Best cities for a technical design engineer
The best cities for technical design engineers are Toledo, OH, San Jose, CA, and San Francisco, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for technical design engineers vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for technical design engineers in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a technical design engineer or considering a move, this list of the best cities for technical design engineers to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for technical design engineers. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a technical design engineer. While the absolute best city for technical design engineers is Toledo, OH, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for technical design engineers in 2024.
If you're looking for a technical design engineer job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for technical design engineers in 2025
1. Toledo, OH
Total technical design engineer jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $79,482 Lowest 10 percent warn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location quotient: 2.98 2. San Jose, CA
Total technical design engineer jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $119,388 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location quotient: 0.94 3. San Francisco, CA
Total technical design engineer jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $120,477 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location quotient: 0.40 4. Reno, NV
Total technical design engineer jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $75,389 Lowest 10 percent warn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location quotient: 1.76 5. Winston-Salem, NC
Total technical design engineer jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $73,193 Lowest 10 percent warn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location quotient: 2.73 6. Oakland, CA
Total technical design engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $120,135 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location quotient: 0.00 7. Fremont, CA
Total technical design engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $119,677 Lowest 10 percent warn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location quotient: 0.00 8. Stockton, CA
Total technical design engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $118,605 Lowest 10 percent warn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Detroit, MI
Total technical design engineer jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $89,778 Lowest 10 percent warn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Virginia Beach, VA
Total technical design engineer jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $87,691 Lowest 10 percent warn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location quotient: 1.98
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Best cities for technical design engineers
- Toledo, OH
- San Jose, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Reno, NV
- Winston-Salem, NC
- Oakland, CA
- Fremont, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Detroit, MI
- Virginia Beach, VA
- (1 technical design engineer jobs)
- (5 technical design engineer jobs)
- (3 technical design engineer jobs)
- (1 technical design engineer jobs)
- (1 technical design engineer jobs)
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- (1 technical design engineer jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a technical design engineer
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo, OH | $79,482 | $48,000 | 278,508 | 1 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $119,388 | $71,000 | 1,025,350 | 5 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $120,477 | $72,000 | 870,887 | 3 |
| 4 | Reno, NV | $75,389 | $45,000 | 245,255 | 1 |
| 5 | Winston-Salem, NC | $73,193 | $45,000 | 242,203 | 1 |
| 6 | Oakland, CA | $120,135 | $72,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 7 | Fremont, CA | $119,677 | $72,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 8 | Stockton, CA | $118,605 | $71,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | $89,778 | $54,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 10 | Virginia Beach, VA | $87,691 | $55,000 | 452,602 | 1 |
| 11 | Sacramento, CA | $118,557 | $71,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 12 | Indianapolis, IN | $82,521 | $50,000 | 855,164 | 1 |
| 13 | New Orleans, LA | $72,861 | $45,000 | 391,495 | 2 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,071 | $54,000 | 1,567,872 | - |
| 15 | Fresno, CA | $115,155 | $69,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 16 | Cincinnati, OH | $77,764 | $48,000 | 298,800 | 1 |
| 17 | Los Angeles, CA | $106,688 | $64,000 | 3,976,322 | 2 |
| 18 | Greensboro, NC | $73,492 | $46,000 | 287,027 | 1 |
| 19 | Bakersfield, CA | $111,178 | $66,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 20 | Cleveland, OH | $80,570 | $49,000 | 385,809 | - |
| 21 | Fort Wayne, IN | $84,159 | $51,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 22 | Long Beach, CA | $105,329 | $63,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 23 | Columbus, OH | $79,253 | $48,000 | 860,090 | 1 |
| 24 | Anaheim, CA | $105,049 | $63,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 25 | Seattle, WA | $89,864 | $54,000 | 704,352 | 2 |
| 26 | Santa Ana, CA | $104,566 | $63,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | $82,129 | $50,000 | 303,625 | - |
| 28 | Riverside, CA | $104,392 | $63,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 29 | Irvine, CA | $104,070 | $63,000 | 266,122 | - |
| 30 | Boston, MA | $93,599 | $58,000 | 673,184 | - |
| 31 | Nashville, TN | $74,307 | $46,000 | 660,388 | - |
| 32 | San Diego, CA | $99,457 | $60,000 | 1,406,630 | - |
| 33 | Tucson, AZ | $73,318 | $45,000 | 530,706 | 1 |
| 34 | Phoenix, AZ | $74,414 | $45,000 | 1,615,017 | 3 |
| 35 | Memphis, TN | $71,402 | $44,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 36 | Chula Vista, CA | $98,853 | $60,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 37 | Norfolk, VA | $87,465 | $54,000 | 245,115 | - |
| 38 | Baltimore, MD | $93,914 | $58,000 | 614,664 | - |
| 39 | Chesapeake, VA | $87,268 | $54,000 | 237,940 | - |
| 40 | New York, NY | $85,532 | $53,000 | 8,537,673 | 14 |
| 41 | Raleigh, NC | $74,065 | $46,000 | 458,880 | - |
| 42 | Durham, NC | $74,053 | $46,000 | 263,016 | - |
| 43 | Washington, DC | $97,448 | $60,000 | 681,170 | - |
| 44 | Charlotte, NC | $71,961 | $45,000 | 842,051 | 1 |
| 45 | Brookhaven, NY | $86,086 | $53,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 46 | Islip, NY | $86,001 | $53,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 47 | Anchorage, AK | $80,877 | $52,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 48 | Glendale, AZ | $74,478 | $45,000 | 245,895 | - |
| 49 | Oyster Bay, NY | $85,806 | $53,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 50 | Portland, OR | $80,248 | $48,000 | 639,863 | - |
Highest paying cities for technical design engineers
| Rank | City | Avg. technical design engineer salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $120,477 |
| 2 | New Bedford, MA | $95,341 |
| 3 | Frederick, MD | $93,083 |
| 4 | Redmond, WA | $89,594 |
| 5 | Alexandria, VA | $88,148 |
| 6 | Allentown, PA | $86,969 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $85,532 |
| 8 | Columbus, IN | $82,336 |
| 9 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $81,222 |
| 10 | Jersey City, NJ | $79,952 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $79,253 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $75,212 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $74,414 |
| 14 | Apex, NC | $73,845 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $73,057 |
| 16 | New Orleans, LA | $72,861 |
| 17 | Austin, TX | $70,615 |
| 18 | Las Vegas, NV | $70,118 |
| 19 | Tampa, FL | $69,826 |
| 20 | Tulsa, OK | $64,004 |
Technical design engineer best cities FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025