Best cities for a structural design engineer
The best cities for structural design engineers are Tulsa, OK, Oklahoma City, OK, and Plano, TX, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for structural design engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for structural design engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a structural design engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for structural design engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for structural design engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a structural design engineer. While the absolute best city for structural design engineers is Tulsa, OK, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for structural design engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a structural design engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for structural design engineers in 2025
1. Tulsa, OK
Total structural design engineer jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $88,170 Lowest 10 percent warn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location quotient: 15.11 2. Oklahoma City, OK
Total structural design engineer jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $90,030 Lowest 10 percent warn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location quotient: 4.25 3. Plano, TX
Total structural design engineer jobs: 31 Average annual salary: $80,658 Lowest 10 percent warn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location quotient: 5.47 4. Louisville, KY
Total structural design engineer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $81,483 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location quotient: 1.32 5. New Orleans, LA
Total structural design engineer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $85,900 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location quotient: 1.27 6. Houston, TX
Total structural design engineer jobs: 52 Average annual salary: $80,195 Lowest 10 percent warn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location quotient: 2.68 7. San Francisco, CA
Total structural design engineer jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $105,488 Lowest 10 percent warn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location quotient: 1.10 8. Seattle, WA
Total structural design engineer jobs: 45 Average annual salary: $89,250 Lowest 10 percent warn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location quotient: 3.09 9. Dallas, TX
Total structural design engineer jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $80,738 Lowest 10 percent warn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location quotient: 1.23 10. Wichita, KS
Total structural design engineer jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $75,876 Lowest 10 percent warn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location quotient: 12.28
Choose from 10+ customizable structural design engineer resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use structural design 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 structural design engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for structural design engineers
- Tulsa, OK
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Plano, TX
- Louisville, KY
- New Orleans, LA
- Houston, TX
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Dallas, TX
- Wichita, KS
- (25 structural design engineer jobs)
- (15 structural design engineer jobs)
- (31 structural design engineer jobs)
- (4 structural design engineer jobs)
- (2 structural design engineer jobs)
- (52 structural design engineer jobs)
- (19 structural design engineer jobs)
- (45 structural design engineer jobs)
- (13 structural design engineer jobs)
- (18 structural design engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a structural design engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa, OK | $88,170 | $62,000 | 403,090 | 25 |
| 2 | Oklahoma City, OK | $90,030 | $63,000 | 638,367 | 15 |
| 3 | Plano, TX | $80,658 | $57,000 | 286,057 | 31 |
| 4 | Louisville, KY | $81,483 | $58,000 | 597,337 | 4 |
| 5 | New Orleans, LA | $85,900 | $61,000 | 391,495 | 2 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | $80,195 | $57,000 | 2,303,482 | 52 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $105,488 | $74,000 | 870,887 | 19 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $89,250 | $64,000 | 704,352 | 45 |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | $80,738 | $57,000 | 1,317,929 | 13 |
| 10 | Wichita, KS | $75,876 | $53,000 | 389,902 | 18 |
| 11 | Sacramento, CA | $105,352 | $73,000 | 495,234 | 3 |
| 12 | Long Beach, CA | $91,723 | $65,000 | 470,130 | 11 |
| 13 | Fort Worth, TX | $80,868 | $57,000 | 854,113 | 2 |
| 14 | Anaheim, CA | $91,681 | $65,000 | 351,043 | 3 |
| 15 | San Jose, CA | $104,278 | $73,000 | 1,025,350 | 8 |
| 16 | Mesa, AZ | $75,577 | $54,000 | 484,587 | 2 |
| 17 | Portland, OR | $82,111 | $58,000 | 639,863 | 9 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $80,836 | $58,000 | 947,890 | 7 |
| 19 | Los Angeles, CA | $92,560 | $66,000 | 3,976,322 | 31 |
| 20 | Lexington, KY | $81,694 | $58,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 21 | Las Vegas, NV | $78,907 | $55,000 | 632,912 | 4 |
| 22 | Fremont, CA | $104,796 | $73,000 | 233,136 | 1 |
| 23 | Oakland, CA | $105,329 | $73,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 24 | Reno, NV | $85,964 | $60,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 25 | Stockton, CA | $104,895 | $73,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 26 | Phoenix, AZ | $75,783 | $54,000 | 1,615,017 | 9 |
| 27 | Arlington, TX | $80,820 | $57,000 | 392,772 | - |
| 28 | Irving, TX | $80,761 | $57,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 29 | Lubbock, TX | $81,999 | $58,000 | 252,506 | - |
| 30 | Garland, TX | $80,667 | $57,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 31 | Irvine, CA | $91,233 | $65,000 | 266,122 | 5 |
| 32 | El Paso, TX | $82,886 | $59,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 33 | Fort Wayne, IN | $64,292 | $45,000 | 264,488 | 10 |
| 34 | Fresno, CA | $101,507 | $71,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 35 | Nashville, TN | $65,354 | $46,000 | 660,388 | 7 |
| 36 | San Antonio, TX | $80,587 | $58,000 | 1,492,510 | - |
| 37 | Laredo, TX | $79,095 | $57,000 | 257,156 | - |
| 38 | Corpus Christi, TX | $78,959 | $57,000 | 325,733 | - |
| 39 | San Diego, CA | $89,759 | $64,000 | 1,406,630 | 11 |
| 40 | Denver, CO | $74,841 | $51,000 | 693,060 | 46 |
| 41 | North Las Vegas, NV | $78,859 | $55,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 42 | Henderson, NV | $78,271 | $55,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 43 | Glendale, AZ | $75,799 | $54,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 44 | Philadelphia, PA | $71,477 | $51,000 | 1,567,872 | 4 |
| 45 | Scottsdale, AZ | $75,761 | $54,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 46 | Bakersfield, CA | $97,063 | $68,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 47 | Kansas City, MO | $68,171 | $48,000 | 481,420 | 7 |
| 48 | Anchorage, AK | $82,756 | $67,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 49 | Riverside, CA | $91,569 | $65,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 50 | Chandler, AZ | $75,575 | $54,000 | 247,477 | - |
Highest paying cities for structural design engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. structural design engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $105,488 |
| 2 | Oklahoma City, OK | $90,030 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $89,250 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $80,836 |
| 5 | Columbia, SC | $77,992 |
| 6 | Wichita, KS | $75,876 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $74,841 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $74,476 |
| 9 | McLean, VA | $69,715 |
| 10 | Tallahassee, FL | $68,400 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $68,210 |
| 12 | Saint Louis, MO | $68,097 |
| 13 | Columbus, GA | $67,258 |
| 14 | Dearborn, MI | $66,447 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $64,135 |
| 16 | Indianapolis, IN | $64,110 |
| 17 | Columbia, MD | $63,563 |
| 18 | Greenville, NC | $61,409 |
Structural design engineer best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
Search for structural design engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025