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Best states for a developer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to developer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that Oregon is the best state for developers, while Washington and California are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Oregon has a median salary of $109,071 and Washington has the highest median salary among all 50 states for developers.
Oregon is the best state for jobs for developers, and Oklahoma is the worst. The most common pay in Oregon is $109,071, while the median pay in Oklahoma is $81,833.If you are currently seeking employment as a developer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for developers in 2025
1. Oregon
Total developer jobs: 1,218 Average annual salary: $109,071 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
2. California
Total developer jobs: 8,329 Average annual salary: $118,473 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
3. Utah
Total developer jobs: 1,120 Average annual salary: $96,917 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
4. Washington
Total developer jobs: 1,391 Average annual salary: $125,725 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
5. Idaho
Total developer jobs: 422 Average annual salary: $97,488 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
6. Nevada
Total developer jobs: 384 Average annual salary: $102,322 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
7. New York
Total developer jobs: 2,893 Average annual salary: $103,261 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
8. Rhode Island
Total developer jobs: 514 Average annual salary: $91,955 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.9
9. Montana
Total developer jobs: 312 Average annual salary: $93,656 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
10. Arizona
Total developer jobs: 1,196 Average annual salary: $95,263 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
Developer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a developer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a developer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $109,071 | $80,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,218 |
| 2 | California | $118,473 | $87,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,329 |
| 3 | Utah | $96,917 | $72,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,120 |
| 4 | Washington | $125,725 | $93,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,391 |
| 5 | Idaho | $97,488 | $72,000 | 1,716,943 | 422 |
| 6 | Nevada | $102,322 | $75,000 | 2,998,039 | 384 |
| 7 | New York | $103,261 | $78,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,893 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $91,955 | $69,000 | 1,059,639 | 514 |
| 9 | Montana | $93,656 | $70,000 | 1,050,493 | 312 |
| 10 | Arizona | $95,263 | $71,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,196 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $93,598 | $71,000 | 1,342,795 | 394 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $96,471 | $73,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,263 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $90,017 | $67,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,944 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $90,835 | $68,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,258 |
| 15 | Texas | $91,725 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,295 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $96,081 | $72,000 | 693,972 | 1,089 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $94,679 | $71,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,674 |
| 18 | Delaware | $92,004 | $69,000 | 961,939 | 267 |
| 19 | Vermont | $89,250 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 276 |
| 20 | Maryland | $91,887 | $69,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,153 |
| 21 | Virginia | $90,784 | $68,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,817 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $88,424 | $66,000 | 579,315 | 116 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $89,824 | $67,000 | 1,815,857 | 195 |
| 24 | Ohio | $86,038 | $65,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,971 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $90,880 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 716 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $87,072 | $67,000 | 755,393 | 153 |
| 27 | Georgia | $88,395 | $67,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,773 |
| 28 | Alaska | $92,474 | $75,000 | 739,795 | 109 |
| 29 | Illinois | $87,659 | $66,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,586 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $88,033 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,280 |
| 31 | Michigan | $86,553 | $65,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,174 |
| 32 | Colorado | $89,045 | $67,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,081 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $84,228 | $64,000 | 3,004,279 | 442 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $85,044 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 404 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $87,812 | $66,000 | 5,024,369 | 506 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $85,971 | $65,000 | 5,795,483 | 879 |
| 37 | Florida | $85,561 | $64,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,212 |
| 38 | Maine | $85,803 | $65,000 | 1,335,907 | 222 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $83,992 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 153 |
| 40 | Alabama | $84,134 | $63,000 | 4,874,747 | 605 |
| 41 | Iowa | $83,248 | $63,000 | 3,145,711 | 478 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $82,565 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 762 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $82,775 | $62,000 | 4,454,189 | 551 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $81,426 | $62,000 | 1,920,076 | 443 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $83,003 | $63,000 | 2,984,100 | 173 |
| 46 | Indiana | $81,530 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,075 |
| 47 | Kansas | $80,777 | $61,000 | 2,913,123 | 551 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $82,776 | $62,000 | 4,684,333 | 395 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $82,826 | $65,000 | 1,427,538 | 130 |
| 50 | Missouri | $81,467 | $62,000 | 6,113,532 | 928 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $81,833 | $62,000 | 3,930,864 | 316 |
Highest paying states for developers
| Rank | State | Avg. Developer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $109,071 |
| 2 | California | $118,473 |
| 3 | Utah | $96,917 |
| 4 | Washington | $125,725 |
| 5 | Idaho | $97,488 |
| 6 | Nevada | $102,322 |
| 7 | New York | $103,261 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $91,955 |
| 9 | Montana | $93,656 |
| 10 | Arizona | $95,263 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $93,598 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $96,471 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $90,017 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $90,835 |
| 15 | Texas | $91,725 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $96,081 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $94,679 |
| 18 | Delaware | $92,004 |
| 19 | Vermont | $89,250 |
| 20 | Maryland | $91,887 |
| 21 | Virginia | $90,784 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $88,424 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $89,824 |
| 24 | Ohio | $86,038 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $90,880 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $87,072 |
| 27 | Georgia | $88,395 |
| 28 | Alaska | $92,474 |
| 29 | Illinois | $87,659 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $88,033 |
| 31 | Michigan | $86,553 |
| 32 | Colorado | $89,045 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $84,228 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $85,044 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $87,812 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $85,971 |
| 37 | Florida | $85,561 |
| 38 | Maine | $85,803 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $83,992 |
| 40 | Alabama | $84,134 |
| 41 | Iowa | $83,248 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $82,565 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $82,775 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $81,426 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $83,003 |
| 46 | Indiana | $81,530 |
| 47 | Kansas | $80,777 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $82,776 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $82,826 |
| 50 | Missouri | $81,467 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $81,833 |
Expert opinions on the best states for developers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for 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