Engineering · 69 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Engineers (Other) (2025)

The median Engineers (Other) salary is $169,650 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Albuquerque, NM offers the best purchasing power at $174,074 adjusted.

The 69 cities below are ranked by median wage for Engineers (Other), drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Engineers (Other) relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$115,392

National Median

$169,650

Highest City

$73,470

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$169,650	$94,240, $266,030	195.8	$86,645	4,970
2	Albuquerque, NM	$163,630	$94,950, $203,280	94	$174,074	1,110
3	San Francisco, CA	$159,800	$86,080, $273,780	179.6	$88,976	4,850
4	Washington, DC	$151,340	$83,700, $195,190	152.8	$99,045	9,230
5	Anchorage, AK	$145,500	$105,600, $186,620	127	$114,567	90
6	Bakersfield, CA	$139,980	$53,440, $195,190	100.6	$139,145	670
7	Seattle, WA	$137,430	$75,800, $209,600	149.4	$91,988	2,260
8	New York, NY	$135,300	$82,450, $197,490	187.2	$72,276	5,780
9	Boise, ID	$135,020	$90,990, $211,370	102.1	$132,243	310
10	Boston, MA	$133,940	$86,120, $194,310	152.1	$88,060	2,490
11	San Diego, CA	$132,790	$77,310, $195,190	160.2	$82,890	3,570
12	Denver, CO	$131,740	$79,030, $188,240	112.8	$116,791	1,270
13	Albany, NY	$130,810	$81,590, $175,780	100.7	$129,901	580
14	Houston, TX	$130,270	$63,700, $195,190	96.5	$134,995	3,490
15	Colorado Springs, CO	$129,790	$59,000, $195,190	104.5	$124,201	440
16	Bridgeport, CT	$127,640	$80,490, $164,430	137.5	$92,829	1,070
17	Cincinnati, OH	$127,150	$75,410, $171,840	91.2	$139,419	2,100
18	Portland, OR	$126,380	$80,810, $183,190	130.1	$97,141	1,850
19	Detroit, MI	$126,250	$77,730, $166,730	95.1	$132,755	5,800
20	Los Angeles, CA	$125,060	$72,110, $187,640	166	$75,337	7,530
21	Oklahoma City, OK	$124,340	$78,580, $165,190	86.5	$143,746	580
22	Sacramento, CA	$124,220	$57,070, $171,770	124.7	$99,615	1,390
23	Atlanta, GA	$122,570	$67,810, $166,420	99.2	$123,558	2,750
24	Fresno, CA	$122,470	$73,960, $175,940	105.5	$116,085	250
25	Chicago, IL	$121,910	$61,860, $172,260	107.3	$113,616	1,570
26	Indianapolis, IN	$121,350	$72,950, $162,410	90.1	$134,684	400
27	Minneapolis, MN	$120,040	$73,940, $167,120	106.2	$113,032	1,040
28	Charlotte, NC	$118,230	$72,140, $167,750	96.7	$122,265	1,030
29	Greensboro, NC	$118,160	$59,940, $183,100	91.3	$129,419	280
30	San Antonio, TX	$117,620	$79,240, $160,020	91.5	$128,546	760
31	Orlando, FL	$115,210	$69,410, $173,940	103.1	$111,746	970
32	Baltimore, MD	$113,880	$58,460, $189,520	114.2	$99,720	2,340
33	Omaha, NE	$113,440	$43,300, $150,920	91.8	$123,573	140
34	Pittsburgh, PA	$112,420	$62,970, $161,530	92.3	$121,798	870
35	Jacksonville, FL	$112,400	$59,030, $157,470	95.1	$118,191	570
36	New Orleans, LA	$110,970	$64,060, $167,700	95.9	$115,714	1,050
37	Providence, RI	$110,520	$57,180, $195,190	119.4	$92,563	430
38	Madison, WI	$110,360	$86,260, $150,970	103.8	$106,320	230
39	Spokane, WA	$110,140	$74,190, $146,040	97.4	$113,080	80
40	Dallas, TX	$110,010	$60,540, $170,360	104.1	$105,677	2,720
41	Austin, TX	$109,610	$75,870, $172,820	103	$106,417	1,070
42	Hartford, CT	$109,080	$73,960, $159,220	112.6	$96,874	600
43	Richmond, VA	$107,990	$70,050, $166,430	102.1	$105,769	330
44	Tulsa, OK	$107,240	$70,470, $150,480	86.8	$123,548	160
45	Milwaukee, WI	$106,320	$79,510, $147,600	97.4	$109,158	180
46	Louisville, KY	$106,300	$41,740, $155,580	90.2	$117,849	170
47	Greenville, SC	$105,400	$76,430, $169,040	90.1	$116,981	280
48	Raleigh, NC	$104,910	$63,130, $163,180	99.8	$105,120	970
49	Tucson, AZ	$104,030	$59,650, $153,210	95.4	$109,046	250
50	St. Louis, MO	$103,880	$62,900, $155,130	90	$115,422	680
51	Phoenix, AZ	$102,280	$63,240, $169,910	100.7	$101,569	1,180
52	Des Moines, IA	$100,880	$73,810, $136,410	93.3	$108,124	260
53	Buffalo, NY	$100,280	$62,040, $165,890	92.5	$108,411	430
54	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$100,110	$63,660, $157,530	122.4	$81,789	1,200
55	Rochester, NY	$100,080	$59,690, $157,300	92.9	$107,729	670
56	Knoxville, TN	$99,650	$61,530, $162,430	90.3	$110,354	940
57	Reno, NV	$99,310	$44,940, $163,190	106.5	$93,249	280
58	Columbus, OH	$99,180	$63,980, $137,690	93.1	$106,531	990
59	Las Vegas, NV	$99,140	$56,130, $174,850	109	$90,954	440
60	Nashville, TN	$98,000	$59,650, $154,560	100.3	$97,707	1,450
61	Philadelphia, PA	$97,590	$61,510, $164,650	118.4	$82,424	2,160
62	Salt Lake City, UT	$96,900	$60,740, $153,940	101.4	$95,562	610
63	Lexington, KY	$93,400	$78,270, $149,430	91.3	$102,300	110
64	Kansas City, MO	$93,330	$60,890, $159,980	95.4	$97,830	580
65	Tampa, FL	$92,790	$59,740, $164,290	99.6	$93,163	870
66	Miami, FL	$91,790	$52,460, $157,600	123.1	$74,565	1,330
67	Memphis, TN	$85,860	$51,470, $139,570	84	$102,214	460
68	Little Rock, AR	$83,530	$43,750, $148,210	88.2	$94,705	200
69	Wichita, KS	$73,470	$50,150, $115,920	84	$87,464	200

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Engineers (Other) paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Albuquerque, NM	$174,074	$163,630	94
2	Oklahoma City, OK	$143,746	$124,340	86.5
3	Cincinnati, OH	$139,419	$127,150	91.2
4	Bakersfield, CA	$139,145	$139,980	100.6
5	Houston, TX	$134,995	$130,270	96.5
6	Indianapolis, IN	$134,684	$121,350	90.1
7	Detroit, MI	$132,755	$126,250	95.1
8	Boise, ID	$132,243	$135,020	102.1
9	Albany, NY	$129,901	$130,810	100.7
10	Greensboro, NC	$129,419	$118,160	91.3
11	San Antonio, TX	$128,546	$117,620	91.5
12	Colorado Springs, CO	$124,201	$129,790	104.5
13	Omaha, NE	$123,573	$113,440	91.8
14	Atlanta, GA	$123,558	$122,570	99.2
15	Tulsa, OK	$123,548	$107,240	86.8
16	Charlotte, NC	$122,265	$118,230	96.7
17	Pittsburgh, PA	$121,798	$112,420	92.3
18	Jacksonville, FL	$118,191	$112,400	95.1
19	Louisville, KY	$117,849	$106,300	90.2
20	Greenville, SC	$116,981	$105,400	90.1
21	Denver, CO	$116,791	$131,740	112.8
22	Fresno, CA	$116,085	$122,470	105.5
23	New Orleans, LA	$115,714	$110,970	95.9
24	St. Louis, MO	$115,422	$103,880	90
25	Anchorage, AK	$114,567	$145,500	127
26	Chicago, IL	$113,616	$121,910	107.3
27	Spokane, WA	$113,080	$110,140	97.4
28	Minneapolis, MN	$113,032	$120,040	106.2
29	Orlando, FL	$111,746	$115,210	103.1
30	Knoxville, TN	$110,354	$99,650	90.3
31	Milwaukee, WI	$109,158	$106,320	97.4
32	Tucson, AZ	$109,046	$104,030	95.4
33	Buffalo, NY	$108,411	$100,280	92.5
34	Des Moines, IA	$108,124	$100,880	93.3
35	Rochester, NY	$107,729	$100,080	92.9
36	Columbus, OH	$106,531	$99,180	93.1
37	Austin, TX	$106,417	$109,610	103
38	Madison, WI	$106,320	$110,360	103.8
39	Richmond, VA	$105,769	$107,990	102.1
40	Dallas, TX	$105,677	$110,010	104.1
41	Raleigh, NC	$105,120	$104,910	99.8
42	Lexington, KY	$102,300	$93,400	91.3
43	Memphis, TN	$102,214	$85,860	84
44	Phoenix, AZ	$101,569	$102,280	100.7
45	Baltimore, MD	$99,720	$113,880	114.2
46	Sacramento, CA	$99,615	$124,220	124.7
47	Washington, DC	$99,045	$151,340	152.8
48	Kansas City, MO	$97,830	$93,330	95.4
49	Nashville, TN	$97,707	$98,000	100.3
50	Portland, OR	$97,141	$126,380	130.1
51	Hartford, CT	$96,874	$109,080	112.6
52	Salt Lake City, UT	$95,562	$96,900	101.4
53	Little Rock, AR	$94,705	$83,530	88.2
54	Reno, NV	$93,249	$99,310	106.5
55	Tampa, FL	$93,163	$92,790	99.6
56	Bridgeport, CT	$92,829	$127,640	137.5
57	Providence, RI	$92,563	$110,520	119.4
58	Seattle, WA	$91,988	$137,430	149.4
59	Las Vegas, NV	$90,954	$99,140	109
60	San Francisco, CA	$88,976	$159,800	179.6
61	Boston, MA	$88,060	$133,940	152.1
62	Wichita, KS	$87,464	$73,470	84
63	San Jose, CA	$86,645	$169,650	195.8
64	San Diego, CA	$82,890	$132,790	160.2
65	Philadelphia, PA	$82,424	$97,590	118.4
66	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$81,789	$100,110	122.4
67	Los Angeles, CA	$75,337	$125,060	166
68	Miami, FL	$74,565	$91,790	123.1
69	New York, NY	$72,276	$135,300	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Engineers (Other) salary at $169,650. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Albuquerque, NM offers the most purchasing power at $174,074 adjusted.

The national median Engineers (Other) salary is $115,392 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $73,470 to $169,650 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.