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Best states for a contracting officer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like contracting officers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for contracting officers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In fact, our research shows that Maryland is the best state for contracting officers in America. The best city in America for contracting officers with the highest pay is Washington, DC.
We figured that the best places for contracting officer 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 Maryland is the best state for contracting officer jobs, whereas Montana is the worst.
10 best states for contracting officers in 2025
1. Maryland
Total contracting officer jobs: 855 Average annual salary: $79,245 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
2. Virginia
Total contracting officer jobs: 1,565 Average annual salary: $73,238 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.7
3. Georgia
Total contracting officer jobs: 1,076 Average annual salary: $72,882 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
4. Florida
Total contracting officer jobs: 2,289 Average annual salary: $67,074 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
5. North Carolina
Total contracting officer jobs: 933 Average annual salary: $72,054 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
6. Arizona
Total contracting officer jobs: 876 Average annual salary: $62,563 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
7. Pennsylvania
Total contracting officer jobs: 1,127 Average annual salary: $71,510 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
8. Indiana
Total contracting officer jobs: 574 Average annual salary: $70,763 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. West Virginia
Total contracting officer jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $65,273 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
10. Louisiana
Total contracting officer jobs: 312 Average annual salary: $68,280 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1
Contracting officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a contracting officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a contracting officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $79,245 | $45,000 | 6,052,177 | 855 |
| 2 | Virginia | $73,238 | $42,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,565 |
| 3 | Georgia | $72,882 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,076 |
| 4 | Florida | $67,074 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,289 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $72,054 | $43,000 | 10,273,419 | 933 |
| 6 | Arizona | $62,563 | $41,000 | 7,016,270 | 876 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $71,510 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,127 |
| 8 | Indiana | $70,763 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 574 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $65,273 | $38,000 | 1,815,857 | 156 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $68,280 | $42,000 | 4,684,333 | 312 |
| 11 | Mississippi | $59,428 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 272 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $79,941 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 126 |
| 13 | Delaware | $73,853 | $42,000 | 961,939 | 11 |
| 14 | Nevada | $57,720 | $38,000 | 2,998,039 | 314 |
| 15 | California | $74,406 | $49,000 | 39,536,653 | 582 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $63,102 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 833 |
| 17 | Ohio | $61,950 | $36,000 | 11,658,609 | 866 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $57,491 | $36,000 | 3,004,279 | 272 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $61,018 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 293 |
| 20 | Iowa | $57,871 | $37,000 | 3,145,711 | 368 |
| 21 | Kansas | $59,810 | $39,000 | 2,913,123 | 265 |
| 22 | Texas | $58,934 | $37,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,934 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $54,103 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 234 |
| 24 | New York | $59,886 | $33,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,385 |
| 25 | Alabama | $53,068 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 572 |
| 26 | Washington | $54,644 | $41,000 | 7,405,743 | 812 |
| 27 | Missouri | $57,106 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 554 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $55,620 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 447 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $55,353 | $31,000 | 3,588,184 | 366 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $51,017 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 340 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $54,745 | $34,000 | 6,715,984 | 552 |
| 32 | Illinois | $56,927 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,107 |
| 33 | Idaho | $45,506 | $34,000 | 1,716,943 | 314 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $60,958 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 27 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $50,926 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 600 |
| 36 | Colorado | $47,553 | $32,000 | 5,607,154 | 850 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $48,052 | $32,000 | 1,920,076 | 234 |
| 38 | Michigan | $52,528 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 624 |
| 39 | Oregon | $51,085 | $36,000 | 4,142,776 | 380 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $42,137 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 128 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $41,986 | $23,000 | 1,059,639 | 156 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $47,821 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 104 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $45,068 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 757 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | $42,126 | $24,000 | 6,859,819 | 990 |
| 45 | Alaska | $45,888 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 28 |
| 46 | Maine | $33,000 | $20,000 | 1,335,907 | 154 |
| 47 | Vermont | $31,864 | $19,000 | 623,657 | 89 |
| 48 | Utah | $45,374 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 41 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $42,334 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 15 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $32,332 | $18,000 | 1,342,795 | 176 |
| 51 | Montana | $39,740 | $30,000 | 1,050,493 | 8 |
Highest paying states for contracting officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Contracting Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $79,245 |
| 2 | Virginia | $73,238 |
| 3 | Georgia | $72,882 |
| 4 | Florida | $67,074 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $72,054 |
| 6 | Arizona | $62,563 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $71,510 |
| 8 | Indiana | $70,763 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $65,273 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $68,280 |
| 11 | Mississippi | $59,428 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $79,941 |
| 13 | Delaware | $73,853 |
| 14 | Nevada | $57,720 |
| 15 | California | $74,406 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $63,102 |
| 17 | Ohio | $61,950 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $57,491 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $61,018 |
| 20 | Iowa | $57,871 |
| 21 | Kansas | $59,810 |
| 22 | Texas | $58,934 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $54,103 |
| 24 | New York | $59,886 |
| 25 | Alabama | $53,068 |
| 26 | Washington | $54,644 |
| 27 | Missouri | $57,106 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $55,620 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $55,353 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $51,017 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $54,745 |
| 32 | Illinois | $56,927 |
| 33 | Idaho | $45,506 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $60,958 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $50,926 |
| 36 | Colorado | $47,553 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $48,052 |
| 38 | Michigan | $52,528 |
| 39 | Oregon | $51,085 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $42,137 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $41,986 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $47,821 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $45,068 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | $42,126 |
| 45 | Alaska | $45,888 |
| 46 | Maine | $33,000 |
| 47 | Vermont | $31,864 |
| 48 | Utah | $45,374 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $42,334 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $32,332 |
| 51 | Montana | $39,740 |
Contracting officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025