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Best states for a development engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for development 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 development engineer jobs.Our research shows that Washington is the best state in the country for development engineers.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for development engineers. Washington is the best state for development engineers, where the median salary is $110,132.Washington is the best state, and Bellingham is the city with the highest pay for development engineers.
10 best states for development engineers in 2025
1. Washington
Total development engineer jobs: 4,415 Average annual salary: $110,132 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 2.3
2. California
Total development engineer jobs: 12,497 Average annual salary: $109,203 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
3. New Hampshire
Total development engineer jobs: 548 Average annual salary: $99,524 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
4. Maryland
Total development engineer jobs: 2,089 Average annual salary: $102,960 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
5. Arizona
Total development engineer jobs: 2,029 Average annual salary: $91,702 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
6. Massachusetts
Total development engineer jobs: 2,479 Average annual salary: $99,267 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
7. District of Columbia
Total development engineer jobs: 550 Average annual salary: $102,816 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
8. New Mexico
Total development engineer jobs: 491 Average annual salary: $95,107 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
9. Oregon
Total development engineer jobs: 1,204 Average annual salary: $92,043 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. Idaho
Total development engineer jobs: 347 Average annual salary: $94,172 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
Development engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a development engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a development engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $110,132 | $81,000 | 7,405,743 | 4,415 |
| 2 | California | $109,203 | $80,000 | 39,536,653 | 12,497 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $99,524 | $75,000 | 1,342,795 | 548 |
| 4 | Maryland | $102,960 | $78,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,089 |
| 5 | Arizona | $91,702 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,029 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $99,267 | $75,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,479 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $102,816 | $78,000 | 693,972 | 550 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $95,107 | $71,000 | 2,088,070 | 491 |
| 9 | Oregon | $92,043 | $68,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,204 |
| 10 | Idaho | $94,172 | $69,000 | 1,716,943 | 347 |
| 11 | Alaska | $91,949 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 238 |
| 12 | Virginia | $90,451 | $68,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,928 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $91,741 | $69,000 | 1,059,639 | 260 |
| 14 | Texas | $91,487 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,127 |
| 15 | Maine | $95,315 | $72,000 | 1,335,907 | 167 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $89,672 | $68,000 | 1,815,857 | 293 |
| 17 | Vermont | $89,634 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 176 |
| 18 | Michigan | $82,618 | $63,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,117 |
| 19 | Utah | $86,070 | $63,000 | 3,101,833 | 744 |
| 20 | Colorado | $87,454 | $66,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,753 |
| 21 | Nevada | $87,135 | $64,000 | 2,998,039 | 450 |
| 22 | New York | $92,563 | $70,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,564 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $92,964 | $70,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,212 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $87,895 | $66,000 | 3,588,184 | 720 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $82,561 | $62,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,649 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $86,003 | $64,000 | 4,684,333 | 476 |
| 27 | Delaware | $80,241 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 384 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $75,674 | $58,000 | 755,393 | 257 |
| 29 | Illinois | $85,778 | $66,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,156 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $81,451 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,031 |
| 31 | Georgia | $78,403 | $59,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,769 |
| 32 | Alabama | $74,514 | $56,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,200 |
| 33 | Montana | $77,646 | $58,000 | 1,050,493 | 296 |
| 34 | Ohio | $75,101 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,156 |
| 35 | Florida | $77,423 | $56,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,956 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $80,445 | $62,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,230 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $75,207 | $60,000 | 1,427,538 | 247 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $74,161 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,531 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $74,085 | $57,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,351 |
| 40 | Indiana | $72,099 | $55,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,780 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $77,127 | $58,000 | 3,930,864 | 453 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $73,728 | $55,000 | 579,315 | 126 |
| 43 | Iowa | $72,008 | $55,000 | 3,145,711 | 838 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $73,836 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 778 |
| 45 | Missouri | $73,138 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,081 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $72,084 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 673 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $70,187 | $54,000 | 1,920,076 | 512 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $66,747 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 669 |
| 49 | Kansas | $68,463 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 636 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $69,844 | $52,000 | 2,984,100 | 303 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $66,273 | $51,000 | 869,666 | 212 |
Highest paying states for development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Development Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $110,132 |
| 2 | California | $109,203 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $99,524 |
| 4 | Maryland | $102,960 |
| 5 | Arizona | $91,702 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $99,267 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $102,816 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $95,107 |
| 9 | Oregon | $92,043 |
| 10 | Idaho | $94,172 |
| 11 | Alaska | $91,949 |
| 12 | Virginia | $90,451 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $91,741 |
| 14 | Texas | $91,487 |
| 15 | Maine | $95,315 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $89,672 |
| 17 | Vermont | $89,634 |
| 18 | Michigan | $82,618 |
| 19 | Utah | $86,070 |
| 20 | Colorado | $87,454 |
| 21 | Nevada | $87,135 |
| 22 | New York | $92,563 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $92,964 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $87,895 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $82,561 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $86,003 |
| 27 | Delaware | $80,241 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $75,674 |
| 29 | Illinois | $85,778 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $81,451 |
| 31 | Georgia | $78,403 |
| 32 | Alabama | $74,514 |
| 33 | Montana | $77,646 |
| 34 | Ohio | $75,101 |
| 35 | Florida | $77,423 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $80,445 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $75,207 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $74,161 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $74,085 |
| 40 | Indiana | $72,099 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $77,127 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $73,728 |
| 43 | Iowa | $72,008 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $73,836 |
| 45 | Missouri | $73,138 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $72,084 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $70,187 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $66,747 |
| 49 | Kansas | $68,463 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $69,844 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $66,273 |
Expert opinions on the best states for development engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for development engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
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Updated January 8, 2025