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Best states for a principal analyst
Quoted expert
John Alpers
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Principal analyst opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for principal analysts, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for principal analysts.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of principal analysts in America is $149,000.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for principal analysts. Delaware is the best state for principal analysts, where the median salary is $126,757.We found that the Midwest is best for principal analysts, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for principal analyst jobs, where as Delaware is the best state in the country.
10 best states for principal analysts in 2026
1. Delaware
Total principal analyst jobs: 323 Average annual salary: $126,757 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
2. Oregon
Total principal analyst jobs: 1,202 Average annual salary: $123,082 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. Nevada
Total principal analyst jobs: 453 Average annual salary: $122,369 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
4. Washington
Total principal analyst jobs: 1,186 Average annual salary: $138,100 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
5. New Hampshire
Total principal analyst jobs: 395 Average annual salary: $114,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
6. Idaho
Total principal analyst jobs: 310 Average annual salary: $117,060 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
7. California
Total principal analyst jobs: 5,380 Average annual salary: $134,790 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
8. Arizona
Total principal analyst jobs: 1,535 Average annual salary: $111,321 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
9. New Mexico
Total principal analyst jobs: 386 Average annual salary: $115,070 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
10. Rhode Island
Total principal analyst jobs: 211 Average annual salary: $117,603 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Principal analyst jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal analyst
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal analyst
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $126,757 | $94,000 | 961,939 | 323 |
| 2 | Oregon | $123,082 | $90,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,202 |
| 3 | Nevada | $122,369 | $88,000 | 2,998,039 | 453 |
| 4 | Washington | $138,100 | $101,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,186 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $114,325 | $86,000 | 1,342,795 | 395 |
| 6 | Idaho | $117,060 | $85,000 | 1,716,943 | 310 |
| 7 | California | $134,790 | $97,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,380 |
| 8 | Arizona | $111,321 | $81,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,535 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $115,070 | $84,000 | 2,088,070 | 386 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $117,603 | $88,000 | 1,059,639 | 211 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $116,660 | $86,000 | 4,454,189 | 587 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $107,884 | $80,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,273 |
| 13 | Montana | $108,505 | $81,000 | 1,050,493 | 270 |
| 14 | Texas | $107,730 | $79,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,551 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $111,101 | $83,000 | 3,588,184 | 753 |
| 16 | Illinois | $106,825 | $79,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,096 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $104,576 | $77,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,603 |
| 18 | Virginia | $106,256 | $78,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,717 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $109,213 | $82,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,814 |
| 20 | Ohio | $103,962 | $77,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,897 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $107,750 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 956 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $110,904 | $88,000 | 1,427,538 | 210 |
| 23 | New York | $104,757 | $78,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,567 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $109,423 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,433 |
| 25 | Maryland | $104,620 | $77,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,998 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $101,322 | $77,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,563 |
| 27 | Georgia | $102,526 | $76,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,946 |
| 28 | Alabama | $102,515 | $76,000 | 4,874,747 | 668 |
| 29 | Colorado | $98,459 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,599 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $100,918 | $74,000 | 1,815,857 | 182 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $102,588 | $76,000 | 5,024,369 | 557 |
| 32 | Vermont | $102,350 | $78,000 | 623,657 | 115 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $97,450 | $72,000 | 6,715,984 | 904 |
| 34 | Alaska | $100,130 | $83,000 | 739,795 | 164 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $99,810 | $76,000 | 755,393 | 136 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $95,891 | $71,000 | 1,920,076 | 455 |
| 37 | Maine | $100,635 | $77,000 | 1,335,907 | 158 |
| 38 | Florida | $97,401 | $71,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,452 |
| 39 | Indiana | $97,079 | $72,000 | 6,666,818 | 966 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $95,054 | $70,000 | 579,315 | 112 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $95,509 | $71,000 | 5,795,483 | 964 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $96,525 | $72,000 | 869,666 | 128 |
| 43 | Utah | $96,598 | $70,000 | 3,101,833 | 552 |
| 44 | Michigan | $95,263 | $71,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,102 |
| 45 | Iowa | $94,765 | $70,000 | 3,145,711 | 418 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $90,618 | $67,000 | 3,004,279 | 428 |
| 47 | Kansas | $90,238 | $66,000 | 2,913,123 | 555 |
| 48 | Missouri | $91,571 | $67,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,013 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $93,050 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 345 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $90,737 | $67,000 | 3,930,864 | 341 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $89,151 | $66,000 | 2,984,100 | 212 |
Highest paying states for principal analysts
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Analyst Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $126,757 |
| 2 | Oregon | $123,082 |
| 3 | Nevada | $122,369 |
| 4 | Washington | $138,100 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $114,325 |
| 6 | Idaho | $117,060 |
| 7 | California | $134,790 |
| 8 | Arizona | $111,321 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $115,070 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $117,603 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $116,660 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $107,884 |
| 13 | Montana | $108,505 |
| 14 | Texas | $107,730 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $111,101 |
| 16 | Illinois | $106,825 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $104,576 |
| 18 | Virginia | $106,256 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $109,213 |
| 20 | Ohio | $103,962 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $107,750 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $110,904 |
| 23 | New York | $104,757 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $109,423 |
| 25 | Maryland | $104,620 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $101,322 |
| 27 | Georgia | $102,526 |
| 28 | Alabama | $102,515 |
| 29 | Colorado | $98,459 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $100,918 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $102,588 |
| 32 | Vermont | $102,350 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $97,450 |
| 34 | Alaska | $100,130 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $99,810 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $95,891 |
| 37 | Maine | $100,635 |
| 38 | Florida | $97,401 |
| 39 | Indiana | $97,079 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $95,054 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $95,509 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $96,525 |
| 43 | Utah | $96,598 |
| 44 | Michigan | $95,263 |
| 45 | Iowa | $94,765 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $90,618 |
| 47 | Kansas | $90,238 |
| 48 | Missouri | $91,571 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $93,050 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $90,737 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $89,151 |
Expert opinions on the best states for principal analysts
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for principal analysts to find work opportunities?
John Alpers
Assistant Professor of Business, Carson-Newman University
In my opinion, technical careers will continue to grow and flourish. Some of these skills can be taught virtually, but not all. I think anyone who can parlay this new environment and find a way to create value for an organization will be in demand.
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Updated January 8, 2025