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Best states for a desktop engineer
Quoted expert
Kathleen Riley
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for desktop engineers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for desktop engineer jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for desktop engineers. We found that Washington is the best state in the nation for desktop engineers, and people in Windsor earn the most in the field.
Washington is the best state for jobs for desktop engineers, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in Washington is $120,321, while the median pay in Mississippi is $78,271.We found that Washington is the best state for desktop engineer jobs, whereas Mississippi is the worst.
10 best states for desktop engineers in 2025
1. Washington
Total desktop engineer jobs: 929 Average annual salary: $120,321 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.052. California
Total desktop engineer jobs: 4,704 Average annual salary: $122,304 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.333. Virginia
Total desktop engineer jobs: 2,529 Average annual salary: $110,110 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 2.224. Oregon
Total desktop engineer jobs: 577 Average annual salary: $111,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.155. Pennsylvania
Total desktop engineer jobs: 1,087 Average annual salary: $116,446 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.776. New Mexico
Total desktop engineer jobs: 213 Average annual salary: $110,603 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.97. North Carolina
Total desktop engineer jobs: 903 Average annual salary: $110,584 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.788. New Hampshire
Total desktop engineer jobs: 216 Average annual salary: $107,349 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.029. New Jersey
Total desktop engineer jobs: 724 Average annual salary: $118,122 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.7510. Nevada
Total desktop engineer jobs: 227 Average annual salary: $108,852 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
Desktop engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a desktop engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a desktop engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $120,321 | $86,000 | 7,405,743 | 929 |
| 2 | California | $122,304 | $86,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,704 |
| 3 | Virginia | $110,110 | $83,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,529 |
| 4 | Oregon | $111,636 | $79,000 | 4,142,776 | 577 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $116,446 | $88,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,087 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $110,603 | $81,000 | 2,088,070 | 213 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $110,584 | $84,000 | 10,273,419 | 903 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $107,349 | $82,000 | 1,342,795 | 216 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $118,122 | $89,000 | 9,005,644 | 724 |
| 10 | Nevada | $108,852 | $77,000 | 2,998,039 | 227 |
| 11 | Vermont | $102,825 | $78,000 | 623,657 | 124 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $109,820 | $83,000 | 4,454,189 | 295 |
| 13 | Iowa | $104,985 | $80,000 | 3,145,711 | 308 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $108,716 | $83,000 | 5,024,369 | 351 |
| 15 | Michigan | $103,386 | $79,000 | 9,962,311 | 690 |
| 16 | Delaware | $99,205 | $75,000 | 961,939 | 166 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $102,964 | $79,000 | 5,576,606 | 610 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $98,605 | $75,000 | 1,059,639 | 145 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $100,074 | $76,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,157 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $105,643 | $79,000 | 4,684,333 | 225 |
| 21 | Georgia | $99,339 | $75,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,004 |
| 22 | Illinois | $97,855 | $75,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,265 |
| 23 | Missouri | $102,607 | $77,000 | 6,113,532 | 447 |
| 24 | Montana | $96,644 | $72,000 | 1,050,493 | 122 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $95,422 | $72,000 | 693,972 | 632 |
| 26 | Idaho | $92,561 | $66,000 | 1,716,943 | 171 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $87,292 | $65,000 | 579,315 | 82 |
| 28 | Indiana | $93,184 | $71,000 | 6,666,818 | 649 |
| 29 | Maryland | $93,441 | $70,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,490 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $96,261 | $74,000 | 5,795,483 | 445 |
| 31 | Utah | $86,588 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 533 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $96,844 | $73,000 | 3,588,184 | 322 |
| 33 | Alaska | $88,817 | $71,000 | 739,795 | 137 |
| 34 | New York | $97,323 | $73,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,320 |
| 35 | Arizona | $85,936 | $62,000 | 7,016,270 | 828 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $84,624 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 255 |
| 37 | Alabama | $82,835 | $63,000 | 4,874,747 | 528 |
| 38 | Texas | $85,645 | $63,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,380 |
| 39 | Colorado | $82,557 | $61,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,229 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $82,679 | $64,000 | 755,393 | 93 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $84,309 | $64,000 | 3,004,279 | 213 |
| 42 | Maine | $88,583 | $68,000 | 1,335,907 | 105 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $83,336 | $63,000 | 1,815,857 | 127 |
| 44 | Ohio | $83,442 | $63,000 | 11,658,609 | 864 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $71,217 | $55,000 | 1,427,538 | 151 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $81,660 | $62,000 | 869,666 | 96 |
| 47 | Florida | $74,374 | $55,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,741 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $79,863 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 254 |
| 49 | Kansas | $78,604 | $59,000 | 2,913,123 | 273 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $79,650 | $60,000 | 6,715,984 | 447 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $78,271 | $59,000 | 2,984,100 | 173 |
Highest paying states for desktop engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Desktop Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $120,321 |
| 2 | California | $122,304 |
| 3 | Virginia | $110,110 |
| 4 | Oregon | $111,636 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $116,446 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $110,603 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $110,584 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $107,349 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $118,122 |
| 10 | Nevada | $108,852 |
| 11 | Vermont | $102,825 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $109,820 |
| 13 | Iowa | $104,985 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $108,716 |
| 15 | Michigan | $103,386 |
| 16 | Delaware | $99,205 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $102,964 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $98,605 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $100,074 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $105,643 |
| 21 | Georgia | $99,339 |
| 22 | Illinois | $97,855 |
| 23 | Missouri | $102,607 |
| 24 | Montana | $96,644 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $95,422 |
| 26 | Idaho | $92,561 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $87,292 |
| 28 | Indiana | $93,184 |
| 29 | Maryland | $93,441 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $96,261 |
| 31 | Utah | $86,588 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $96,844 |
| 33 | Alaska | $88,817 |
| 34 | New York | $97,323 |
| 35 | Arizona | $85,936 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $84,624 |
| 37 | Alabama | $82,835 |
| 38 | Texas | $85,645 |
| 39 | Colorado | $82,557 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $82,679 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $84,309 |
| 42 | Maine | $88,583 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $83,336 |
| 44 | Ohio | $83,442 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $71,217 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $81,660 |
| 47 | Florida | $74,374 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $79,863 |
| 49 | Kansas | $78,604 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $79,650 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $78,271 |
Expert opinions on the best states for desktop engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for desktop engineers to find work opportunities?
Kathleen Riley
Professor, American University
My computer science students from the class of 2020 had a variety of experiences when they entered the job market after graduation. Those who had already signed on at companies like Amazon or Google, whose business stayed strong during the pandemic and whose workplace models adjusted easily to remote work, had a relatively easy time starting their industry jobs. Others, especially those who had planned to work for companies whose business depended on clients or industries which suffered under the pandemic, saw delays, changes in their work plans, and even cancellations of contracts; several found themselves job hunting again over the summer, interviewing remotely and having to assess companies without setting foot outside their own home. Fortunately, there are still a lot of jobs out there for Computer Science graduates, and most of the students I know have found other placements or are well into that process.
We all know about the abundance of computer science opportunities in the Silicon Valley, the Dulles Technology corridor, and other tech hubs, but there is also an abundance of computer science opportunities in large and small cities throughout the country. In addition to businesses whose focus or products are technology-related, many other businesses have significant technology and computer science needs that are provided in-house, and those who thrive and survive will continue to hire.
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Updated January 8, 2025