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Best states for a senior research engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and architecture and engineering careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to senior research engineer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for senior research engineers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for senior research engineers. We found that California is the best state in the nation for senior research engineers, and people in Pacifica earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for senior research engineers. California is the best state for senior research engineers, where the median salary is $147,816.We found that the Midwest is best for senior research engineers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for senior research engineer jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for senior research engineers in 2026
1. California
Total senior research engineer jobs: 7,931 Average annual salary: $147,816 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
2. Washington
Total senior research engineer jobs: 1,668 Average annual salary: $134,743 Lowest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
3. Idaho
Total senior research engineer jobs: 285 Average annual salary: $127,115 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
4. Delaware
Total senior research engineer jobs: 288 Average annual salary: $114,564 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
5. New Mexico
Total senior research engineer jobs: 323 Average annual salary: $129,200 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
6. Arizona
Total senior research engineer jobs: 1,459 Average annual salary: $110,646 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
7. Rhode Island
Total senior research engineer jobs: 252 Average annual salary: $111,482 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
8. District of Columbia
Total senior research engineer jobs: 427 Average annual salary: $116,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
9. Texas
Total senior research engineer jobs: 3,669 Average annual salary: $109,103 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
10. Nevada
Total senior research engineer jobs: 276 Average annual salary: $116,058 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
Senior research engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior research engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior research engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $147,816 | $110,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,931 |
| 2 | Washington | $134,743 | $99,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,668 |
| 3 | Idaho | $127,115 | $93,000 | 1,716,943 | 285 |
| 4 | Delaware | $114,564 | $88,000 | 961,939 | 288 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $129,200 | $97,000 | 2,088,070 | 323 |
| 6 | Arizona | $110,646 | $83,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,459 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $111,482 | $87,000 | 1,059,639 | 252 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $116,995 | $90,000 | 693,972 | 427 |
| 9 | Texas | $109,103 | $83,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,669 |
| 10 | Nevada | $116,058 | $86,000 | 2,998,039 | 276 |
| 11 | Virginia | $105,597 | $81,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,315 |
| 12 | Maryland | $114,584 | $88,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,012 |
| 13 | Iowa | $108,324 | $84,000 | 3,145,711 | 498 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $103,534 | $82,000 | 1,342,795 | 330 |
| 15 | Oregon | $100,467 | $74,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,241 |
| 16 | New York | $105,406 | $82,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,057 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $105,232 | $81,000 | 1,815,857 | 212 |
| 18 | Utah | $98,975 | $73,000 | 3,101,833 | 725 |
| 19 | Alaska | $111,113 | $90,000 | 739,795 | 78 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $106,584 | $84,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,469 |
| 21 | Illinois | $101,965 | $79,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,153 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $102,176 | $80,000 | 3,588,184 | 706 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $104,681 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,382 |
| 24 | Colorado | $100,082 | $75,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,686 |
| 25 | Michigan | $96,119 | $75,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,382 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $107,482 | $88,000 | 1,427,538 | 159 |
| 27 | Vermont | $96,130 | $76,000 | 623,657 | 175 |
| 28 | Georgia | $97,594 | $76,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,749 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $102,349 | $78,000 | 4,684,333 | 325 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $91,135 | $68,000 | 579,315 | 113 |
| 31 | Maine | $98,145 | $78,000 | 1,335,907 | 177 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $92,455 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,020 |
| 33 | Florida | $94,975 | $74,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,767 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $94,045 | $74,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,187 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $93,679 | $72,000 | 6,715,984 | 758 |
| 36 | Alabama | $90,746 | $70,000 | 4,874,747 | 610 |
| 37 | Indiana | $89,091 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 928 |
| 38 | Montana | $91,113 | $68,000 | 1,050,493 | 176 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $88,339 | $68,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,567 |
| 40 | Missouri | $89,942 | $69,000 | 6,113,532 | 789 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $87,409 | $68,000 | 4,454,189 | 343 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $86,130 | $67,000 | 5,795,483 | 901 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $87,833 | $67,000 | 3,930,864 | 351 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $85,673 | $67,000 | 755,393 | 131 |
| 45 | Ohio | $84,106 | $65,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,503 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $79,884 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 343 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $86,666 | $67,000 | 5,024,369 | 454 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $85,884 | $66,000 | 2,984,100 | 183 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $80,658 | $62,000 | 869,666 | 125 |
| 50 | Kansas | $78,115 | $60,000 | 2,913,123 | 387 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $76,544 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 303 |
Highest paying states for senior research engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Research Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $147,816 |
| 2 | Washington | $134,743 |
| 3 | Idaho | $127,115 |
| 4 | Delaware | $114,564 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $129,200 |
| 6 | Arizona | $110,646 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $111,482 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $116,995 |
| 9 | Texas | $109,103 |
| 10 | Nevada | $116,058 |
| 11 | Virginia | $105,597 |
| 12 | Maryland | $114,584 |
| 13 | Iowa | $108,324 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $103,534 |
| 15 | Oregon | $100,467 |
| 16 | New York | $105,406 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $105,232 |
| 18 | Utah | $98,975 |
| 19 | Alaska | $111,113 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $106,584 |
| 21 | Illinois | $101,965 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $102,176 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $104,681 |
| 24 | Colorado | $100,082 |
| 25 | Michigan | $96,119 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $107,482 |
| 27 | Vermont | $96,130 |
| 28 | Georgia | $97,594 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $102,349 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $91,135 |
| 31 | Maine | $98,145 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $92,455 |
| 33 | Florida | $94,975 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $94,045 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $93,679 |
| 36 | Alabama | $90,746 |
| 37 | Indiana | $89,091 |
| 38 | Montana | $91,113 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $88,339 |
| 40 | Missouri | $89,942 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $87,409 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $86,130 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $87,833 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $85,673 |
| 45 | Ohio | $84,106 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $79,884 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $86,666 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $85,884 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $80,658 |
| 50 | Kansas | $78,115 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $76,544 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior research engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior research 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