillsboro, OR | $104,482 |
| 5 | Austin, TX | $103,654 |
| 6 | East Hartford, CT | $99,048 |
| 7 | Orlando, FL | $93,376 |
| 8 | Fort Collins, CO | $92,115 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $91,933 |
| 10 | Arlington, VA | $90,995 |
| 11 | Peoria, IL | $89,652 |
| 12 | Troy, MI | $84,648 |
| 13 | Wilmington, NC | $83,606 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $77,399 |
| 15 | Columbus, IN | $76,398 |
| 16 | Cranberry, PA | $74,096 |
Senior design engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for senior design engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025