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Best states for a lead programmer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for lead programmers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for lead programmer jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research found that Washington is the best state for lead programmers, while Washington and New York are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Washington has a median salary of $139,890 and Washington has the highest median salary among all 50 states for lead programmers.
The median salary for lead programmers in Washington is $139,890. Compare that to the median salary in Hawaii of $83,483, which ranked worst for lead programmers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Midwest is best for lead programmers, and the Northeast is the worst. Bellevue, WA is the best city in the country for lead programmer jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for lead programmers in 2025
1. Washington
Total lead programmer jobs: 2,382 Average annual salary: $139,890 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
2. Oregon
Total lead programmer jobs: 1,166 Average annual salary: $126,912 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
3. Massachusetts
Total lead programmer jobs: 2,391 Average annual salary: $126,451 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
4. Delaware
Total lead programmer jobs: 305 Average annual salary: $126,030 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
5. Pennsylvania
Total lead programmer jobs: 3,083 Average annual salary: $114,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
6. New York
Total lead programmer jobs: 2,157 Average annual salary: $137,516 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
7. New Jersey
Total lead programmer jobs: 1,430 Average annual salary: $133,684 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
8. Vermont
Total lead programmer jobs: 194 Average annual salary: $118,803 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
9. North Carolina
Total lead programmer jobs: 1,722 Average annual salary: $122,641 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
10. Nevada
Total lead programmer jobs: 510 Average annual salary: $118,019 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
Lead programmer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead programmer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead programmer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $139,890 | $97,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,382 |
| 2 | Oregon | $126,912 | $87,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,166 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $126,451 | $94,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,391 |
| 4 | Delaware | $126,030 | $92,000 | 961,939 | 305 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $114,708 | $84,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,083 |
| 6 | New York | $137,516 | $101,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,157 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $133,684 | $98,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,430 |
| 8 | Vermont | $118,803 | $89,000 | 623,657 | 194 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $122,641 | $89,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,722 |
| 10 | Nevada | $118,019 | $79,000 | 2,998,039 | 510 |
| 11 | Idaho | $114,228 | $77,000 | 1,716,943 | 529 |
| 12 | Virginia | $120,526 | $88,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,329 |
| 13 | Ohio | $112,476 | $81,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,416 |
| 14 | Indiana | $112,798 | $82,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,188 |
| 15 | California | $121,190 | $82,000 | 39,536,653 | 9,199 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $118,615 | $86,000 | 693,972 | 562 |
| 17 | Maryland | $119,595 | $87,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,572 |
| 18 | Utah | $107,014 | $72,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,290 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $110,420 | $82,000 | 1,059,639 | 314 |
| 20 | Alaska | $111,348 | $83,000 | 739,795 | 224 |
| 21 | Maine | $116,130 | $87,000 | 1,335,907 | 202 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $116,327 | $84,000 | 5,024,369 | 367 |
| 23 | Florida | $116,506 | $80,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,481 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $113,463 | $83,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,213 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $108,293 | $80,000 | 755,393 | 149 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $111,668 | $82,000 | 3,588,184 | 610 |
| 27 | Illinois | $108,829 | $79,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,302 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $109,718 | $82,000 | 1,342,795 | 276 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $102,925 | $74,000 | 869,666 | 223 |
| 30 | Georgia | $108,725 | $78,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,818 |
| 31 | Texas | $106,495 | $73,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,639 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $107,075 | $78,000 | 4,454,189 | 454 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $107,359 | $78,000 | 5,795,483 | 762 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $106,834 | $77,000 | 6,715,984 | 607 |
| 35 | Kansas | $98,871 | $70,000 | 2,913,123 | 798 |
| 36 | Arizona | $103,235 | $70,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,094 |
| 37 | Michigan | $103,871 | $76,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,191 |
| 38 | Iowa | $102,790 | $74,000 | 3,145,711 | 567 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $101,032 | $73,000 | 1,815,857 | 180 |
| 40 | Montana | $94,291 | $65,000 | 1,050,493 | 341 |
| 41 | Colorado | $100,621 | $70,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,275 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $94,504 | $68,000 | 3,004,279 | 648 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $103,140 | $73,000 | 2,984,100 | 186 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $101,576 | $70,000 | 4,684,333 | 349 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $96,655 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 497 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $98,819 | $70,000 | 3,930,864 | 485 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $92,140 | $63,000 | 579,315 | 130 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $93,304 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 395 |
| 49 | Missouri | $97,127 | $70,000 | 6,113,532 | 831 |
| 50 | Alabama | $92,354 | $66,000 | 4,874,747 | 650 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $83,483 | $63,000 | 1,427,538 | 139 |
Highest paying states for lead programmers
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Programmer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $139,890 |
| 2 | Oregon | $126,912 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $126,451 |
| 4 | Delaware | $126,030 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $114,708 |
| 6 | New York | $137,516 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $133,684 |
| 8 | Vermont | $118,803 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $122,641 |
| 10 | Nevada | $118,019 |
| 11 | Idaho | $114,228 |
| 12 | Virginia | $120,526 |
| 13 | Ohio | $112,476 |
| 14 | Indiana | $112,798 |
| 15 | California | $121,190 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $118,615 |
| 17 | Maryland | $119,595 |
| 18 | Utah | $107,014 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $110,420 |
| 20 | Alaska | $111,348 |
| 21 | Maine | $116,130 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $116,327 |
| 23 | Florida | $116,506 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $113,463 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $108,293 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $111,668 |
| 27 | Illinois | $108,829 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $109,718 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $102,925 |
| 30 | Georgia | $108,725 |
| 31 | Texas | $106,495 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $107,075 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $107,359 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $106,834 |
| 35 | Kansas | $98,871 |
| 36 | Arizona | $103,235 |
| 37 | Michigan | $103,871 |
| 38 | Iowa | $102,790 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $101,032 |
| 40 | Montana | $94,291 |
| 41 | Colorado | $100,621 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $94,504 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $103,140 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $101,576 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $96,655 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $98,819 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $92,140 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $93,304 |
| 49 | Missouri | $97,127 |
| 50 | Alabama | $92,354 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $83,483 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead programmers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead programmers 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