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Best states for a development specialist
Quoted expert
Sarah Kovalesky
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like development specialists are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for development specialists aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. As development specialists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for development specialists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a development specialist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for development specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a development specialist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for development specialists in 2026
1. New Hampshire
Total development specialist jobs: 353 Average annual salary: $69,084 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
2. Maryland
Total development specialist jobs: 1,293 Average annual salary: $69,102 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
3. Michigan
Total development specialist jobs: 1,328 Average annual salary: $67,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
4. North Dakota
Total development specialist jobs: 197 Average annual salary: $59,926 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
5. Connecticut
Total development specialist jobs: 314 Average annual salary: $76,777 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
6. New York
Total development specialist jobs: 1,283 Average annual salary: $76,035 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
7. New Jersey
Total development specialist jobs: 697 Average annual salary: $77,530 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.61
8. Rhode Island
Total development specialist jobs: 128 Average annual salary: $68,878 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
9. Washington
Total development specialist jobs: 732 Average annual salary: $70,158 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
10. Virginia
Total development specialist jobs: 1,077 Average annual salary: $68,852 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
Development specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a development specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a development specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $69,084 | $45,000 | 1,342,795 | 353 |
| 2 | Maryland | $69,102 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,293 |
| 3 | Michigan | $67,708 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,328 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $59,926 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 197 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $76,777 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 314 |
| 6 | New York | $76,035 | $47,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,283 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,530 | $48,000 | 9,005,644 | 697 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $68,878 | $44,000 | 1,059,639 | 128 |
| 9 | Washington | $70,158 | $41,000 | 7,405,743 | 732 |
| 10 | Virginia | $68,852 | $41,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,077 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $60,083 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,227 |
| 12 | Illinois | $67,526 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,188 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $58,683 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,034 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $70,259 | $43,000 | 693,972 | 240 |
| 15 | Maine | $56,207 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 283 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $70,637 | $45,000 | 6,859,819 | 828 |
| 17 | Delaware | $64,667 | $40,000 | 961,939 | 184 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $56,343 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 385 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $56,358 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,026 |
| 20 | Arizona | $52,956 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,380 |
| 21 | Iowa | $53,120 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 725 |
| 22 | Ohio | $56,278 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,528 |
| 23 | Texas | $57,799 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,067 |
| 24 | California | $65,379 | $38,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,666 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $54,030 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 93 |
| 26 | Kansas | $52,818 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 565 |
| 27 | Idaho | $56,298 | $34,000 | 1,716,943 | 206 |
| 28 | Alaska | $50,686 | $33,000 | 739,795 | 196 |
| 29 | Indiana | $51,088 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,126 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $50,323 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 422 |
| 31 | Nevada | $50,897 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 369 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $48,457 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 200 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $48,625 | $37,000 | 1,427,538 | 186 |
| 34 | Vermont | $53,683 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 88 |
| 35 | Colorado | $55,255 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 607 |
| 36 | Oregon | $56,209 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 370 |
| 37 | Montana | $47,359 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 255 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $48,905 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,786 |
| 39 | Missouri | $51,085 | $31,000 | 6,113,532 | 949 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $48,149 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 985 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $48,991 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 360 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $43,663 | $26,000 | 3,004,279 | 586 |
| 43 | Georgia | $46,434 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,048 |
| 44 | Alabama | $46,611 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 716 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $45,977 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 631 |
| 46 | Florida | $42,450 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,212 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $40,755 | $24,000 | 1,815,857 | 294 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $40,881 | $24,000 | 3,930,864 | 515 |
| 49 | Utah | $44,125 | $27,000 | 3,101,833 | 386 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $40,594 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 491 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $41,404 | $24,000 | 5,024,369 | 596 |
Highest paying states for development specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Development Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $69,084 |
| 2 | Maryland | $69,102 |
| 3 | Michigan | $67,708 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $59,926 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $76,777 |
| 6 | New York | $76,035 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $77,530 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $68,878 |
| 9 | Washington | $70,158 |
| 10 | Virginia | $68,852 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $60,083 |
| 12 | Illinois | $67,526 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $58,683 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $70,259 |
| 15 | Maine | $56,207 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $70,637 |
| 17 | Delaware | $64,667 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $56,343 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $56,358 |
| 20 | Arizona | $52,956 |
| 21 | Iowa | $53,120 |
| 22 | Ohio | $56,278 |
| 23 | Texas | $57,799 |
| 24 | California | $65,379 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $54,030 |
| 26 | Kansas | $52,818 |
| 27 | Idaho | $56,298 |
| 28 | Alaska | $50,686 |
| 29 | Indiana | $51,088 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $50,323 |
| 31 | Nevada | $50,897 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $48,457 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $48,625 |
| 34 | Vermont | $53,683 |
| 35 | Colorado | $55,255 |
| 36 | Oregon | $56,209 |
| 37 | Montana | $47,359 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $48,905 |
| 39 | Missouri | $51,085 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $48,149 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $48,991 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $43,663 |
| 43 | Georgia | $46,434 |
| 44 | Alabama | $46,611 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $45,977 |
| 46 | Florida | $42,450 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $40,755 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $40,881 |
| 49 | Utah | $44,125 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $40,594 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $41,404 |
Expert opinions on the best states for development specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for development specialists to find work opportunities?
Sarah Kovalesky
Career Coach, University of Utah
This is kind of like the common, "what do I do with this degree" question I get as a Career Coach. I wish I had a magical folder to pull out with all of the answers in one place. Location and its place in the job search are based on the individual. It will be a non-negotiable, while for others, it might just be another factor to consider. As I mentioned, with the pandemic's impact, there is so much that a graduate could do with a psychology degree that could take them all over the country.
Development specialist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025