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Best states for a water/wastewater engineer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Water/wastewater engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for water/wastewater engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for water/wastewater engineers.Although there are abundant water/wastewater engineer jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. Oregon is the best state in the country for water/wastewater engineer jobs.
The median salary for water/wastewater engineers in Oregon is $111,569. Compare that to the median salary in Missouri of $64,561, which ranked worst for water/wastewater engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a water/wastewater engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for water/wastewater engineers in 2026
1. Oregon
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 221 Average annual salary: $111,569 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
2. California
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 1,544 Average annual salary: $110,665 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
3. Idaho
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 69 Average annual salary: $102,159 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
4. Washington
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 357 Average annual salary: $99,074 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
5. Nevada
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 69 Average annual salary: $94,284 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. District of Columbia
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 172 Average annual salary: $101,552 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 2.93
7. Louisiana
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $103,694 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.55
8. Vermont
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $91,393 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
9. Maine
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $102,940 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.54
10. New Hampshire
Total water/wastewater engineer jobs: 49 Average annual salary: $92,850 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
Water/wastewater engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a water/wastewater engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a water/wastewater engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $111,569 | $77,000 | 4,142,776 | 221 |
| 2 | California | $110,665 | $75,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,544 |
| 3 | Idaho | $102,159 | $70,000 | 1,716,943 | 69 |
| 4 | Washington | $99,074 | $69,000 | 7,405,743 | 357 |
| 5 | Nevada | $94,284 | $64,000 | 2,998,039 | 69 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $101,552 | $71,000 | 693,972 | 172 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $103,694 | $70,000 | 4,684,333 | 62 |
| 8 | Vermont | $91,393 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 29 |
| 9 | Maine | $102,940 | $70,000 | 1,335,907 | 25 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $92,850 | $63,000 | 1,342,795 | 49 |
| 11 | Texas | $88,275 | $60,000 | 28,304,596 | 773 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $93,577 | $64,000 | 6,859,819 | 298 |
| 13 | Arizona | $88,132 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 258 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $87,048 | $62,000 | 755,393 | 31 |
| 15 | Michigan | $87,287 | $61,000 | 9,962,311 | 220 |
| 16 | Delaware | $86,439 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 73 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $91,093 | $62,000 | 2,088,070 | 41 |
| 18 | Virginia | $86,731 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 600 |
| 19 | Alaska | $91,596 | $65,000 | 739,795 | 20 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $93,782 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 69 |
| 21 | Maryland | $87,191 | $61,000 | 6,052,177 | 367 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $86,565 | $60,000 | 1,815,857 | 34 |
| 23 | New York | $87,404 | $61,000 | 19,849,399 | 428 |
| 24 | Colorado | $84,852 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 337 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $80,149 | $56,000 | 1,920,076 | 86 |
| 26 | Georgia | $82,596 | $57,000 | 10,429,379 | 307 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $87,031 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 19 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $88,127 | $61,000 | 9,005,644 | 176 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $83,575 | $58,000 | 3,930,864 | 61 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $82,479 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 256 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $78,672 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 307 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $81,414 | $56,000 | 3,004,279 | 52 |
| 33 | Utah | $76,508 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 123 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $82,764 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 52 |
| 35 | Iowa | $78,426 | $55,000 | 3,145,711 | 101 |
| 36 | Illinois | $80,414 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 310 |
| 37 | Kansas | $77,731 | $54,000 | 2,913,123 | 71 |
| 38 | Florida | $75,153 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 579 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $77,312 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 107 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,469 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 32 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $73,649 | $52,000 | 869,666 | 24 |
| 42 | Ohio | $71,349 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 237 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $71,728 | $50,000 | 5,795,483 | 141 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $70,796 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 196 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $69,080 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 19 |
| 46 | Alabama | $68,951 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 128 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $73,281 | $50,000 | 2,984,100 | 41 |
| 48 | Indiana | $70,533 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 166 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $67,791 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 126 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $62,566 | $43,000 | 1,427,538 | 23 |
| 51 | Missouri | $64,561 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 108 |
Highest paying states for water/wastewater engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Water/Wastewater Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $111,569 |
| 2 | California | $110,665 |
| 3 | Idaho | $102,159 |
| 4 | Washington | $99,074 |
| 5 | Nevada | $94,284 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $101,552 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $103,694 |
| 8 | Vermont | $91,393 |
| 9 | Maine | $102,940 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $92,850 |
| 11 | Texas | $88,275 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $93,577 |
| 13 | Arizona | $88,132 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $87,048 |
| 15 | Michigan | $87,287 |
| 16 | Delaware | $86,439 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $91,093 |
| 18 | Virginia | $86,731 |
| 19 | Alaska | $91,596 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $93,782 |
| 21 | Maryland | $87,191 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $86,565 |
| 23 | New York | $87,404 |
| 24 | Colorado | $84,852 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $80,149 |
| 26 | Georgia | $82,596 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $87,031 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $88,127 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $83,575 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $82,479 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $78,672 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $81,414 |
| 33 | Utah | $76,508 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $82,764 |
| 35 | Iowa | $78,426 |
| 36 | Illinois | $80,414 |
| 37 | Kansas | $77,731 |
| 38 | Florida | $75,153 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $77,312 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,469 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $73,649 |
| 42 | Ohio | $71,349 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $71,728 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $70,796 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $69,080 |
| 46 | Alabama | $68,951 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $73,281 |
| 48 | Indiana | $70,533 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $67,791 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $62,566 |
| 51 | Missouri | $64,561 |
Water/wastewater engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025