Best Cities for Industrial Engineerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where industrial engineerss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	AlaskaState	1.46	$156,510	$150,058	10%
2	New MexicoState	1.36	$128,090	$139,228	10%
3	LouisianaState	1.33	$122,920	$136,426	10%
4	WyomingState	1.28	$122,070	$131,258	10%
5	West VirginiaState	1.26	$108,360	$128,694	9%
6	OregonState	1.22	$128,290	$124,553	15%
7	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.18	$129,890	$120,492	17%
8	WashingtonState	1.17	$129,050	$120,270	18%
9	DelawareState	1.16	$120,190	$119,000	14%
10	AlabamaState	1.12	$99,880	$114,673	12%
11	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.12	$131,210	$114,794	20%
12	ArkansasState	1.11	$98,410	$114,032	11%
13	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.11	$119,990	$113,412	17%
14	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.11	$104,110	$114,156	14%
15	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.11	$136,950	$113,935	28%
16	CaliforniaState	1.10	$124,600	$112,556	22%
17	HawaiiState	1.10	$123,800	$112,545	23%
18	MississippiState	1.10	$95,830	$113,007	11%
19	MissouriState	1.09	$99,290	$112,065	13%
20	KansasState	1.08	$99,830	$110,922	12%
21	MichiganState	1.08	$101,680	$110,163	13%
22	OhioState	1.08	$100,060	$110,686	13%
23	OklahomaState	1.08	$97,510	$110,181	12%
24	IowaState	1.07	$97,690	$109,518	12%
25	KentuckyState	1.07	$96,820	$109,401	12%
26	MarylandState	1.07	$119,930	$109,826	17%
27	South CarolinaState	1.07	$101,060	$109,848	15%
28	TexasState	1.07	$104,560	$109,372	16%
29	MontanaState	1.06	$104,430	$108,330	13%
30	Rhode IslandState	1.06	$109,350	$108,806	17%
31	TennesseeState	1.06	$99,080	$108,284	15%
32	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.06	$105,640	$108,683	18%
33	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.06	$100,480	$108,276	15%
34	ArizonaState	1.05	$108,280	$107,314	17%
35	GeorgiaState	1.05	$100,100	$107,173	17%
36	IndianaState	1.05	$97,480	$107,713	13%
37	NebraskaState	1.05	$98,170	$107,290	13%
38	Columbus, OHMetro	1.05	$100,570	$107,561	15%
39	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.05	$99,110	$107,728	16%
40	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.04	$102,090	$106,566	18%
41	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.04	$102,540	$106,590	18%
42	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.04	$98,190	$106,151	14%
43	North CarolinaState	1.03	$99,310	$105,201	16%
44	WisconsinState	1.03	$96,980	$105,070	13%
45	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.03	$102,300	$105,682	19%
46	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.03	$104,730	$105,256	17%
47	ColoradoState	1.02	$109,750	$104,127	20%
48	IdahoState	1.02	$100,840	$104,497	14%
49	MinnesotaState	1.02	$102,660	$104,755	15%
50	North DakotaState	1.02	$96,940	$104,687	12%
51	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.02	$118,970	$104,819	26%
52	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.02	$117,600	$104,255	20%
53	IllinoisState	1.01	$100,540	$103,224	16%
54	UtahState	1.01	$103,940	$103,733	17%
55	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$99,560	$102,639	16%
56	South DakotaState	1.00	$93,200	$102,643	12%
57	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.00	$100,670	$102,203	21%
58	MaineState	0.99	$101,030	$101,232	15%
59	NevadaState	0.99	$102,090	$101,886	17%
60	FloridaState	0.98	$101,610	$100,108	20%
61	MassachusettsState	0.98	$109,420	$100,848	25%
62	VermontState	0.98	$103,010	$100,498	17%
63	VirginiaState	0.97	$102,550	$99,082	18%
64	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.97	$103,370	$99,874	19%
65	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.95	$113,040	$97,030	24%
66	ConnecticutState	0.94	$104,160	$96,803	18%
67	New HampshireState	0.93	$101,310	$95,575	19%
68	New JerseyState	0.93	$103,840	$95,441	21%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.93	$103,740	$95,613	24%
70	New YorkState	0.89	$102,640	$91,236	22%
71	District of ColumbiaState	0.88	$103,300	$90,376	24%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).