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Best states for an information technology operations leader
Quoted expert
Peter Dordal Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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It seems like information technology operations leaders are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for information technology operations leaders aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In order to help you decide which state is the best for information technology operations leaders, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for information technology operations leader jobs.
Idaho is the best state for jobs for information technology operations leaders, and Illinois is the worst. The most common pay in Idaho is $119,135, while the median pay in Illinois is $88,554.Idaho is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for information technology operations leaders.
10 best states for information technology operations leaders in 2025
1. Idaho
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 437 Average annual salary: $119,135 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
2. Utah
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 925 Average annual salary: $113,395 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
3. Nebraska
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 819 Average annual salary: $110,614 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
4. West Virginia
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 318 Average annual salary: $115,399 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
5. Rhode Island
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 336 Average annual salary: $106,953 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
6. Nevada
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 556 Average annual salary: $107,703 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
7. Oregon
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 1,791 Average annual salary: $106,329 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.95
8. Alabama
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 821 Average annual salary: $114,812 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
9. Wyoming
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 193 Average annual salary: $100,335 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
10. Washington
Total information technology operations leader jobs: 3,039 Average annual salary: $105,153 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.88
Information technology operations leader jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an information technology operations leader
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an information technology operations leader
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $119,135 | $86,000 | 1,716,943 | 437 |
| 2 | Utah | $113,395 | $81,000 | 3,101,833 | 925 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $110,614 | $81,000 | 1,920,076 | 819 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $115,399 | $85,000 | 1,815,857 | 318 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $106,953 | $80,000 | 1,059,639 | 336 |
| 6 | Nevada | $107,703 | $76,000 | 2,998,039 | 556 |
| 7 | Oregon | $106,329 | $77,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,791 |
| 8 | Alabama | $114,812 | $83,000 | 4,874,747 | 821 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $100,335 | $73,000 | 579,315 | 193 |
| 10 | Washington | $105,153 | $77,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,039 |
| 11 | Texas | $103,303 | $73,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,372 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $99,724 | $74,000 | 12,805,537 | 4,592 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $116,804 | $87,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,082 |
| 14 | Arizona | $111,895 | $80,000 | 7,016,270 | 797 |
| 15 | California | $120,177 | $85,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,351 |
| 16 | Ohio | $101,127 | $75,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,383 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $97,891 | $71,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,298 |
| 18 | Georgia | $100,080 | $73,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,393 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $100,810 | $72,000 | 2,088,070 | 412 |
| 20 | New York | $112,759 | $84,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,615 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $100,239 | $73,000 | 5,024,369 | 908 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $92,934 | $67,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,068 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $95,439 | $69,000 | 2,984,100 | 514 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $99,655 | $75,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,424 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $92,687 | $69,000 | 869,666 | 413 |
| 26 | Florida | $98,834 | $71,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,851 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $97,146 | $73,000 | 1,342,795 | 459 |
| 28 | Delaware | $103,481 | $77,000 | 961,939 | 161 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $95,619 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,479 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $95,989 | $71,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,238 |
| 31 | Maryland | $105,284 | $78,000 | 6,052,177 | 805 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $93,582 | $69,000 | 4,454,189 | 830 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $102,945 | $77,000 | 3,588,184 | 412 |
| 34 | Iowa | $93,872 | $69,000 | 3,145,711 | 788 |
| 35 | Michigan | $94,482 | $70,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,531 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $94,026 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 613 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $85,695 | $65,000 | 755,393 | 486 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $92,515 | $69,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,714 |
| 39 | Alaska | $84,892 | $69,000 | 739,795 | 317 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $93,558 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 639 |
| 41 | Kansas | $91,757 | $67,000 | 2,913,123 | 651 |
| 42 | Montana | $85,876 | $63,000 | 1,050,493 | 456 |
| 43 | Colorado | $97,107 | $70,000 | 5,607,154 | 694 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $98,136 | $75,000 | 1,427,538 | 93 |
| 45 | Missouri | $92,575 | $68,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,214 |
| 46 | Indiana | $88,302 | $65,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,389 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $87,337 | $65,000 | 693,972 | 424 |
| 48 | Maine | $79,655 | $60,000 | 1,335,907 | 320 |
| 49 | Vermont | $87,253 | $66,000 | 623,657 | 109 |
| 50 | Virginia | $87,475 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,316 |
| 51 | Illinois | $88,554 | $65,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,495 |
Highest paying states for information technology operations leaders
| Rank | State | Avg. Information Technology Operations Leader Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $119,135 |
| 2 | Utah | $113,395 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $110,614 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $115,399 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $106,953 |
| 6 | Nevada | $107,703 |
| 7 | Oregon | $106,329 |
| 8 | Alabama | $114,812 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $100,335 |
| 10 | Washington | $105,153 |
| 11 | Texas | $103,303 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $99,724 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $116,804 |
| 14 | Arizona | $111,895 |
| 15 | California | $120,177 |
| 16 | Ohio | $101,127 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $97,891 |
| 18 | Georgia | $100,080 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $100,810 |
| 20 | New York | $112,759 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $100,239 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $92,934 |
| 23 | Mississippi | $95,439 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $99,655 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $92,687 |
| 26 | Florida | $98,834 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $97,146 |
| 28 | Delaware | $103,481 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $95,619 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $95,989 |
| 31 | Maryland | $105,284 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $93,582 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $102,945 |
| 34 | Iowa | $93,872 |
| 35 | Michigan | $94,482 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $94,026 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $85,695 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $92,515 |
| 39 | Alaska | $84,892 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $93,558 |
| 41 | Kansas | $91,757 |
| 42 | Montana | $85,876 |
| 43 | Colorado | $97,107 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $98,136 |
| 45 | Missouri | $92,575 |
| 46 | Indiana | $88,302 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $87,337 |
| 48 | Maine | $79,655 |
| 49 | Vermont | $87,253 |
| 50 | Virginia | $87,475 |
| 51 | Illinois | $88,554 |
Expert opinions on the best states for information technology operations leaders
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for information technology operations leaders to find work opportunities?
Peter Dordal Ph.D.
Director for Information Technology, Loyola University Chicago
For software developers, yes, there are advantages in working in places where there is a high concentration of other developers. But for students interested in applying IT to business, there are opportunities everywhere.
Information technology operations leader best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025