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Best states for a senior environmental engineer
Quoted expert
Murray Borrello
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Are you thinking of becoming a senior environmental engineer and really want to work at Lockheed Martin? Turns out, your chances to become a senior environmental engineer are better in some states than others.Although there are abundant senior environmental engineer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. Virginia is the best state in the country for senior environmental engineer jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for senior environmental engineers. Virginia is the best state for senior environmental engineers, where the median salary is $93,258.Virginia is the best state, and Morgantown is the city with the highest pay for senior environmental engineers.
10 best states for senior environmental engineers in 2025
1. Virginia
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 1,039 Average annual salary: $93,258 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.69
2. District of Columbia
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 259 Average annual salary: $96,915 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 2.37
3. Oregon
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 370 Average annual salary: $90,447 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
4. California
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 3,196 Average annual salary: $95,240 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.68
5. Texas
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 1,148 Average annual salary: $93,224 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
6. West Virginia
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $95,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
7. Alaska
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 87 Average annual salary: $87,561 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
8. Maryland
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 515 Average annual salary: $85,936 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
9. Connecticut
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 233 Average annual salary: $86,854 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
10. Arizona
Total senior environmental engineer jobs: 398 Average annual salary: $84,249 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
Senior environmental engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior environmental engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior environmental engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $93,258 | $68,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,039 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $96,915 | $70,000 | 693,972 | 259 |
| 3 | Oregon | $90,447 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 370 |
| 4 | California | $95,240 | $69,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,196 |
| 5 | Texas | $93,224 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,148 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $95,925 | $68,000 | 1,815,857 | 84 |
| 7 | Alaska | $87,561 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 87 |
| 8 | Maryland | $85,936 | $62,000 | 6,052,177 | 515 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $86,854 | $60,000 | 3,588,184 | 233 |
| 10 | Arizona | $84,249 | $61,000 | 7,016,270 | 398 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $87,338 | $62,000 | 12,805,537 | 547 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $90,831 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 131 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $84,591 | $62,000 | 10,273,419 | 482 |
| 14 | Delaware | $77,616 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 105 |
| 15 | Nevada | $83,335 | $59,000 | 2,998,039 | 103 |
| 16 | Washington | $76,010 | $50,000 | 7,405,743 | 802 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $79,410 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 632 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $80,941 | $57,000 | 2,088,070 | 102 |
| 19 | New York | $79,355 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 910 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $83,838 | $60,000 | 2,984,100 | 68 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $81,307 | $68,000 | 1,427,538 | 57 |
| 22 | Alabama | $76,217 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 225 |
| 23 | Idaho | $73,884 | $48,000 | 1,716,943 | 85 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $78,393 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 112 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $78,642 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 408 |
| 26 | Michigan | $72,930 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 369 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $70,208 | $48,000 | 1,059,639 | 68 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $69,261 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 108 |
| 29 | Colorado | $67,328 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 464 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $70,994 | $51,000 | 6,715,984 | 193 |
| 31 | Indiana | $67,631 | $46,000 | 6,666,818 | 335 |
| 32 | Georgia | $66,514 | $49,000 | 10,429,379 | 580 |
| 33 | Illinois | $68,254 | $45,000 | 12,802,023 | 664 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $59,528 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 45 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,907 | $48,000 | 4,454,189 | 125 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $64,882 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 131 |
| 37 | Florida | $62,004 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 949 |
| 38 | Utah | $60,805 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 181 |
| 39 | Maine | $55,520 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 107 |
| 40 | Ohio | $64,246 | $44,000 | 11,658,609 | 440 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $56,493 | $36,000 | 5,795,483 | 328 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $63,515 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 164 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $54,297 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 145 |
| 44 | Kansas | $64,516 | $43,000 | 2,913,123 | 109 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $55,250 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 388 |
| 46 | Iowa | $57,054 | $37,000 | 3,145,711 | 186 |
| 47 | Vermont | $52,790 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 53 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $43,978 | $28,000 | 755,393 | 68 |
| 49 | Montana | $52,404 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 54 |
| 50 | Missouri | $52,194 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 214 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $49,344 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 37 |
Highest paying states for senior environmental engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Environmental Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $93,258 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $96,915 |
| 3 | Oregon | $90,447 |
| 4 | California | $95,240 |
| 5 | Texas | $93,224 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $95,925 |
| 7 | Alaska | $87,561 |
| 8 | Maryland | $85,936 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $86,854 |
| 10 | Arizona | $84,249 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $87,338 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $90,831 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $84,591 |
| 14 | Delaware | $77,616 |
| 15 | Nevada | $83,335 |
| 16 | Washington | $76,010 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $79,410 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $80,941 |
| 19 | New York | $79,355 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $83,838 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $81,307 |
| 22 | Alabama | $76,217 |
| 23 | Idaho | $73,884 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $78,393 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $78,642 |
| 26 | Michigan | $72,930 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $70,208 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $69,261 |
| 29 | Colorado | $67,328 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $70,994 |
| 31 | Indiana | $67,631 |
| 32 | Georgia | $66,514 |
| 33 | Illinois | $68,254 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $59,528 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,907 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $64,882 |
| 37 | Florida | $62,004 |
| 38 | Utah | $60,805 |
| 39 | Maine | $55,520 |
| 40 | Ohio | $64,246 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $56,493 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $63,515 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $54,297 |
| 44 | Kansas | $64,516 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $55,250 |
| 46 | Iowa | $57,054 |
| 47 | Vermont | $52,790 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $43,978 |
| 49 | Montana | $52,404 |
| 50 | Missouri | $52,194 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $49,344 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior environmental engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior environmental engineers to find work opportunities?
Murray Borrello
Director and Chair, Alma College
I would say that this question may be asked, "are there any good places in the U.S. or good areas in the job market..." First, let's look at places...I am finding that students who are looking in areas that are "high-quality living" regions, like in the Rocky Mountains (Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs) or coastal areas such as Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, San Francisco - there are jobs, but there is also a lot of competition for those jobs. Where openings occur changes quite a bit, depending on population migration and the area that the work entails. For example, if you are interested in water resources (finding water, water quality issues), the Plains States and Southwest U.S. is where you are likely to find work. Actually, larger communities anywhere along the Colorado or Rio Grande River systems are pretty good bets. But in general, the kind of work will determine where you find employment. My advice to students ready to graduate is this:
Make a list of areas you want to work in. The list should be divided into three tiers - where you absolutely would love to live, where you wouldn't mind living, and an area or region where the job dictates where you live. Remember, most "first" jobs are not long-term commitments. Employees move around a lot now.
But, for those graduates who are looking for work in 2021 - 2023, I would say that environmental health is going to be the area with the most positions. Anything that can be tied with the Coronavirus, tracking infections, general statistics, and epidemiology - these skill sets and knowledge will be hugely beneficial in getting employment. Even those students who are finishing up their senior year, it might be wise to explore environmental health classes or public health classes.
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Updated January 8, 2025