Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a staff mechanical engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a staff mechanical engineer at Motorola Solutions, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for staff mechanical engineers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that Washington is the best state in the country for staff mechanical engineers.
In order to get you the best states for staff mechanical engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a staff mechanical engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for staff mechanical engineers in 2025
1. Washington
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 2,001 Average annual salary: $122,149 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.432. California
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 7,566 Average annual salary: $134,980 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.363. Massachusetts
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 2,386 Average annual salary: $114,821 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.364. Arizona
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 1,492 Average annual salary: $112,198 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.345. New Mexico
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 298 Average annual salary: $122,235 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 0.86. Oregon
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 1,022 Average annual salary: $111,003 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.297. Delaware
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 250 Average annual salary: $112,728 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.048. Nevada
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 351 Average annual salary: $112,143 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.889. Idaho
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 216 Average annual salary: $115,680 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.6910. Maryland
Total staff mechanical engineer jobs: 1,310 Average annual salary: $112,159 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
Staff mechanical engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff mechanical engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a staff mechanical engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $122,149 | $90,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,001 |
| 2 | California | $134,980 | $98,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,566 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $114,821 | $88,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,386 |
| 4 | Arizona | $112,198 | $83,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,492 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $122,235 | $90,000 | 2,088,070 | 298 |
| 6 | Oregon | $111,003 | $82,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,022 |
| 7 | Delaware | $112,728 | $86,000 | 961,939 | 250 |
| 8 | Nevada | $112,143 | $82,000 | 2,998,039 | 351 |
| 9 | Idaho | $115,680 | $85,000 | 1,716,943 | 216 |
| 10 | Maryland | $112,159 | $86,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,310 |
| 11 | Colorado | $104,400 | $78,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,542 |
| 12 | Alaska | $119,748 | $95,000 | 739,795 | 109 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $110,262 | $84,000 | 693,972 | 530 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $109,838 | $84,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,228 |
| 15 | Utah | $96,140 | $70,000 | 3,101,833 | 708 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $97,459 | $76,000 | 5,795,483 | 998 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $98,036 | $75,000 | 1,342,795 | 343 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $96,003 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,203 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $101,695 | $78,000 | 1,815,857 | 191 |
| 20 | Iowa | $101,836 | $78,000 | 3,145,711 | 504 |
| 21 | Virginia | $99,555 | $76,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,223 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $96,819 | $74,000 | 1,059,639 | 218 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $95,935 | $73,000 | 6,715,984 | 719 |
| 24 | Illinois | $95,088 | $73,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,132 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $93,721 | $71,000 | 3,588,184 | 737 |
| 26 | Kansas | $93,393 | $71,000 | 2,913,123 | 428 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $95,821 | $71,000 | 4,684,333 | 390 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $90,840 | $67,000 | 579,315 | 105 |
| 29 | Maine | $94,124 | $72,000 | 1,335,907 | 192 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $92,497 | $71,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,485 |
| 31 | New York | $93,046 | $71,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,586 |
| 32 | Texas | $89,857 | $66,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,003 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $90,687 | $70,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,241 |
| 34 | Michigan | $88,203 | $68,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,306 |
| 35 | Indiana | $89,089 | $68,000 | 6,666,818 | 984 |
| 36 | Georgia | $89,827 | $68,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,757 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $92,389 | $70,000 | 5,024,369 | 585 |
| 38 | Alabama | $84,945 | $64,000 | 4,874,747 | 912 |
| 39 | Vermont | $87,619 | $67,000 | 623,657 | 163 |
| 40 | Montana | $91,040 | $67,000 | 1,050,493 | 162 |
| 41 | Ohio | $85,943 | $66,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,585 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $89,555 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 329 |
| 43 | Missouri | $86,812 | $66,000 | 6,113,532 | 819 |
| 44 | Florida | $79,039 | $57,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,611 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $84,705 | $65,000 | 4,454,189 | 390 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $78,254 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 408 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $81,204 | $66,000 | 1,427,538 | 119 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $83,406 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 85 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $79,032 | $60,000 | 1,920,076 | 325 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $81,327 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 116 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $81,470 | $61,000 | 2,984,100 | 176 |
Highest paying states for staff mechanical engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Staff Mechanical Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $122,149 |
| 2 | California | $134,980 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $114,821 |
| 4 | Arizona | $112,198 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $122,235 |
| 6 | Oregon | $111,003 |
| 7 | Delaware | $112,728 |
| 8 | Nevada | $112,143 |
| 9 | Idaho | $115,680 |
| 10 | Maryland | $112,159 |
| 11 | Colorado | $104,400 |
| 12 | Alaska | $119,748 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $110,262 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $109,838 |
| 15 | Utah | $96,140 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $97,459 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $98,036 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $96,003 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $101,695 |
| 20 | Iowa | $101,836 |
| 21 | Virginia | $99,555 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $96,819 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $95,935 |
| 24 | Illinois | $95,088 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $93,721 |
| 26 | Kansas | $93,393 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $95,821 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $90,840 |
| 29 | Maine | $94,124 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $92,497 |
| 31 | New York | $93,046 |
| 32 | Texas | $89,857 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $90,687 |
| 34 | Michigan | $88,203 |
| 35 | Indiana | $89,089 |
| 36 | Georgia | $89,827 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $92,389 |
| 38 | Alabama | $84,945 |
| 39 | Vermont | $87,619 |
| 40 | Montana | $91,040 |
| 41 | Ohio | $85,943 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $89,555 |
| 43 | Missouri | $86,812 |
| 44 | Florida | $79,039 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $84,705 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $78,254 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $81,204 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $83,406 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $79,032 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $81,327 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $81,470 |
Expert opinions on the best states for staff mechanical engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff mechanical engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
Staff mechanical engineer best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for staff mechanical engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025