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Best states for a senior structural 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 structural engineer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for senior structural engineers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for senior structural engineers. We found that California is the best state in the nation for senior structural engineers, and people in San Rafael earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for senior structural engineers.We found that California is the best state for senior structural engineer jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for senior structural engineers in 2025
1. California
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 3,690 Average annual salary: $124,006 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.632. Colorado
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 696 Average annual salary: $100,392 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.513. Oregon
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 563 Average annual salary: $97,664 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.764. Alaska
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 86 Average annual salary: $101,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.335. Nevada
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 146 Average annual salary: $99,984 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.96. Arizona
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 504 Average annual salary: $94,640 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.117. Washington
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 892 Average annual salary: $97,375 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.588. District of Columbia
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 289 Average annual salary: $101,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 2.239. Oklahoma
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 147 Average annual salary: $105,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.6210. Idaho
Total senior structural engineer jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $91,689 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
Senior structural engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior structural engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior structural engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $124,006 | $91,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,690 |
| 2 | Colorado | $100,392 | $75,000 | 5,607,154 | 696 |
| 3 | Oregon | $97,664 | $73,000 | 4,142,776 | 563 |
| 4 | Alaska | $101,696 | $84,000 | 739,795 | 86 |
| 5 | Nevada | $99,984 | $73,000 | 2,998,039 | 146 |
| 6 | Arizona | $94,640 | $70,000 | 7,016,270 | 504 |
| 7 | Washington | $97,375 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 892 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $101,366 | $77,000 | 693,972 | 289 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $105,756 | $79,000 | 3,930,864 | 147 |
| 10 | Idaho | $91,689 | $68,000 | 1,716,943 | 109 |
| 11 | Maine | $88,260 | $68,000 | 1,335,907 | 102 |
| 12 | Texas | $89,857 | $65,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,426 |
| 13 | Utah | $87,811 | $65,000 | 3,101,833 | 252 |
| 14 | Montana | $86,637 | $66,000 | 1,050,493 | 124 |
| 15 | Mississippi | $90,921 | $67,000 | 2,984,100 | 94 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $86,220 | $67,000 | 755,393 | 71 |
| 17 | Vermont | $87,595 | $67,000 | 623,657 | 61 |
| 18 | Delaware | $86,795 | $66,000 | 961,939 | 127 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $87,190 | $66,000 | 12,805,537 | 639 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $88,956 | $65,000 | 4,684,333 | 178 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $87,734 | $65,000 | 2,088,070 | 113 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $87,402 | $66,000 | 6,859,819 | 720 |
| 23 | New York | $88,143 | $67,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,033 |
| 24 | Alabama | $84,893 | $63,000 | 4,874,747 | 285 |
| 25 | Illinois | $86,955 | $66,000 | 12,802,023 | 821 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $85,715 | $65,000 | 4,454,189 | 156 |
| 27 | Missouri | $86,521 | $65,000 | 6,113,532 | 282 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $86,772 | $66,000 | 3,588,184 | 196 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $87,115 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 454 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $83,094 | $63,000 | 1,059,639 | 83 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $82,613 | $62,000 | 10,273,419 | 626 |
| 32 | Georgia | $82,159 | $61,000 | 10,429,379 | 777 |
| 33 | Virginia | $81,737 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,170 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $82,914 | $64,000 | 5,576,606 | 492 |
| 35 | Iowa | $83,492 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 177 |
| 36 | Maryland | $81,961 | $62,000 | 6,052,177 | 649 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $80,475 | $62,000 | 1,427,538 | 90 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $80,523 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 81 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $81,632 | $62,000 | 1,342,795 | 115 |
| 40 | Michigan | $79,322 | $61,000 | 9,962,311 | 517 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $81,421 | $63,000 | 5,795,483 | 269 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $78,627 | $60,000 | 1,920,076 | 156 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $75,363 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 54 |
| 44 | Kansas | $80,096 | $60,000 | 2,913,123 | 157 |
| 45 | Florida | $79,536 | $56,000 | 20,984,400 | 942 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $76,475 | $59,000 | 869,666 | 60 |
| 47 | Indiana | $77,535 | $59,000 | 6,666,818 | 352 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $78,003 | $58,000 | 6,715,984 | 221 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $76,061 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 224 |
| 50 | Ohio | $72,111 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 494 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $71,857 | $53,000 | 3,004,279 | 113 |
Highest paying states for senior structural engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Structural Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $124,006 |
| 2 | Colorado | $100,392 |
| 3 | Oregon | $97,664 |
| 4 | Alaska | $101,696 |
| 5 | Nevada | $99,984 |
| 6 | Arizona | $94,640 |
| 7 | Washington | $97,375 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $101,366 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $105,756 |
| 10 | Idaho | $91,689 |
| 11 | Maine | $88,260 |
| 12 | Texas | $89,857 |
| 13 | Utah | $87,811 |
| 14 | Montana | $86,637 |
| 15 | Mississippi | $90,921 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $86,220 |
| 17 | Vermont | $87,595 |
| 18 | Delaware | $86,795 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $87,190 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $88,956 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $87,734 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $87,402 |
| 23 | New York | $88,143 |
| 24 | Alabama | $84,893 |
| 25 | Illinois | $86,955 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $85,715 |
| 27 | Missouri | $86,521 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $86,772 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $87,115 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $83,094 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $82,613 |
| 32 | Georgia | $82,159 |
| 33 | Virginia | $81,737 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $82,914 |
| 35 | Iowa | $83,492 |
| 36 | Maryland | $81,961 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $80,475 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $80,523 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $81,632 |
| 40 | Michigan | $79,322 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $81,421 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $78,627 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $75,363 |
| 44 | Kansas | $80,096 |
| 45 | Florida | $79,536 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $76,475 |
| 47 | Indiana | $77,535 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $78,003 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $76,061 |
| 50 | Ohio | $72,111 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $71,857 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior structural engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior structural 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