Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of information technology specialist salary by state for the United States as of 2026:
-
California has the highest information technology specialist salary of $95,120
-
Hawaii has the lowest information technology specialist salary of $53,192
-
The national average salary for information technology specialists is $81,241
-
The national hourly pay for information technology specialists is $39.06
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
Across various demographics, salary remains the most critical factor for job seekers, especially among information technology specialists. Understanding what you can expect to earn in your area is essential.
While your city may have variations from the state average, these insights provide a valuable benchmark for what to anticipate in terms of compensation.
As the tech industry evolves, California continues to lead the way with the highest salary for information technology specialists.
Here’s a snapshot of the top ten states for information technology specialist salaries:
Let’s explore how we compiled this information and provide a complete ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Information Technology Specialists By State
| Rank | State | Average Information Technology Specialist Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $95,120 | $66,000 | $136,000 |
| 2 | Delaware | $94,294 | $67,000 | $132,000 |
| 3 | Washington | $89,463 | $64,000 | $123,000 |
| 4 | Alaska | $88,848 | $71,000 | $110,000 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $87,946 | $62,000 | $123,000 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $87,581 | $62,000 | $123,000 |
| 7 | Ohio | $86,737 | $62,000 | $119,000 |
| 8 | Nevada | $86,647 | $61,000 | $123,000 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $86,524 | $61,000 | $122,000 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $86,282 | $61,000 | $121,000 |
| 11 | Oregon | $85,085 | $61,000 | $117,000 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $84,920 | $60,000 | $120,000 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $84,192 | $59,000 | $118,000 |
| 14 | Maryland | $83,203 | $59,000 | $116,000 |
| 15 | New York | $83,170 | $58,000 | $117,000 |
| 16 | Virginia | $82,230 | $58,000 | $114,000 |
| 17 | Vermont | $81,246 | $58,000 | $113,000 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $80,343 | $59,000 | $108,000 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $80,075 | $57,000 | $111,000 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $79,140 | $57,000 | $108,000 |
| 21 | Idaho | $78,835 | $57,000 | $108,000 |
| 22 | Georgia | $78,566 | $56,000 | $108,000 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $78,558 | $56,000 | $109,000 |
| 24 | Illinois | $78,496 | $57,000 | $107,000 |
| 25 | Michigan | $78,158 | $56,000 | $108,000 |
| 26 | Montana | $78,095 | $57,000 | $106,000 |
| 27 | Arizona | $77,826 | $55,000 | $109,000 |
| 28 | Iowa | $77,405 | $57,000 | $104,000 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $76,172 | $54,000 | $105,000 |
| 30 | Texas | $75,632 | $53,000 | $107,000 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $75,486 | $52,000 | $108,000 |
| 32 | Maine | $74,744 | $53,000 | $103,000 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $74,569 | $54,000 | $101,000 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $73,946 | $54,000 | $100,000 |
| 35 | Indiana | $73,851 | $53,000 | $101,000 |
| 36 | Missouri | $73,164 | $53,000 | $99,000 |
| 37 | Kansas | $72,937 | $53,000 | $99,000 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $72,763 | $54,000 | $97,000 |
| 39 | Colorado | $72,403 | $52,000 | $99,000 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $71,623 | $51,000 | $99,000 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $71,309 | $52,000 | $97,000 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $70,691 | $52,000 | $95,000 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $70,645 | $51,000 | $96,000 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $69,838 | $50,000 | $97,000 |
| 45 | Florida | $69,375 | $47,000 | $101,000 |
| 46 | Alabama | $69,342 | $49,000 | $96,000 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $68,673 | $50,000 | $92,000 |
| 48 | Utah | $68,511 | $49,000 | $94,000 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $66,554 | $48,000 | $90,000 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $53,192 | $43,000 | $65,000 |
Methodology: Information Technology Specialist Salary By State
To better understand information technology specialist pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data from multiple sources, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM, and supplemented this data with actual salaries from job postings. Our data science team then calculates a weighted average to determine the average salaries for information technology specialists by state.
We rank each state based on the average annual salary data collected, with the highest average salary indicating the top-paying state for information technology specialists.
Information Technology Specialist Salary By State FAQs
-
What is the highest-paid state for information technology specialists?
The highest-paid state for information technology specialists is California with an average salary of $95,120 per year.
-
What city pays information technology specialists the most?
San Francisco, CA pays information technology specialists the most with an average salary of $102,613 per year.
-
What is the worst state for information technology specialists?
The worst state for information technology specialists is Hawaii with an average salary of $53,192 per year.
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.
