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Best states for a senior lead project engineer
Quoted expert
M. Stephen Enders Ph.D.
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Are you thinking of becoming a senior lead project engineer and really want to work at ASML US? Turns out, your chances to become a senior lead project engineer are better in some states than others.In order to help you decide which state is the best for senior lead project engineers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for senior lead project 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 lead project engineers. Washington is the best state for senior lead project engineers, where the median salary is $129,932.Washington is the best state, and Bremerton is the city with the highest pay for senior lead project engineers.
10 best states for senior lead project engineers in 2026
1. Washington
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 2,401 Average annual salary: $129,932 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
2. Nevada
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 748 Average annual salary: $118,083 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.49
3. New Mexico
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 636 Average annual salary: $111,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
4. Minnesota
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 2,088 Average annual salary: $107,683 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
5. Arizona
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 1,360 Average annual salary: $114,872 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
6. Idaho
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 598 Average annual salary: $103,356 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
7. California
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 10,115 Average annual salary: $114,194 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
8. Montana
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 313 Average annual salary: $105,032 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
9. Wyoming
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 113 Average annual salary: $113,884 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
10. Louisiana
Total senior lead project engineer jobs: 483 Average annual salary: $123,057 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 0.63
Senior lead project engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior lead project engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior lead project engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $129,932 | $96,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,401 |
| 2 | Nevada | $118,083 | $85,000 | 2,998,039 | 748 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $111,744 | $81,000 | 2,088,070 | 636 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $107,683 | $83,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,088 |
| 5 | Arizona | $114,872 | $84,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,360 |
| 6 | Idaho | $103,356 | $76,000 | 1,716,943 | 598 |
| 7 | California | $114,194 | $82,000 | 39,536,653 | 10,115 |
| 8 | Montana | $105,032 | $79,000 | 1,050,493 | 313 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $113,884 | $85,000 | 579,315 | 113 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $123,057 | $90,000 | 4,684,333 | 483 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $105,811 | $78,000 | 3,930,864 | 729 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $106,393 | $82,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,583 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $122,734 | $93,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,363 |
| 14 | Ohio | $102,180 | $77,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,490 |
| 15 | Michigan | $100,997 | $77,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,007 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $100,751 | $78,000 | 755,393 | 231 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $102,400 | $77,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,946 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $105,964 | $81,000 | 3,588,184 | 692 |
| 19 | Missouri | $101,327 | $76,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,320 |
| 20 | Illinois | $105,657 | $80,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,212 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $100,601 | $76,000 | 693,972 | 635 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $98,201 | $73,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,206 |
| 23 | Colorado | $99,800 | $74,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,579 |
| 24 | Georgia | $97,731 | $73,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,552 |
| 25 | Utah | $97,503 | $71,000 | 3,101,833 | 755 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $98,109 | $73,000 | 5,024,369 | 883 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $94,267 | $73,000 | 1,342,795 | 493 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $106,160 | $84,000 | 1,427,538 | 146 |
| 29 | Maine | $96,547 | $75,000 | 1,335,907 | 280 |
| 30 | Virginia | $97,242 | $73,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,627 |
| 31 | New York | $100,514 | $77,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,646 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $97,658 | $72,000 | 2,984,100 | 313 |
| 33 | Alaska | $94,373 | $79,000 | 739,795 | 220 |
| 34 | Delaware | $95,438 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 318 |
| 35 | Alabama | $93,934 | $69,000 | 4,874,747 | 899 |
| 36 | Texas | $95,195 | $70,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,172 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $88,460 | $67,000 | 869,666 | 266 |
| 38 | Florida | $96,903 | $71,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,373 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $86,808 | $65,000 | 1,920,076 | 710 |
| 40 | Maryland | $94,747 | $71,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,535 |
| 41 | Kansas | $86,467 | $65,000 | 2,913,123 | 898 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $93,690 | $72,000 | 1,059,639 | 237 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $88,576 | $68,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,337 |
| 44 | Indiana | $87,865 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,503 |
| 45 | Iowa | $90,512 | $69,000 | 3,145,711 | 675 |
| 46 | Oregon | $85,545 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,270 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $90,547 | $68,000 | 1,815,857 | 229 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $81,862 | $61,000 | 3,004,279 | 699 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $88,583 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 655 |
| 50 | Pennsylvania | $88,856 | $67,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,970 |
| 51 | Vermont | $83,919 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 145 |
Highest paying states for senior lead project engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Lead Project Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $129,932 |
| 2 | Nevada | $118,083 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $111,744 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $107,683 |
| 5 | Arizona | $114,872 |
| 6 | Idaho | $103,356 |
| 7 | California | $114,194 |
| 8 | Montana | $105,032 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $113,884 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $123,057 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $105,811 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $106,393 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $122,734 |
| 14 | Ohio | $102,180 |
| 15 | Michigan | $100,997 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $100,751 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $102,400 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $105,964 |
| 19 | Missouri | $101,327 |
| 20 | Illinois | $105,657 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $100,601 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $98,201 |
| 23 | Colorado | $99,800 |
| 24 | Georgia | $97,731 |
| 25 | Utah | $97,503 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $98,109 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $94,267 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $106,160 |
| 29 | Maine | $96,547 |
| 30 | Virginia | $97,242 |
| 31 | New York | $100,514 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $97,658 |
| 33 | Alaska | $94,373 |
| 34 | Delaware | $95,438 |
| 35 | Alabama | $93,934 |
| 36 | Texas | $95,195 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $88,460 |
| 38 | Florida | $96,903 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $86,808 |
| 40 | Maryland | $94,747 |
| 41 | Kansas | $86,467 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $93,690 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $88,576 |
| 44 | Indiana | $87,865 |
| 45 | Iowa | $90,512 |
| 46 | Oregon | $85,545 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $90,547 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $81,862 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $88,583 |
| 50 | Pennsylvania | $88,856 |
| 51 | Vermont | $83,919 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior lead project engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior lead project engineers to find work opportunities?
M. Stephen Enders Ph.D.
Professor & Department Head, Colorado School of Mines
All states have some type of mining operations even if they are quarries for sand & gravel operations. The states that have very strong mining industries include: Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, and many others.
In the U.S. mining industry, there are >2 jobs for each mining engineering graduate. This has been about the same for the past 10+ years and is not expected to change in the foreseeable future. Similar situations exist worldwide.
Senior lead project engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025