Find a Job You Really Want In
Programmers are one of the most common jobs in America. Additionally, a significant number of people work as programmers in every state in the union — it’s not like they are all just concentrated in California or the South.
Since programmers are such a prominent occupation, we at Zippia wanted to look at where programmers have it the best: where there are plenty of jobs to go around and people get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To that end, we dove into the numbers from the BLS to figure out which states have the best opportunities for programmers.
After all the numbers had been crunched, we were left with this list of the best of best for America’s programmers:
So there you have it — Computer Programmers is the best of the best when it comes to being a programmer.
How did Computer Programmers end up here and does it really deserve this ranking? Read on to see how we completed our research on the best states for programmers and for more on the top ten states.
If youâre interested, you can read more about the job scene here:
- 20 Best Companies To Work For In Seattle, WA
- These Are The 10 Companies That Are Hiring The Most In Seattle
- These Are The 100 Highest Paying Jobs In Seattle
How we determined the best states to be a programmer
Here at Zippia, we talk to a lot of people of all different backgrounds looking for jobs. Our research has concluded that there are two common things people want in a job:
- Availability of jobs
- Higher Pay
So in order to find out the best states for programmers in America we needed to figure out where the jobs are and how well programmers get paid. This led to the following criteria taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s Occupational Employment Statistics for 2016:
- Location quotient. A measure of how common a job is a given state.
- Average annual salary.
- Average annual salary for entry level work.
- Average annual salary for experienced professionals.
To make all the salary numbers more apples to apples across states, we compared the salary data relative to the state’s cost of living.
Applying this standardization allows us to account for that fact that it costs more to live in certain in states. For example, the average salary for programmers in California is $92,380 and the average salary in Illinois is $83,350, but the Illinois salary actually goes further in paying for life’s essentials.
In order to develop and overall ranking, we ranked each state for each criteria from 1 to 50 where 1 was the best.
We then averaged all the rankings for a state into a Job Score with the state having the lowest overall Job Score earning the distinction of being the best state for programmers in America.
So without further ado, let’s get into just what made each state so great for programmers.
1. Washington
Total Jobs: 10,280
Average Annual Salary: $116,170
Average Entry Level Salary: $66,640
Average Experienced Salary: $160,760
Location Quotient: 1.73
2. Alabama
Total Jobs: 6,590
Average Annual Salary: $83,450
Average Entry Level Salary: $46,880
Average Experienced Salary: $127,310
Location Quotient: 1.78
3. Georgia
Total Jobs: 8,820
Average Annual Salary: $88,830
Average Entry Level Salary: $50,660
Average Experienced Salary: $130,960
Location Quotient: 1.08
4. Virginia
Total Jobs: 8,780
Average Annual Salary: $94,680
Average Entry Level Salary: $51,250
Average Experienced Salary: $144,810
Location Quotient: 1.21
5. Missouri
Total Jobs: 7,240
Average Annual Salary: $79,810
Average Entry Level Salary: $45,260
Average Experienced Salary: $118,530
Location Quotient: 1.36
6. Minnesota
Total Jobs: 7,180
Average Annual Salary: $88,080
Average Entry Level Salary: $51,610
Average Experienced Salary: $124,920
Location Quotient: 1.32
7. North Carolina
Total Jobs: 6,760
Average Annual Salary: $88,220
Average Entry Level Salary: $49,690
Average Experienced Salary: $131,140
Location Quotient: 0.83
8. Texas
Total Jobs: 20,430
Average Annual Salary: $85,210
Average Entry Level Salary: $41,970
Average Experienced Salary: $129,800
Location Quotient: 0.9
9. Delaware
Total Jobs: 900
Average Annual Salary: $86,200
Average Entry Level Salary: $55,260
Average Experienced Salary: $120,120
Location Quotient: 1.06
10. Arkansas
Total Jobs: 3,540
Average Annual Salary: $72,040
Average Entry Level Salary: $47,130
Average Experienced Salary: $100,110
Location Quotient: 1.54
There You Have It – The Best States To Be A Programmer
If you’re looking to start out your career as a programmer these are the states that should be at the top of your list. You’ll find high pay, available jobs, and chances for career advancement.
If you’re curious, here are the worst states to be a programmer in America:
For more reading, check out:
- These Are The 100 Highest Paying Jobs In Washington
- These Are The 100 Largest Companies In Washington
Detailed List Of The Best States For programmers
| Rank | State | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $116,170 |
| 2 | Alabama | $83,450 |
| 3 | Georgia | $88,830 |
| 4 | Virginia | $94,680 |
| 5 | Missouri | $79,810 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $88,080 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $88,220 |
| 8 | Texas | $85,210 |
| 9 | Delaware | $86,200 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $72,040 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $75,600 |
| 12 | Colorado | $95,730 |
| 13 | Utah | $78,210 |
| 14 | Illinois | $83,350 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $81,120 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $80,190 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $82,450 |
| 18 | Arizona | $79,970 |
| 19 | Indiana | $71,540 |
| 20 | Michigan | $74,730 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $75,860 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $72,210 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $72,260 |
| 24 | Kansas | $72,120 |
| 25 | Nevada | $79,790 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $74,740 |
| 27 | Florida | $75,700 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $95,510 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $85,100 |
| 30 | Maryland | $89,550 |
| 31 | Idaho | $70,910 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $72,630 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $82,210 |
| 34 | Iowa | $69,670 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $69,130 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $67,990 |
| 37 | Ohio | $71,370 |
| 38 | California | $92,380 |
| 39 | New York | $88,520 |
| 40 | Oregon | $77,780 |
| 41 | Alaska | $90,640 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $77,190 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $74,110 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $62,390 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $53,070 |
| 46 | Vermont | $69,480 |
| 47 | Maine | $67,840 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $60,650 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $74,490 |
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
