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Best states for a data center engineer
Quoted expert
Vince Bowen
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Do you want to become a data center engineer at Amazon, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for data center engineers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for data center engineers. We found that California is the best state in the nation for data center engineers, and people in Eureka earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for data center engineers.If you are currently seeking employment as a data center engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for data center engineers in 2026
1. California
Total data center engineer jobs: 11,081 Average annual salary: $125,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
2. Oregon
Total data center engineer jobs: 1,526 Average annual salary: $122,001 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
3. Pennsylvania
Total data center engineer jobs: 3,671 Average annual salary: $104,050 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
4. Washington
Total data center engineer jobs: 1,845 Average annual salary: $124,053 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
5. Massachusetts
Total data center engineer jobs: 3,092 Average annual salary: $105,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
6. Ohio
Total data center engineer jobs: 2,817 Average annual salary: $106,037 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
7. Nebraska
Total data center engineer jobs: 901 Average annual salary: $99,214 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
8. Nevada
Total data center engineer jobs: 566 Average annual salary: $110,305 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
9. Maryland
Total data center engineer jobs: 3,078 Average annual salary: $104,072 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
10. Idaho
Total data center engineer jobs: 532 Average annual salary: $101,382 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
Data center engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a data center engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a data center engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $125,906 | $84,000 | 39,536,653 | 11,081 |
| 2 | Oregon | $122,001 | $82,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,526 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $104,050 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,671 |
| 4 | Washington | $124,053 | $84,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,845 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $105,575 | $75,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,092 |
| 6 | Ohio | $106,037 | $74,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,817 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $99,214 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 901 |
| 8 | Nevada | $110,305 | $73,000 | 2,998,039 | 566 |
| 9 | Maryland | $104,072 | $73,000 | 6,052,177 | 3,078 |
| 10 | Idaho | $101,382 | $68,000 | 1,716,943 | 532 |
| 11 | Virginia | $102,340 | $72,000 | 8,470,020 | 4,551 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $113,671 | $79,000 | 1,427,538 | 303 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $101,251 | $72,000 | 1,342,795 | 489 |
| 14 | Arizona | $96,769 | $64,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,927 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $91,678 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 436 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $103,529 | $73,000 | 3,588,184 | 917 |
| 17 | Alaska | $97,713 | $73,000 | 739,795 | 263 |
| 18 | Vermont | $99,858 | $71,000 | 623,657 | 182 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $89,947 | $62,000 | 579,315 | 208 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $98,040 | $69,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,054 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $91,167 | $64,000 | 4,454,189 | 1,136 |
| 22 | Maine | $99,621 | $71,000 | 1,335,907 | 225 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $92,859 | $65,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,915 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $88,546 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 458 |
| 25 | Delaware | $100,629 | $71,000 | 961,939 | 286 |
| 26 | Indiana | $93,698 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,579 |
| 27 | New York | $99,704 | $70,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,004 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $93,433 | $66,000 | 1,059,639 | 324 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $95,799 | $67,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,315 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $93,077 | $64,000 | 4,684,333 | 509 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $90,722 | $63,000 | 1,815,857 | 261 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $86,830 | $58,000 | 2,088,070 | 654 |
| 33 | Georgia | $90,195 | $63,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,697 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $89,083 | $62,000 | 2,984,100 | 509 |
| 35 | Illinois | $87,643 | $61,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,917 |
| 36 | Texas | $84,855 | $57,000 | 28,304,596 | 6,737 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | $83,654 | $59,000 | 693,972 | 883 |
| 38 | Alabama | $85,507 | $60,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,264 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $86,422 | $61,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,340 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $86,566 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,081 |
| 41 | Kansas | $83,761 | $58,000 | 2,913,123 | 987 |
| 42 | Montana | $81,328 | $56,000 | 1,050,493 | 511 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $86,385 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 798 |
| 44 | Florida | $88,821 | $61,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,883 |
| 45 | Utah | $78,372 | $53,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,130 |
| 46 | Iowa | $85,547 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 611 |
| 47 | Colorado | $73,496 | $51,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,237 |
| 48 | Michigan | $82,295 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,114 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $81,983 | $57,000 | 3,004,279 | 492 |
| 50 | Missouri | $76,916 | $54,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,750 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $79,087 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 953 |
Highest paying states for data center engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Data Center Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $125,906 |
| 2 | Oregon | $122,001 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $104,050 |
| 4 | Washington | $124,053 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $105,575 |
| 6 | Ohio | $106,037 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $99,214 |
| 8 | Nevada | $110,305 |
| 9 | Maryland | $104,072 |
| 10 | Idaho | $101,382 |
| 11 | Virginia | $102,340 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $113,671 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $101,251 |
| 14 | Arizona | $96,769 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $91,678 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $103,529 |
| 17 | Alaska | $97,713 |
| 18 | Vermont | $99,858 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $89,947 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $98,040 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $91,167 |
| 22 | Maine | $99,621 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $92,859 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $88,546 |
| 25 | Delaware | $100,629 |
| 26 | Indiana | $93,698 |
| 27 | New York | $99,704 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $93,433 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $95,799 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $93,077 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $90,722 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $86,830 |
| 33 | Georgia | $90,195 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $89,083 |
| 35 | Illinois | $87,643 |
| 36 | Texas | $84,855 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | $83,654 |
| 38 | Alabama | $85,507 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $86,422 |
| 40 | Minnesota | $86,566 |
| 41 | Kansas | $83,761 |
| 42 | Montana | $81,328 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $86,385 |
| 44 | Florida | $88,821 |
| 45 | Utah | $78,372 |
| 46 | Iowa | $85,547 |
| 47 | Colorado | $73,496 |
| 48 | Michigan | $82,295 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $81,983 |
| 50 | Missouri | $76,916 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $79,087 |
Expert opinions on the best states for data center engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for data center engineers to find work opportunities?
Vince Bowen
Executive Director, Department Chair Energy Systems Technology & Education Center (ESTEC), Idaho State University
Any large city will have several openings. Beyond that, these people can work anywhere in the world.
Data center engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025