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Best states for a senior mechanical engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for senior mechanical engineers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for senior mechanical engineer jobs.In order to help you decide which state is the best for senior mechanical engineers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for senior mechanical engineer jobs.
Washington is the best state for jobs for senior mechanical engineers, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in Washington is $127,983, while the median pay in Mississippi is $80,067.Washington is the best state, and Bellingham is the city with the highest pay for senior mechanical engineers.
10 best states for senior mechanical engineers in 2026
1. Washington
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 1,627 Average annual salary: $127,983 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
2. California
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 8,168 Average annual salary: $126,108 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
3. Nevada
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 279 Average annual salary: $111,979 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
4. Massachusetts
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 1,791 Average annual salary: $109,334 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
5. Arizona
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 1,060 Average annual salary: $107,016 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
6. District of Columbia
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 439 Average annual salary: $116,522 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.71
7. New Mexico
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 254 Average annual salary: $107,844 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
8. Texas
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 2,887 Average annual salary: $105,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
9. New Hampshire
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 313 Average annual salary: $103,043 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
10. Idaho
Total senior mechanical engineer jobs: 183 Average annual salary: $109,506 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
Senior mechanical engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior mechanical engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior mechanical engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $127,983 | $95,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,627 |
| 2 | California | $126,108 | $93,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,168 |
| 3 | Nevada | $111,979 | $83,000 | 2,998,039 | 279 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $109,334 | $84,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,791 |
| 5 | Arizona | $107,016 | $80,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,060 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $116,522 | $89,000 | 693,972 | 439 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $107,844 | $81,000 | 2,088,070 | 254 |
| 8 | Texas | $105,128 | $79,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,887 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $103,043 | $79,000 | 1,342,795 | 313 |
| 10 | Idaho | $109,506 | $81,000 | 1,716,943 | 183 |
| 11 | Delaware | $104,550 | $79,000 | 961,939 | 196 |
| 12 | Oregon | $104,088 | $77,000 | 4,142,776 | 950 |
| 13 | Utah | $99,830 | $74,000 | 3,101,833 | 608 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $102,133 | $78,000 | 1,059,639 | 189 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $102,764 | $78,000 | 3,588,184 | 565 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $108,398 | $81,000 | 4,684,333 | 233 |
| 17 | Maryland | $103,183 | $78,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,188 |
| 18 | Maine | $103,199 | $79,000 | 1,335,907 | 113 |
| 19 | New York | $102,192 | $78,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,981 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $101,430 | $78,000 | 1,815,857 | 119 |
| 21 | Colorado | $98,520 | $74,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,147 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $102,576 | $78,000 | 9,005,644 | 993 |
| 23 | Virginia | $97,741 | $74,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,976 |
| 24 | Alaska | $103,270 | $82,000 | 739,795 | 86 |
| 25 | Alabama | $93,434 | $71,000 | 4,874,747 | 558 |
| 26 | Michigan | $92,863 | $71,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,024 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $98,859 | $75,000 | 3,930,864 | 225 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $93,003 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,438 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $93,230 | $71,000 | 6,715,984 | 480 |
| 30 | Illinois | $93,176 | $72,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,477 |
| 31 | Georgia | $90,627 | $69,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,316 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $89,032 | $68,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,236 |
| 33 | Missouri | $92,730 | $71,000 | 6,113,532 | 577 |
| 34 | Vermont | $88,702 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 128 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $89,682 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 104 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $90,954 | $70,000 | 869,666 | 79 |
| 37 | Ohio | $84,421 | $65,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,196 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $85,990 | $66,000 | 1,920,076 | 253 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $86,132 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 275 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $85,025 | $65,000 | 3,004,279 | 223 |
| 41 | Montana | $86,143 | $64,000 | 1,050,493 | 144 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $82,260 | $64,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,087 |
| 43 | Florida | $88,942 | $65,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,677 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $81,453 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 76 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $81,745 | $63,000 | 5,795,483 | 702 |
| 46 | Indiana | $82,315 | $63,000 | 6,666,818 | 754 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $82,431 | $69,000 | 1,427,538 | 99 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $82,323 | $62,000 | 5,024,369 | 469 |
| 49 | Iowa | $81,194 | $62,000 | 3,145,711 | 396 |
| 50 | Kansas | $79,154 | $60,000 | 2,913,123 | 349 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $80,067 | $60,000 | 2,984,100 | 119 |
Highest paying states for senior mechanical engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Mechanical Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $127,983 |
| 2 | California | $126,108 |
| 3 | Nevada | $111,979 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $109,334 |
| 5 | Arizona | $107,016 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $116,522 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $107,844 |
| 8 | Texas | $105,128 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $103,043 |
| 10 | Idaho | $109,506 |
| 11 | Delaware | $104,550 |
| 12 | Oregon | $104,088 |
| 13 | Utah | $99,830 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $102,133 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $102,764 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $108,398 |
| 17 | Maryland | $103,183 |
| 18 | Maine | $103,199 |
| 19 | New York | $102,192 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $101,430 |
| 21 | Colorado | $98,520 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $102,576 |
| 23 | Virginia | $97,741 |
| 24 | Alaska | $103,270 |
| 25 | Alabama | $93,434 |
| 26 | Michigan | $92,863 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $98,859 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $93,003 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $93,230 |
| 30 | Illinois | $93,176 |
| 31 | Georgia | $90,627 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $89,032 |
| 33 | Missouri | $92,730 |
| 34 | Vermont | $88,702 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $89,682 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $90,954 |
| 37 | Ohio | $84,421 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $85,990 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $86,132 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $85,025 |
| 41 | Montana | $86,143 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $82,260 |
| 43 | Florida | $88,942 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $81,453 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $81,745 |
| 46 | Indiana | $82,315 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $82,431 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $82,323 |
| 49 | Iowa | $81,194 |
| 50 | Kansas | $79,154 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $80,067 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior mechanical engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior mechanical engineers to find work opportunities?
Andy Gerrick
Associate Professor and Chair, Embry-Riddle, Prescott
Mechanical engineering is the most general field of engineering. Any industry that designs or produces physical products, from toys to spacecraft, hires mechanical engineers. The aerospace industry, where I spent 35 years as a mechanical engineer, hires many more mechanical engineers than aerospace engineers.
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Updated January 8, 2025