Best cities for a start-up engineer
The best cities for start-up engineers are San Francisco, CA, Oakland, CA, and Memphis, TN, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for start-up engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for start-up engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a start-up engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for start-up engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for start-up engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a start-up engineer. While the absolute best city for start-up engineers is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for start-up engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a start-up engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for start-up engineers in 2025
1. San Francisco, CA
Total start-up engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $123,608 Lowest 10 percent warn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location quotient: 9.13 2. Oakland, CA
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $123,390 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location quotient: 0.00 3. Memphis, TN
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $90,871 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location quotient: 0.00 4. Fremont, CA
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $122,912 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location quotient: 0.00 5. San Jose, CA
Total start-up engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $122,479 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location quotient: 6.45 6. Albuquerque, NM
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $118,667 Lowest 10 percent warn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location quotient: 0.00 7. Reno, NV
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $104,488 Lowest 10 percent warn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location quotient: 0.00 8. Nashville, TN
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $90,201 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Sacramento, CA
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $122,752 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Stockton, CA
Total start-up engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $122,565 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location quotient: 0.00
Choose from 10+ customizable start-up engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use start-up engineer resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your start-up engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for start-up engineers
- San Francisco, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Memphis, TN
- Fremont, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Albuquerque, NM
- Reno, NV
- Nashville, TN
- Sacramento, CA
- Stockton, CA
- (4 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
- (2 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
- (0 start-up engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a start-up engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $123,608 | $83,000 | 870,887 | 4 |
| 2 | Oakland, CA | $123,390 | $82,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 3 | Memphis, TN | $90,871 | $60,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 4 | Fremont, CA | $122,912 | $82,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $122,479 | $82,000 | 1,025,350 | 2 |
| 6 | Albuquerque, NM | $118,667 | $79,000 | 559,277 | - |
| 7 | Reno, NV | $104,488 | $70,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 8 | Nashville, TN | $90,201 | $60,000 | 660,388 | - |
| 9 | Sacramento, CA | $122,752 | $82,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 10 | Stockton, CA | $122,565 | $82,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 11 | Portland, OR | $107,980 | $72,000 | 639,863 | - |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $98,528 | $66,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 13 | North Las Vegas, NV | $98,451 | $66,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $92,667 | $60,000 | 947,890 | 2 |
| 15 | Henderson, NV | $98,117 | $66,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $89,675 | $60,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 17 | Fort Worth, TX | $92,783 | $60,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 18 | Arlington, TX | $92,682 | $60,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 19 | Irving, TX | $92,538 | $60,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 20 | Fresno, CA | $119,512 | $80,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 21 | Seattle, WA | $107,265 | $72,000 | 704,352 | - |
| 22 | Dallas, TX | $92,494 | $60,000 | 1,317,929 | - |
| 23 | El Paso, TX | $95,774 | $64,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 24 | Lubbock, TX | $94,668 | $62,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 25 | Atlanta, GA | $94,698 | $61,000 | 472,522 | - |
| 26 | Garland, TX | $92,315 | $60,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 27 | Wichita, KS | $91,630 | $62,000 | 389,902 | - |
| 28 | Bakersfield, CA | $115,733 | $77,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 29 | Colorado Springs, CO | $104,055 | $70,000 | 465,101 | - |
| 30 | Plano, TX | $92,278 | $60,000 | 286,057 | - |
| 31 | San Antonio, TX | $92,011 | $59,000 | 1,492,510 | 2 |
| 32 | New Orleans, LA | $91,639 | $57,000 | 391,495 | - |
| 33 | Los Angeles, CA | $112,833 | $76,000 | 3,976,322 | 9 |
| 34 | Denver, CO | $102,512 | $69,000 | 693,060 | 2 |
| 35 | Houston, TX | $91,297 | $58,000 | 2,303,482 | 5 |
| 36 | Philadelphia, PA | $86,043 | $57,000 | 1,567,872 | 7 |
| 37 | Aurora, CO | $102,546 | $69,000 | 361,710 | - |
| 38 | Oklahoma City, OK | $88,353 | $59,000 | 638,367 | - |
| 39 | Long Beach, CA | $112,259 | $75,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 40 | Anaheim, CA | $112,180 | $75,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 41 | Santa Ana, CA | $112,008 | $75,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 42 | Riverside, CA | $112,000 | $75,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 43 | Irvine, CA | $111,846 | $75,000 | 266,122 | - |
| 44 | Indianapolis, IN | $85,600 | $58,000 | 855,164 | - |
| 45 | Tulsa, OK | $86,857 | $58,000 | 403,090 | - |
| 46 | Fort Wayne, IN | $85,134 | $58,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 47 | Laredo, TX | $88,523 | $57,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 48 | Scottsdale, AZ | $89,431 | $60,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 49 | Glendale, AZ | $89,430 | $60,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 50 | Columbus, OH | $82,367 | $55,000 | 860,090 | - |
Highest paying cities for start-up engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. start-up engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $123,608 |
| 2 | Denver, CO | $102,512 |
| 3 | Douglasville, GA | $94,693 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $94,591 |
| 5 | Houston, TX | $91,297 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $91,185 |
| 7 | Overland Park, KS | $90,040 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $86,043 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $85,753 |
| 10 | Tampa, FL | $73,396 |
Start-up engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for start-up engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025