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Best states for a structural design engineer
Quoted expert
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for structural design engineers in the United States. Structural design engineer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for structural design engineers.In order to help you decide which state is the best for structural design engineers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for structural design engineer jobs.
In order to get you the best states for structural design 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 structural design engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for structural design engineers in 2026
1. California
Total structural design engineer jobs: 5,043 Average annual salary: $95,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
2. Washington
Total structural design engineer jobs: 954 Average annual salary: $88,968 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. Oregon
Total structural design engineer jobs: 702 Average annual salary: $83,303 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.79
4. Texas
Total structural design engineer jobs: 1,987 Average annual salary: $80,634 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
5. Alaska
Total structural design engineer jobs: 96 Average annual salary: $82,611 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. Alabama
Total structural design engineer jobs: 402 Average annual salary: $76,930 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
7. Oklahoma
Total structural design engineer jobs: 167 Average annual salary: $89,332 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
8. Arizona
Total structural design engineer jobs: 688 Average annual salary: $75,635 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
9. Nevada
Total structural design engineer jobs: 152 Average annual salary: $79,918 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
10. Louisiana
Total structural design engineer jobs: 164 Average annual salary: $86,290 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.54
Structural design engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a structural design engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a structural design engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,744 | $67,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,043 |
| 2 | Washington | $88,968 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 954 |
| 3 | Oregon | $83,303 | $59,000 | 4,142,776 | 702 |
| 4 | Texas | $80,634 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,987 |
| 5 | Alaska | $82,611 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 96 |
| 6 | Alabama | $76,930 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 402 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $89,332 | $63,000 | 3,930,864 | 167 |
| 8 | Arizona | $75,635 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 688 |
| 9 | Nevada | $79,918 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 152 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $86,290 | $61,000 | 4,684,333 | 164 |
| 11 | Utah | $76,707 | $53,000 | 3,101,833 | 328 |
| 12 | Idaho | $77,966 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 139 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $81,616 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 181 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $77,809 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 320 |
| 15 | Maine | $75,611 | $57,000 | 1,335,907 | 117 |
| 16 | Delaware | $75,234 | $54,000 | 961,939 | 132 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $77,517 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 116 |
| 18 | Colorado | $75,083 | $52,000 | 5,607,154 | 682 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $74,978 | $54,000 | 693,972 | 229 |
| 20 | Kansas | $74,419 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 212 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $73,982 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 987 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $74,422 | $54,000 | 3,588,184 | 296 |
| 23 | Vermont | $71,905 | $53,000 | 623,657 | 81 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $73,416 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 565 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $78,407 | $57,000 | 9,005,644 | 518 |
| 26 | New York | $74,314 | $54,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,131 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $72,786 | $52,000 | 2,088,070 | 135 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $68,412 | $49,000 | 755,393 | 92 |
| 29 | Virginia | $69,723 | $50,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,181 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $71,185 | $51,000 | 12,805,537 | 745 |
| 31 | Iowa | $68,466 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 269 |
| 32 | Michigan | $66,332 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 754 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $67,788 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 94 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $70,117 | $51,000 | 1,059,639 | 85 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $68,516 | $49,000 | 1,815,857 | 72 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $66,179 | $47,000 | 5,795,483 | 411 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $67,794 | $50,000 | 1,342,795 | 131 |
| 38 | Illinois | $68,156 | $48,000 | 12,802,023 | 895 |
| 39 | Georgia | $66,581 | $47,000 | 10,429,379 | 854 |
| 40 | Missouri | $68,253 | $48,000 | 6,113,532 | 374 |
| 41 | Montana | $64,004 | $44,000 | 1,050,493 | 118 |
| 42 | Maryland | $63,562 | $46,000 | 6,052,177 | 696 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $61,729 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 62 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $65,752 | $47,000 | 6,715,984 | 294 |
| 45 | Ohio | $64,214 | $46,000 | 11,658,609 | 675 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $65,208 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 155 |
| 47 | Florida | $64,632 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,222 |
| 48 | Indiana | $64,107 | $45,000 | 6,666,818 | 408 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $61,094 | $44,000 | 10,273,419 | 769 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $60,266 | $42,000 | 869,666 | 75 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $60,614 | $43,000 | 3,004,279 | 136 |
Highest paying states for structural design engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Structural Design Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,744 |
| 2 | Washington | $88,968 |
| 3 | Oregon | $83,303 |
| 4 | Texas | $80,634 |
| 5 | Alaska | $82,611 |
| 6 | Alabama | $76,930 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $89,332 |
| 8 | Arizona | $75,635 |
| 9 | Nevada | $79,918 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $86,290 |
| 11 | Utah | $76,707 |
| 12 | Idaho | $77,966 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $81,616 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $77,809 |
| 15 | Maine | $75,611 |
| 16 | Delaware | $75,234 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $77,517 |
| 18 | Colorado | $75,083 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $74,978 |
| 20 | Kansas | $74,419 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $73,982 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $74,422 |
| 23 | Vermont | $71,905 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $73,416 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $78,407 |
| 26 | New York | $74,314 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $72,786 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $68,412 |
| 29 | Virginia | $69,723 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $71,185 |
| 31 | Iowa | $68,466 |
| 32 | Michigan | $66,332 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $67,788 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $70,117 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $68,516 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $66,179 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $67,794 |
| 38 | Illinois | $68,156 |
| 39 | Georgia | $66,581 |
| 40 | Missouri | $68,253 |
| 41 | Montana | $64,004 |
| 42 | Maryland | $63,562 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $61,729 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $65,752 |
| 45 | Ohio | $64,214 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $65,208 |
| 47 | Florida | $64,632 |
| 48 | Indiana | $64,107 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $61,094 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $60,266 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $60,614 |
Expert opinions on the best states for structural design engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for structural design engineers to find work opportunities?
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Texas
In my opinion, career fairs are viewed as the best platform for students to get hired for entry-level jobs. They should also access campus and community resources for employment support. It is highly suggested that students should gain work-based learning experiences during their time at their academic institute. These experiences not only help them to develop their work-readiness skills but also provide significant networking opportunities. My message would be: "Don't wait until you graduate."
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Updated January 8, 2025