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Best states for a senior project engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Senior project engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for senior project engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for senior project engineers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for senior project engineers. We found that Oregon is the best state in the nation for senior project engineers, and people in Salisbury earn the most in the field.
Oregon is the best state for jobs for senior project engineers, and South Dakota is the worst. The most common pay in Oregon is $110,005, while the median pay in South Dakota is $73,042.Oregon is the best state, and Salisbury is the city with the highest pay for senior project engineers.
10 best states for senior project engineers in 2026
1. Oregon
Total senior project engineer jobs: 1,127 Average annual salary: $110,005 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
2. New Mexico
Total senior project engineer jobs: 525 Average annual salary: $101,171 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
3. Massachusetts
Total senior project engineer jobs: 2,168 Average annual salary: $106,077 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
4. Washington
Total senior project engineer jobs: 1,907 Average annual salary: $104,253 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
5. Arizona
Total senior project engineer jobs: 1,311 Average annual salary: $103,806 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
6. California
Total senior project engineer jobs: 9,236 Average annual salary: $108,976 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
7. Nevada
Total senior project engineer jobs: 538 Average annual salary: $99,185 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
8. Maryland
Total senior project engineer jobs: 1,385 Average annual salary: $111,201 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
9. Texas
Total senior project engineer jobs: 3,559 Average annual salary: $103,940 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
10. Louisiana
Total senior project engineer jobs: 498 Average annual salary: $105,090 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
Senior project engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior project engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior project engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $110,005 | $84,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,127 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $101,171 | $78,000 | 2,088,070 | 525 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $106,077 | $84,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,168 |
| 4 | Washington | $104,253 | $81,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,907 |
| 5 | Arizona | $103,806 | $80,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,311 |
| 6 | California | $108,976 | $83,000 | 39,536,653 | 9,236 |
| 7 | Nevada | $99,185 | $75,000 | 2,998,039 | 538 |
| 8 | Maryland | $111,201 | $86,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,385 |
| 9 | Texas | $103,940 | $80,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,559 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $105,090 | $81,000 | 4,684,333 | 498 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $105,406 | $82,000 | 693,972 | 501 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $96,418 | $75,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,226 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $105,250 | $82,000 | 3,588,184 | 557 |
| 14 | Virginia | $102,552 | $79,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,226 |
| 15 | Utah | $96,723 | $74,000 | 3,101,833 | 725 |
| 16 | Michigan | $93,698 | $73,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,067 |
| 17 | Georgia | $95,551 | $74,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,568 |
| 18 | Colorado | $98,943 | $77,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,397 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $97,636 | $77,000 | 1,059,639 | 196 |
| 20 | Alabama | $92,893 | $72,000 | 4,874,747 | 903 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $95,160 | $74,000 | 1,815,857 | 246 |
| 22 | Maine | $93,803 | $75,000 | 1,335,907 | 269 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $92,616 | $72,000 | 5,024,369 | 897 |
| 24 | New York | $99,763 | $78,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,299 |
| 25 | Indiana | $89,874 | $70,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,447 |
| 26 | Iowa | $90,735 | $71,000 | 3,145,711 | 739 |
| 27 | Missouri | $92,263 | $72,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,316 |
| 28 | Delaware | $95,996 | $74,000 | 961,939 | 249 |
| 29 | Illinois | $96,607 | $76,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,790 |
| 30 | Alaska | $99,160 | $86,000 | 739,795 | 103 |
| 31 | Ohio | $87,167 | $68,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,532 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $88,934 | $71,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,984 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $100,692 | $78,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,077 |
| 34 | Kansas | $89,429 | $70,000 | 2,913,123 | 665 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $91,631 | $71,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,619 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $99,030 | $82,000 | 1,427,538 | 135 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $88,479 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 510 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $89,989 | $70,000 | 3,930,864 | 500 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $86,225 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 225 |
| 40 | Florida | $93,055 | $72,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,074 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $84,933 | $67,000 | 1,342,795 | 500 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | $88,930 | $69,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,677 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $81,138 | $64,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,392 |
| 44 | Idaho | $81,880 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 418 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $84,925 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 652 |
| 46 | Vermont | $86,788 | $69,000 | 623,657 | 140 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $86,551 | $67,000 | 2,984,100 | 270 |
| 48 | Montana | $87,606 | $69,000 | 1,050,493 | 155 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $84,735 | $66,000 | 579,315 | 87 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $72,168 | $56,000 | 3,004,279 | 493 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $73,042 | $58,000 | 869,666 | 172 |
Highest paying states for senior project engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Project Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $110,005 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $101,171 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $106,077 |
| 4 | Washington | $104,253 |
| 5 | Arizona | $103,806 |
| 6 | California | $108,976 |
| 7 | Nevada | $99,185 |
| 8 | Maryland | $111,201 |
| 9 | Texas | $103,940 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $105,090 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $105,406 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $96,418 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $105,250 |
| 14 | Virginia | $102,552 |
| 15 | Utah | $96,723 |
| 16 | Michigan | $93,698 |
| 17 | Georgia | $95,551 |
| 18 | Colorado | $98,943 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $97,636 |
| 20 | Alabama | $92,893 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $95,160 |
| 22 | Maine | $93,803 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $92,616 |
| 24 | New York | $99,763 |
| 25 | Indiana | $89,874 |
| 26 | Iowa | $90,735 |
| 27 | Missouri | $92,263 |
| 28 | Delaware | $95,996 |
| 29 | Illinois | $96,607 |
| 30 | Alaska | $99,160 |
| 31 | Ohio | $87,167 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $88,934 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $100,692 |
| 34 | Kansas | $89,429 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $91,631 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $99,030 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $88,479 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $89,989 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $86,225 |
| 40 | Florida | $93,055 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $84,933 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | $88,930 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $81,138 |
| 44 | Idaho | $81,880 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $84,925 |
| 46 | Vermont | $86,788 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $86,551 |
| 48 | Montana | $87,606 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $84,735 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $72,168 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $73,042 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior project engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior project 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