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Best states for an operations system administrator
Quoted expert
Kathleen Riley
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like operations system administrators are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for operations system administrators aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In fact, our research shows that Nevada is the best state for operations system administrators in America. The best city in America for operations system administrators with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for operations system administrators.We found that the South is best for operations system administrators, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for operations system administrator jobs, where as Nevada is the best state in the country.
10 best states for operations system administrators in 2026
1. Nevada
Total operations system administrator jobs: 503 Average annual salary: $85,778 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
2. Pennsylvania
Total operations system administrator jobs: 2,761 Average annual salary: $80,162 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
3. Idaho
Total operations system administrator jobs: 386 Average annual salary: $79,909 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
4. Massachusetts
Total operations system administrator jobs: 1,252 Average annual salary: $91,329 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
5. Maryland
Total operations system administrator jobs: 1,478 Average annual salary: $85,909 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
6. California
Total operations system administrator jobs: 3,808 Average annual salary: $98,820 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
7. Ohio
Total operations system administrator jobs: 2,198 Average annual salary: $75,879 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
8. Utah
Total operations system administrator jobs: 458 Average annual salary: $80,085 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
9. Minnesota
Total operations system administrator jobs: 1,570 Average annual salary: $76,202 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
10. Michigan
Total operations system administrator jobs: 1,666 Average annual salary: $75,598 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
Operations system administrator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an operations system administrator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an operations system administrator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $85,778 | $64,000 | 2,998,039 | 503 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $80,162 | $62,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,761 |
| 3 | Idaho | $79,909 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 386 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $91,329 | $71,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,252 |
| 5 | Maryland | $85,909 | $66,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,478 |
| 6 | California | $98,820 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,808 |
| 7 | Ohio | $75,879 | $59,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,198 |
| 8 | Utah | $80,085 | $60,000 | 3,101,833 | 458 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $76,202 | $60,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,570 |
| 10 | Michigan | $75,598 | $59,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,666 |
| 11 | Delaware | $84,441 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 125 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $73,439 | $56,000 | 579,315 | 154 |
| 13 | Arizona | $79,141 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 871 |
| 14 | Washington | $83,873 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 945 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $73,616 | $58,000 | 869,666 | 232 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $73,703 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 427 |
| 17 | Alabama | $73,139 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,027 |
| 18 | Oregon | $81,345 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 539 |
| 19 | Vermont | $80,423 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 85 |
| 20 | Virginia | $78,501 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,863 |
| 21 | Maine | $73,276 | $57,000 | 1,335,907 | 282 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $71,714 | $56,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,204 |
| 23 | Georgia | $72,587 | $57,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,275 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $72,141 | $57,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,095 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $76,068 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 128 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $71,725 | $56,000 | 1,815,857 | 251 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $78,816 | $61,000 | 693,972 | 322 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $71,108 | $56,000 | 3,004,279 | 532 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $70,520 | $55,000 | 1,920,076 | 511 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $77,886 | $60,000 | 3,588,184 | 319 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $78,683 | $60,000 | 9,005,644 | 750 |
| 32 | Texas | $68,276 | $52,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,230 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $67,456 | $53,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,433 |
| 34 | Missouri | $69,705 | $55,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,226 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,274 | $54,000 | 4,454,189 | 754 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $70,625 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 117 |
| 37 | Florida | $66,251 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,100 |
| 38 | Kansas | $67,983 | $53,000 | 2,913,123 | 649 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $72,570 | $60,000 | 1,427,538 | 127 |
| 40 | Alaska | $63,895 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 224 |
| 41 | Montana | $65,678 | $50,000 | 1,050,493 | 274 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $68,321 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 555 |
| 43 | Illinois | $71,108 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,229 |
| 44 | Indiana | $65,029 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,367 |
| 45 | New York | $72,008 | $55,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,286 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $63,452 | $48,000 | 2,088,070 | 441 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $60,262 | $47,000 | 2,984,100 | 500 |
| 48 | Iowa | $65,805 | $51,000 | 3,145,711 | 674 |
| 49 | Colorado | $68,468 | $52,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,077 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $64,496 | $49,000 | 4,684,333 | 579 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $61,549 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 903 |
Highest paying states for operations system administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. Operations System Administrator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $85,778 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $80,162 |
| 3 | Idaho | $79,909 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $91,329 |
| 5 | Maryland | $85,909 |
| 6 | California | $98,820 |
| 7 | Ohio | $75,879 |
| 8 | Utah | $80,085 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $76,202 |
| 10 | Michigan | $75,598 |
| 11 | Delaware | $84,441 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $73,439 |
| 13 | Arizona | $79,141 |
| 14 | Washington | $83,873 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $73,616 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $73,703 |
| 17 | Alabama | $73,139 |
| 18 | Oregon | $81,345 |
| 19 | Vermont | $80,423 |
| 20 | Virginia | $78,501 |
| 21 | Maine | $73,276 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $71,714 |
| 23 | Georgia | $72,587 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $72,141 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $76,068 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $71,725 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $78,816 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $71,108 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $70,520 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $77,886 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $78,683 |
| 32 | Texas | $68,276 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $67,456 |
| 34 | Missouri | $69,705 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,274 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $70,625 |
| 37 | Florida | $66,251 |
| 38 | Kansas | $67,983 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $72,570 |
| 40 | Alaska | $63,895 |
| 41 | Montana | $65,678 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $68,321 |
| 43 | Illinois | $71,108 |
| 44 | Indiana | $65,029 |
| 45 | New York | $72,008 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $63,452 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $60,262 |
| 48 | Iowa | $65,805 |
| 49 | Colorado | $68,468 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $64,496 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $61,549 |
Expert opinions on the best states for operations system administrators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for operations system administrators 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.
Operations system administrator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025