The biggest problem new forensic engineer graduates face is lower salaries. The number one opponent in an engineer’s salary is experience. Those who have minimal experience right after graduation will get paid as so. New graduates can expect to earn an average annual wage of $46,000, whereas forensic engineers who have been in the business for 30 years make an average annual salary of $98,000. Experience is a major component in ones salary, but other things determine your salary too. Where you work, like other professions, also plays a major role. If you’re working as a forensic engineer in a rural part of the country, chances are you won’t have as many cases annually as someone working in an area that has many bridges, buildings, etc. such as New York City. Still, many forensic engineers are called upon to investigate the failure of automobiles. Car crashes happen everywhere, regardless of the population size.
You may also want to consider the position you hold in your company. Most of the time, there is room for advancements (which equals higher paychecks) in local and state agencies. Those who are working in the lowest positions probably earn the lowest income. One thing to help overcome this as a new graduate is to continue your education immediately after graduating, as well as during your career. The more credentials you have, the most money you’ll make. Forensic engineers who have a P.E. degree earn average wages, while those with A.P.E. degrees earn much higher, sometimes double the wages of their peers.
Below is a list of what forensic engineers make in each State. Please, keep in mind that these figures include all different types of forensic engineers, not just mechanical engineers or civil engineers or even structural engineers.
Annual Salaries by State
Below is a list of the average median salary, according to the BLS, for each State as of 2009.
| Alabama | $77,230 |
| Alaska | $85,380 |
| Arizona | $76,260 |
| Arkansas | $69,300 |
| California | $91,910 |
| Colorado | $77,010 |
| Connecticut | $80,650 |
| Delaware | $84,740 |
| D.C. | $93,790 |
| Florida | $79,630 |
| Georgia | $73,510 |
| Hawaii | $76,730 |
| Idaho | $71,710 |
| Illinois | $77,940 |
| Indiana | $70,660 |
| Iowa | $75,420 |
| Kansas | $73,990 |
| Kentucky | $68,990 |
| Louisiana | $86,790 |
| Maine | $70,550 |
| Maryland | $85,660 |
| Massachusetts | $84,840 |
| Michigan | $72,070 |
| Minnesota | $76,820 |
| Mississippi | $79,350 |
| Missouri | $78,220 |
| Montana | $64,420 |
| Nebraska | $74,430 |
| Nevada | $84,350 |
| New Hampshire | $77,930 |
| New Jersey | $87,090 |
| New Mexico | $83,230 |
| New York | $81,510 |
| North Carolina | $75,770 |
| North Dakota | $67,060 |
| Ohio | $73,080 |
| Oklahoma | $72,890 |
| Oregon | $74,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,000 |
| Rhode Island | $83,550 |
| South Carolina | $75,190 |
| South Dakota | $64,660 |
| Tennessee | $73,840 |
| Texas | $87,950 |
| Utah | $84,280 |
| Vermont | $68,870 |
| Virginia | $81,140 |
| Washington | $80,690 |
| West Virginia | $67,110 |
| Wisconsin | $69,870 |
| Wyoming | $68,540 |