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Best states for a studio engineer
Quoted expert
Ian Corbett
- Rank 1 - 10
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Studio engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for studio engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for studio engineers.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of studio engineers in America is $132,000.
Oregon is the best state for jobs for studio engineers, and Rhode Island is the worst. The most common pay in Oregon is $113,040, while the median pay in Rhode Island is $54,246.Oregon is the best state, and Grants Pass is the city with the highest pay for studio engineers.
10 best states for studio engineers in 2025
1. Oregon
Total studio engineer jobs: 166 Average annual salary: $113,040 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
2. Arizona
Total studio engineer jobs: 176 Average annual salary: $108,688 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
3. Virginia
Total studio engineer jobs: 531 Average annual salary: $106,252 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 2.16
4. Wyoming
Total studio engineer jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $98,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
5. California
Total studio engineer jobs: 1,340 Average annual salary: $110,846 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.76
6. North Carolina
Total studio engineer jobs: 198 Average annual salary: $103,961 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
7. Utah
Total studio engineer jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $96,187 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
8. Pennsylvania
Total studio engineer jobs: 152 Average annual salary: $106,024 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.5
9. Alabama
Total studio engineer jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $94,759 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
10. Washington
Total studio engineer jobs: 326 Average annual salary: $97,942 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.71
Studio engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a studio engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a studio engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $113,040 | $75,000 | 4,142,776 | 166 |
| 2 | Arizona | $108,688 | $71,000 | 7,016,270 | 176 |
| 3 | Virginia | $106,252 | $73,000 | 8,470,020 | 531 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $98,379 | $65,000 | 579,315 | 16 |
| 5 | California | $110,846 | $72,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,340 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $103,961 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 198 |
| 7 | Utah | $96,187 | $63,000 | 3,101,833 | 84 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $106,024 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 152 |
| 9 | Alabama | $94,759 | $61,000 | 4,874,747 | 109 |
| 10 | Washington | $97,942 | $65,000 | 7,405,743 | 326 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $98,972 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 114 |
| 12 | Ohio | $97,582 | $66,000 | 11,658,609 | 154 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $98,554 | $67,000 | 1,815,857 | 16 |
| 14 | Georgia | $94,002 | $61,000 | 10,429,379 | 216 |
| 15 | Montana | $97,356 | $65,000 | 1,050,493 | 15 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $95,750 | $64,000 | 4,454,189 | 41 |
| 17 | Michigan | $90,220 | $61,000 | 9,962,311 | 164 |
| 18 | Indiana | $90,331 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 132 |
| 19 | Idaho | $94,469 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 26 |
| 20 | Illinois | $90,702 | $61,000 | 12,802,023 | 273 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $92,905 | $61,000 | 5,024,369 | 66 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $93,345 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 34 |
| 23 | Colorado | $90,738 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 237 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $91,331 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 44 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $92,329 | $62,000 | 869,666 | 9 |
| 26 | Florida | $88,144 | $55,000 | 20,984,400 | 392 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $94,142 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 129 |
| 28 | Alaska | $89,449 | $64,000 | 739,795 | 16 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $85,460 | $57,000 | 1,920,076 | 48 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $88,499 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 83 |
| 31 | Iowa | $88,908 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 44 |
| 32 | Texas | $83,949 | $53,000 | 28,304,596 | 493 |
| 33 | New York | $81,659 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 363 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $85,969 | $56,000 | 6,715,984 | 62 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $85,085 | $55,000 | 2,088,070 | 28 |
| 36 | Delaware | $56,266 | $38,000 | 961,939 | 62 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $87,386 | $59,000 | 755,393 | 7 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $56,196 | $38,000 | 693,972 | 171 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $84,937 | $54,000 | 2,984,100 | 18 |
| 40 | Maryland | $56,196 | $38,000 | 6,052,177 | 306 |
| 41 | Missouri | $86,103 | $57,000 | 6,113,532 | 55 |
| 42 | Kansas | $83,481 | $55,000 | 2,913,123 | 30 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $74,582 | $48,000 | 3,004,279 | 45 |
| 44 | Nevada | $64,001 | $41,000 | 2,998,039 | 36 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $53,116 | $36,000 | 6,859,819 | 265 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $61,555 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 17 |
| 47 | Maine | $81,143 | $55,000 | 1,335,907 | 13 |
| 48 | Connecticut | $55,198 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 59 |
| 49 | Vermont | $49,147 | $33,000 | 623,657 | 18 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $51,533 | $35,000 | 1,342,795 | 35 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $54,246 | $37,000 | 1,059,639 | 18 |
Highest paying states for studio engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Studio Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $113,040 |
| 2 | Arizona | $108,688 |
| 3 | Virginia | $106,252 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $98,379 |
| 5 | California | $110,846 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $103,961 |
| 7 | Utah | $96,187 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $106,024 |
| 9 | Alabama | $94,759 |
| 10 | Washington | $97,942 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $98,972 |
| 12 | Ohio | $97,582 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $98,554 |
| 14 | Georgia | $94,002 |
| 15 | Montana | $97,356 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $95,750 |
| 17 | Michigan | $90,220 |
| 18 | Indiana | $90,331 |
| 19 | Idaho | $94,469 |
| 20 | Illinois | $90,702 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $92,905 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $93,345 |
| 23 | Colorado | $90,738 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $91,331 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $92,329 |
| 26 | Florida | $88,144 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $94,142 |
| 28 | Alaska | $89,449 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $85,460 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $88,499 |
| 31 | Iowa | $88,908 |
| 32 | Texas | $83,949 |
| 33 | New York | $81,659 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $85,969 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $85,085 |
| 36 | Delaware | $56,266 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $87,386 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $56,196 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $84,937 |
| 40 | Maryland | $56,196 |
| 41 | Missouri | $86,103 |
| 42 | Kansas | $83,481 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $74,582 |
| 44 | Nevada | $64,001 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $53,116 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $61,555 |
| 47 | Maine | $81,143 |
| 48 | Connecticut | $55,198 |
| 49 | Vermont | $49,147 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $51,533 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $54,246 |
Expert opinions on the best states for studio engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for studio engineers to find work opportunities?
Ian Corbett
Coordinator & Professor of Audio Engineering, Kansas City Kansas Community College Audio Engineering Society Vice-President, Central USA & Canada, Audio Engineering Society
This is an ever-developing situation. As some cities become expensive, some companies relocate to cities with cheaper costs of living. It is important for the job-seeker to balance how they want to live and what they want to do. Los Angeles and New York offer a lot of opportunity generally, but with increased competition and increased cost of living. For gaming, cities like Austin and Baltimore have growing creative communities, in addition to the coasts. Various geographic regions offer their own opportunities, just different ones - for example, most cities have regional arts and theater opportunities, and it's possible to make a great living in many larger cities doing audio-visual and corporate audio work.
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Updated January 8, 2025