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Best states for a structures engineer
Quoted expert
Andy Gerrick
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for structures engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for structures engineer jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research found that Oregon is the best state for structures engineers, while California and Alaska are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Oregon has a median salary of $81,743 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for structures engineers.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for structures engineers. Oregon is the best state for structures engineers, where the median salary is $81,743.If you are currently seeking employment as a structures engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for structures engineers in 2025
1. Oregon
Total structures engineer jobs: 352 Average annual salary: $81,743 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
2. Alaska
Total structures engineer jobs: 72 Average annual salary: $82,685 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
3. California
Total structures engineer jobs: 2,337 Average annual salary: $90,512 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
4. Maine
Total structures engineer jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $76,493 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
5. Washington
Total structures engineer jobs: 583 Average annual salary: $77,976 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
6. Colorado
Total structures engineer jobs: 544 Average annual salary: $77,294 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
7. Oklahoma
Total structures engineer jobs: 122 Average annual salary: $78,902 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
8. Kentucky
Total structures engineer jobs: 117 Average annual salary: $79,928 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
9. Louisiana
Total structures engineer jobs: 130 Average annual salary: $75,426 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.74
10. Delaware
Total structures engineer jobs: 95 Average annual salary: $73,446 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
Structures engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a structures engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a structures engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $81,743 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 352 |
| 2 | Alaska | $82,685 | $69,000 | 739,795 | 72 |
| 3 | California | $90,512 | $66,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,337 |
| 4 | Maine | $76,493 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 76 |
| 5 | Washington | $77,976 | $58,000 | 7,405,743 | 583 |
| 6 | Colorado | $77,294 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 544 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $78,902 | $59,000 | 3,930,864 | 122 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $79,928 | $61,000 | 4,454,189 | 117 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $75,426 | $56,000 | 4,684,333 | 130 |
| 10 | Delaware | $73,446 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 95 |
| 11 | Nevada | $74,203 | $54,000 | 2,998,039 | 97 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $72,347 | $56,000 | 12,805,537 | 470 |
| 13 | Virginia | $72,785 | $56,000 | 8,470,020 | 864 |
| 14 | Vermont | $72,634 | $56,000 | 623,657 | 42 |
| 15 | Alabama | $69,957 | $53,000 | 4,874,747 | 239 |
| 16 | Idaho | $70,865 | $52,000 | 1,716,943 | 94 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $72,205 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 193 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $73,991 | $57,000 | 6,859,819 | 470 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $73,776 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 172 |
| 20 | Michigan | $69,930 | $54,000 | 9,962,311 | 415 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $72,150 | $54,000 | 2,984,100 | 71 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $70,675 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 456 |
| 23 | New York | $75,536 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 568 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $76,675 | $59,000 | 9,005,644 | 282 |
| 25 | Texas | $69,900 | $52,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,004 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $70,238 | $54,000 | 693,972 | 235 |
| 27 | Illinois | $71,674 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 560 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $69,895 | $53,000 | 6,715,984 | 190 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $69,669 | $57,000 | 1,427,538 | 89 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $68,594 | $52,000 | 1,920,076 | 110 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $70,832 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 274 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $67,618 | $53,000 | 755,393 | 45 |
| 33 | Indiana | $67,108 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 320 |
| 34 | Iowa | $67,539 | $52,000 | 3,145,711 | 171 |
| 35 | Utah | $67,006 | $49,000 | 3,101,833 | 175 |
| 36 | Arizona | $67,006 | $49,000 | 7,016,270 | 384 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $67,108 | $52,000 | 1,815,857 | 55 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $70,192 | $54,000 | 1,059,639 | 35 |
| 39 | Maryland | $66,107 | $51,000 | 6,052,177 | 487 |
| 40 | Florida | $65,707 | $49,000 | 20,984,400 | 844 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $68,434 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 61 |
| 42 | Missouri | $68,154 | $52,000 | 6,113,532 | 190 |
| 43 | Montana | $61,524 | $46,000 | 1,050,493 | 106 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $66,959 | $49,000 | 2,088,070 | 73 |
| 45 | Georgia | $62,985 | $48,000 | 10,429,379 | 628 |
| 46 | Ohio | $64,263 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 378 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $65,094 | $51,000 | 5,795,483 | 233 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $57,792 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 37 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $63,663 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 37 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $64,029 | $48,000 | 3,004,279 | 89 |
| 51 | Kansas | $63,960 | $48,000 | 2,913,123 | 116 |
Highest paying states for structures engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Structures Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $81,743 |
| 2 | Alaska | $82,685 |
| 3 | California | $90,512 |
| 4 | Maine | $76,493 |
| 5 | Washington | $77,976 |
| 6 | Colorado | $77,294 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $78,902 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $79,928 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $75,426 |
| 10 | Delaware | $73,446 |
| 11 | Nevada | $74,203 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $72,347 |
| 13 | Virginia | $72,785 |
| 14 | Vermont | $72,634 |
| 15 | Alabama | $69,957 |
| 16 | Idaho | $70,865 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $72,205 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $73,991 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $73,776 |
| 20 | Michigan | $69,930 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $72,150 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $70,675 |
| 23 | New York | $75,536 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $76,675 |
| 25 | Texas | $69,900 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $70,238 |
| 27 | Illinois | $71,674 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $69,895 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $69,669 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $68,594 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $70,832 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $67,618 |
| 33 | Indiana | $67,108 |
| 34 | Iowa | $67,539 |
| 35 | Utah | $67,006 |
| 36 | Arizona | $67,006 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $67,108 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $70,192 |
| 39 | Maryland | $66,107 |
| 40 | Florida | $65,707 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $68,434 |
| 42 | Missouri | $68,154 |
| 43 | Montana | $61,524 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $66,959 |
| 45 | Georgia | $62,985 |
| 46 | Ohio | $64,263 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $65,094 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $57,792 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $63,663 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $64,029 |
| 51 | Kansas | $63,960 |
Expert opinions on the best states for structures engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for structures 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