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Best states for a contract developer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
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Do you want to become a contract developer at Management Decisions Inc, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for contract developers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for contract developers. We found that California is the best state in the nation for contract developers, and people in Windsor earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for contract developer jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that California is the best state for contract developer jobs, whereas Iowa is the worst.
10 best states for contract developers in 2025
1. California
Total contract developer jobs: 5,053 Average annual salary: $115,984 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.12. Rhode Island
Total contract developer jobs: 334 Average annual salary: $91,518 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.763. Idaho
Total contract developer jobs: 274 Average annual salary: $94,808 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.074. Pennsylvania
Total contract developer jobs: 1,941 Average annual salary: $92,574 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.075. Washington
Total contract developer jobs: 1,118 Average annual salary: $104,961 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.986. Oregon
Total contract developer jobs: 788 Average annual salary: $93,309 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.227. Virginia
Total contract developer jobs: 2,385 Average annual salary: $93,769 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.628. Nevada
Total contract developer jobs: 319 Average annual salary: $93,331 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.979. New York
Total contract developer jobs: 1,784 Average annual salary: $101,869 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.8910. Utah
Total contract developer jobs: 736 Average annual salary: $84,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
Contract developer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a contract developer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a contract developer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $115,984 | $82,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,053 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $91,518 | $67,000 | 1,059,639 | 334 |
| 3 | Idaho | $94,808 | $67,000 | 1,716,943 | 274 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $92,574 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,941 |
| 5 | Washington | $104,961 | $75,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,118 |
| 6 | Oregon | $93,309 | $67,000 | 4,142,776 | 788 |
| 7 | Virginia | $93,769 | $69,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,385 |
| 8 | Nevada | $93,331 | $66,000 | 2,998,039 | 319 |
| 9 | New York | $101,869 | $75,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,784 |
| 10 | Utah | $84,359 | $60,000 | 3,101,833 | 736 |
| 11 | Montana | $85,032 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 212 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $87,422 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,659 |
| 13 | Delaware | $89,314 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 178 |
| 14 | Texas | $84,933 | $61,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,912 |
| 15 | Vermont | $83,088 | $61,000 | 623,657 | 174 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $87,463 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 629 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $83,565 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 278 |
| 18 | Maine | $83,995 | $62,000 | 1,335,907 | 200 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $82,771 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 342 |
| 20 | Florida | $87,497 | $63,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,099 |
| 21 | Arizona | $85,692 | $62,000 | 7,016,270 | 785 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $84,402 | $61,000 | 869,666 | 141 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $84,091 | $62,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,450 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $80,639 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 83 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $83,543 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 176 |
| 26 | Colorado | $83,548 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 897 |
| 27 | Alaska | $84,726 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 105 |
| 28 | Maryland | $79,957 | $59,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,405 |
| 29 | Ohio | $76,295 | $56,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,601 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $82,575 | $60,000 | 3,588,184 | 473 |
| 31 | Illinois | $79,148 | $58,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,854 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $75,785 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 143 |
| 33 | Indiana | $77,560 | $57,000 | 6,666,818 | 869 |
| 34 | Georgia | $77,084 | $57,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,472 |
| 35 | Michigan | $76,273 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,035 |
| 36 | Missouri | $77,288 | $57,000 | 6,113,532 | 776 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $77,995 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 443 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $75,006 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,068 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $74,355 | $54,000 | 3,004,279 | 348 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $77,021 | $55,000 | 4,684,333 | 364 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $72,504 | $52,000 | 1,920,076 | 374 |
| 42 | Alabama | $74,911 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 547 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $73,574 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 699 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $74,204 | $55,000 | 5,795,483 | 724 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $71,371 | $53,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,517 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $74,026 | $54,000 | 4,454,189 | 459 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $71,769 | $57,000 | 1,427,538 | 113 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $73,937 | $54,000 | 2,984,100 | 164 |
| 49 | Kansas | $66,616 | $49,000 | 2,913,123 | 472 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $72,929 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 294 |
| 51 | Iowa | $71,918 | $53,000 | 3,145,711 | 452 |
Highest paying states for contract developers
| Rank | State | Avg. Contract Developer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $115,984 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $91,518 |
| 3 | Idaho | $94,808 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $92,574 |
| 5 | Washington | $104,961 |
| 6 | Oregon | $93,309 |
| 7 | Virginia | $93,769 |
| 8 | Nevada | $93,331 |
| 9 | New York | $101,869 |
| 10 | Utah | $84,359 |
| 11 | Montana | $85,032 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $87,422 |
| 13 | Delaware | $89,314 |
| 14 | Texas | $84,933 |
| 15 | Vermont | $83,088 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $87,463 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $83,565 |
| 18 | Maine | $83,995 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $82,771 |
| 20 | Florida | $87,497 |
| 21 | Arizona | $85,692 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $84,402 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $84,091 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $80,639 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $83,543 |
| 26 | Colorado | $83,548 |
| 27 | Alaska | $84,726 |
| 28 | Maryland | $79,957 |
| 29 | Ohio | $76,295 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $82,575 |
| 31 | Illinois | $79,148 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $75,785 |
| 33 | Indiana | $77,560 |
| 34 | Georgia | $77,084 |
| 35 | Michigan | $76,273 |
| 36 | Missouri | $77,288 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $77,995 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $75,006 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $74,355 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $77,021 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $72,504 |
| 42 | Alabama | $74,911 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $73,574 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $74,204 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $71,371 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $74,026 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $71,769 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $73,937 |
| 49 | Kansas | $66,616 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $72,929 |
| 51 | Iowa | $71,918 |
Expert opinions on the best states for contract developers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for contract developers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
Associate Professor of Engineering, John Brown University
Due to COVID-19, people have more choices on location as more companies allow their employees to work remotely.
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Updated January 8, 2025