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Best states for a help desk engineer
Quoted expert
Kathleen Riley
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Help desk engineer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for help desk engineers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for help desk engineers.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for help desk engineer jobs.
We figured that the best places for help desk engineer jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.District of Columbia is the best state, and Brick is the city with the highest pay for help desk engineers.
10 best states for help desk engineers in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total help desk engineer jobs: 639 Average annual salary: $64,242 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 2.722. Massachusetts
Total help desk engineer jobs: 1,288 Average annual salary: $64,404 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 13. Delaware
Total help desk engineer jobs: 194 Average annual salary: $60,956 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.114. New Hampshire
Total help desk engineer jobs: 238 Average annual salary: $62,297 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 0.975. Maryland
Total help desk engineer jobs: 1,488 Average annual salary: $60,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.686. New Jersey
Total help desk engineer jobs: 871 Average annual salary: $70,311 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 0.787. Vermont
Total help desk engineer jobs: 118 Average annual salary: $56,798 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.18. Connecticut
Total help desk engineer jobs: 363 Average annual salary: $67,522 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.789. Rhode Island
Total help desk engineer jobs: 171 Average annual salary: $56,570 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 1.0110. Pennsylvania
Total help desk engineer jobs: 1,258 Average annual salary: $65,027 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
Help desk engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a help desk engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a help desk engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $64,242 | $43,000 | 693,972 | 639 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $64,404 | $44,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,288 |
| 3 | Delaware | $60,956 | $41,000 | 961,939 | 194 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $62,297 | $43,000 | 1,342,795 | 238 |
| 5 | Maryland | $60,093 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,488 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $70,311 | $48,000 | 9,005,644 | 871 |
| 7 | Vermont | $56,798 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 118 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $67,522 | $46,000 | 3,588,184 | 363 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $56,570 | $39,000 | 1,059,639 | 171 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $65,027 | $44,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,258 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $60,783 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 177 |
| 12 | New York | $60,618 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,483 |
| 13 | Virginia | $53,037 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,354 |
| 14 | Indiana | $54,550 | $37,000 | 6,666,818 | 769 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $50,334 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 131 |
| 16 | California | $54,989 | $37,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,223 |
| 17 | Nevada | $51,492 | $35,000 | 2,998,039 | 269 |
| 18 | Maine | $53,942 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 147 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $49,761 | $34,000 | 5,576,606 | 826 |
| 20 | Michigan | $49,233 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 888 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $50,033 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 140 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $50,370 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 532 |
| 23 | Ohio | $49,446 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,041 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $49,155 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,088 |
| 25 | Alaska | $47,654 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 162 |
| 26 | Montana | $45,860 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 213 |
| 27 | Kansas | $47,498 | $34,000 | 2,913,123 | 336 |
| 28 | Illinois | $48,876 | $33,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,405 |
| 29 | Texas | $46,755 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,678 |
| 30 | Georgia | $47,053 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,251 |
| 31 | Washington | $47,178 | $33,000 | 7,405,743 | 949 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $48,028 | $33,000 | 869,666 | 97 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $47,815 | $33,000 | 4,684,333 | 305 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $46,473 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 241 |
| 35 | Arizona | $44,422 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,098 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $47,213 | $32,000 | 5,024,369 | 455 |
| 37 | Oregon | $44,881 | $31,000 | 4,142,776 | 601 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $45,998 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 245 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $41,778 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 95 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $44,989 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 381 |
| 41 | Colorado | $41,170 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,423 |
| 42 | Missouri | $46,055 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 641 |
| 43 | Florida | $42,425 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,591 |
| 44 | Utah | $40,541 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 651 |
| 45 | Alabama | $40,773 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 530 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $42,899 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 562 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $39,630 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 293 |
| 48 | Iowa | $42,183 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 351 |
| 49 | Idaho | $40,948 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 191 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $39,125 | $27,000 | 2,984,100 | 224 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $38,896 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 294 |
Highest paying states for help desk engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Help Desk Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $64,242 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $64,404 |
| 3 | Delaware | $60,956 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $62,297 |
| 5 | Maryland | $60,093 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $70,311 |
| 7 | Vermont | $56,798 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $67,522 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $56,570 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $65,027 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $60,783 |
| 12 | New York | $60,618 |
| 13 | Virginia | $53,037 |
| 14 | Indiana | $54,550 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $50,334 |
| 16 | California | $54,989 |
| 17 | Nevada | $51,492 |
| 18 | Maine | $53,942 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $49,761 |
| 20 | Michigan | $49,233 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $50,033 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $50,370 |
| 23 | Ohio | $49,446 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $49,155 |
| 25 | Alaska | $47,654 |
| 26 | Montana | $45,860 |
| 27 | Kansas | $47,498 |
| 28 | Illinois | $48,876 |
| 29 | Texas | $46,755 |
| 30 | Georgia | $47,053 |
| 31 | Washington | $47,178 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $48,028 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $47,815 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $46,473 |
| 35 | Arizona | $44,422 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $47,213 |
| 37 | Oregon | $44,881 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $45,998 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $41,778 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $44,989 |
| 41 | Colorado | $41,170 |
| 42 | Missouri | $46,055 |
| 43 | Florida | $42,425 |
| 44 | Utah | $40,541 |
| 45 | Alabama | $40,773 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $42,899 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $39,630 |
| 48 | Iowa | $42,183 |
| 49 | Idaho | $40,948 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $39,125 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $38,896 |
Expert opinions on the best states for help desk engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for help desk 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.
Help desk engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025