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Best states for a systems engineer/architect
Quoted expert
Vince Bowen
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Systems engineer/architect opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for systems engineers/architects, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for systems engineers/architects.Our research shows that California is the best state in the country for systems engineers/architects.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for systems engineers/architects. California is the best state for systems engineers/architects, where the median salary is $142,190.We found that the South is best for systems engineers/architects, and the West is the worst. Menlo Park, CA is the best city in the country for systems engineer/architect jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for systems engineers/architects in 2025
1. California
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 9,294 Average annual salary: $142,190 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.232. Arizona
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 1,832 Average annual salary: $128,505 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.213. Washington
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 2,432 Average annual salary: $116,227 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.294. Nevada
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 491 Average annual salary: $118,895 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.915. Oregon
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 1,107 Average annual salary: $112,732 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.036. Maryland
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 2,582 Average annual salary: $113,031 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.587. Idaho
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 412 Average annual salary: $107,403 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.978. Wyoming
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 159 Average annual salary: $101,522 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.039. Texas
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 5,679 Average annual salary: $102,012 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.0910. Georgia
Total systems engineer/architect jobs: 2,574 Average annual salary: $106,175 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
Systems engineer/architect jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a systems engineer/architect
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a systems engineer/architect
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $142,190 | $101,000 | 39,536,653 | 9,294 |
| 2 | Arizona | $128,505 | $91,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,832 |
| 3 | Washington | $116,227 | $83,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,432 |
| 4 | Nevada | $118,895 | $83,000 | 2,998,039 | 491 |
| 5 | Oregon | $112,732 | $80,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,107 |
| 6 | Maryland | $113,031 | $82,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,582 |
| 7 | Idaho | $107,403 | $76,000 | 1,716,943 | 412 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $101,522 | $72,000 | 579,315 | 159 |
| 9 | Texas | $102,012 | $73,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,679 |
| 10 | Georgia | $106,175 | $77,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,574 |
| 11 | Utah | $100,448 | $70,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,042 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $127,400 | $99,000 | 1,427,538 | 192 |
| 13 | Michigan | $102,645 | $75,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,784 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $105,501 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,388 |
| 15 | Delaware | $104,663 | $76,000 | 961,939 | 306 |
| 16 | Colorado | $100,928 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,179 |
| 17 | Vermont | $99,367 | $73,000 | 623,657 | 212 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $99,288 | $72,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,505 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $98,484 | $72,000 | 869,666 | 200 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $98,923 | $72,000 | 693,972 | 1,009 |
| 21 | Ohio | $98,244 | $71,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,803 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $98,204 | $71,000 | 6,715,984 | 834 |
| 23 | Illinois | $96,323 | $70,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,314 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $97,011 | $70,000 | 3,004,279 | 459 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $92,775 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 279 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $95,934 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 490 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $95,496 | $69,000 | 3,588,184 | 972 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $95,303 | $70,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,717 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $93,362 | $68,000 | 1,059,639 | 316 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $96,481 | $69,000 | 3,930,864 | 411 |
| 31 | Missouri | $94,915 | $69,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,224 |
| 32 | Kansas | $93,530 | $67,000 | 2,913,123 | 586 |
| 33 | Alabama | $92,207 | $67,000 | 4,874,747 | 917 |
| 34 | Virginia | $91,356 | $66,000 | 8,470,020 | 4,015 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $92,702 | $67,000 | 1,815,857 | 245 |
| 36 | New York | $95,031 | $69,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,099 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $93,680 | $68,000 | 5,795,483 | 963 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $91,031 | $64,000 | 2,088,070 | 496 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $89,655 | $65,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,530 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $90,717 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 448 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $91,803 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,038 |
| 42 | Alaska | $88,924 | $71,000 | 739,795 | 205 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $91,295 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 549 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $91,822 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 417 |
| 45 | Maine | $89,581 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 246 |
| 46 | Montana | $87,192 | $63,000 | 1,050,493 | 284 |
| 47 | Florida | $87,025 | $62,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,862 |
| 48 | Iowa | $87,977 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 582 |
| 49 | Indiana | $85,919 | $62,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,095 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $84,949 | $62,000 | 5,024,369 | 664 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $84,380 | $61,000 | 2,984,100 | 314 |
Highest paying states for systems engineers/architects
| Rank | State | Avg. Systems Engineer/Architect Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $142,190 |
| 2 | Arizona | $128,505 |
| 3 | Washington | $116,227 |
| 4 | Nevada | $118,895 |
| 5 | Oregon | $112,732 |
| 6 | Maryland | $113,031 |
| 7 | Idaho | $107,403 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $101,522 |
| 9 | Texas | $102,012 |
| 10 | Georgia | $106,175 |
| 11 | Utah | $100,448 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $127,400 |
| 13 | Michigan | $102,645 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $105,501 |
| 15 | Delaware | $104,663 |
| 16 | Colorado | $100,928 |
| 17 | Vermont | $99,367 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $99,288 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $98,484 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $98,923 |
| 21 | Ohio | $98,244 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $98,204 |
| 23 | Illinois | $96,323 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $97,011 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $92,775 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $95,934 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $95,496 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $95,303 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $93,362 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $96,481 |
| 31 | Missouri | $94,915 |
| 32 | Kansas | $93,530 |
| 33 | Alabama | $92,207 |
| 34 | Virginia | $91,356 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $92,702 |
| 36 | New York | $95,031 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $93,680 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $91,031 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $89,655 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $90,717 |
| 41 | New Jersey | $91,803 |
| 42 | Alaska | $88,924 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $91,295 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $91,822 |
| 45 | Maine | $89,581 |
| 46 | Montana | $87,192 |
| 47 | Florida | $87,025 |
| 48 | Iowa | $87,977 |
| 49 | Indiana | $85,919 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $84,949 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $84,380 |
Expert opinions on the best states for systems engineers/architects
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for systems engineer/architects to find work opportunities?
Vince Bowen
Executive Director, Department Chair Energy Systems Technology & Education Center (ESTEC), Idaho State University
Any large city will have several openings. Beyond that, these people can work anywhere in the world.
Systems engineer/architect best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025