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Best states for a principal developer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
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Are you thinking of becoming a principal developer and really want to work at Broadcom? Turns out, your chances to become a principal developer are better in some states than others.We wanted to look at the best states for principal developers -- where there are plenty of principal developer jobs to go around and principal developers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for principal developers. Oregon is the best state for principal developers, where the median salary is $150,945.We found that the Midwest is best for principal developers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for principal developer jobs, where as Oregon is the best state in the country.
10 best states for principal developers in 2026
1. Oregon
Total principal developer jobs: 1,339 Average annual salary: $150,945 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
2. Idaho
Total principal developer jobs: 420 Average annual salary: $143,797 Lowest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. Nevada
Total principal developer jobs: 471 Average annual salary: $144,290 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
4. Washington
Total principal developer jobs: 1,400 Average annual salary: $174,151 Lowest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $235,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
5. California
Total principal developer jobs: 6,260 Average annual salary: $166,002 Lowest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $225,000 Location Quotient: 1
6. Utah
Total principal developer jobs: 772 Average annual salary: $129,375 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
7. New Jersey
Total principal developer jobs: 2,612 Average annual salary: $128,993 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
8. Montana
Total principal developer jobs: 347 Average annual salary: $120,736 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
9. Arizona
Total principal developer jobs: 1,483 Average annual salary: $121,168 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
10. Wyoming
Total principal developer jobs: 129 Average annual salary: $120,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
Principal developer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal developer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal developer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $150,945 | $110,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,339 |
| 2 | Idaho | $143,797 | $104,000 | 1,716,943 | 420 |
| 3 | Nevada | $144,290 | $105,000 | 2,998,039 | 471 |
| 4 | Washington | $174,151 | $128,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,400 |
| 5 | California | $166,002 | $122,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,260 |
| 6 | Utah | $129,375 | $94,000 | 3,101,833 | 772 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $128,993 | $100,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,612 |
| 8 | Montana | $120,736 | $88,000 | 1,050,493 | 347 |
| 9 | Arizona | $121,168 | $89,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,483 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $120,756 | $89,000 | 579,315 | 129 |
| 11 | Texas | $118,834 | $90,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,781 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $115,681 | $89,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,808 |
| 13 | Vermont | $117,214 | $92,000 | 623,657 | 197 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $117,600 | $87,000 | 2,088,070 | 471 |
| 15 | Alaska | $134,610 | $106,000 | 739,795 | 108 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $113,878 | $88,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,145 |
| 17 | New York | $124,213 | $96,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,726 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $119,500 | $92,000 | 2,984,100 | 175 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $108,774 | $85,000 | 1,059,639 | 376 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $118,655 | $93,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,735 |
| 21 | Virginia | $112,538 | $87,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,189 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $113,269 | $88,000 | 1,815,857 | 205 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $134,224 | $104,000 | 1,427,538 | 122 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $108,988 | $85,000 | 1,342,795 | 440 |
| 25 | Colorado | $113,377 | $85,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,388 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $108,841 | $84,000 | 3,004,279 | 494 |
| 27 | Illinois | $110,204 | $85,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,727 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $108,971 | $84,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,574 |
| 29 | Georgia | $109,320 | $85,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,860 |
| 30 | Delaware | $111,626 | $86,000 | 961,939 | 215 |
| 31 | Florida | $108,932 | $83,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,968 |
| 32 | Maryland | $106,751 | $82,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,741 |
| 33 | Michigan | $106,475 | $82,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,208 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $102,005 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 705 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $108,019 | $83,000 | 3,930,864 | 318 |
| 36 | Ohio | $101,239 | $78,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,122 |
| 37 | Iowa | $106,420 | $82,000 | 3,145,711 | 483 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $107,262 | $82,000 | 4,684,333 | 384 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $104,517 | $81,000 | 6,715,984 | 790 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $102,653 | $79,000 | 4,454,189 | 602 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $101,054 | $77,000 | 869,666 | 164 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $102,860 | $80,000 | 3,588,184 | 677 |
| 43 | Maine | $103,417 | $82,000 | 1,335,907 | 214 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $98,879 | $76,000 | 1,920,076 | 507 |
| 45 | Indiana | $100,925 | $78,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,098 |
| 46 | Missouri | $102,827 | $79,000 | 6,113,532 | 970 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $99,501 | $77,000 | 755,393 | 158 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $98,520 | $76,000 | 5,795,483 | 988 |
| 49 | Kansas | $96,404 | $74,000 | 2,913,123 | 594 |
| 50 | Alabama | $97,636 | $75,000 | 4,874,747 | 641 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $97,964 | $76,000 | 5,024,369 | 581 |
Highest paying states for principal developers
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Developer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $150,945 |
| 2 | Idaho | $143,797 |
| 3 | Nevada | $144,290 |
| 4 | Washington | $174,151 |
| 5 | California | $166,002 |
| 6 | Utah | $129,375 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $128,993 |
| 8 | Montana | $120,736 |
| 9 | Arizona | $121,168 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $120,756 |
| 11 | Texas | $118,834 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $115,681 |
| 13 | Vermont | $117,214 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $117,600 |
| 15 | Alaska | $134,610 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $113,878 |
| 17 | New York | $124,213 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $119,500 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $108,774 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $118,655 |
| 21 | Virginia | $112,538 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $113,269 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $134,224 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $108,988 |
| 25 | Colorado | $113,377 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $108,841 |
| 27 | Illinois | $110,204 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $108,971 |
| 29 | Georgia | $109,320 |
| 30 | Delaware | $111,626 |
| 31 | Florida | $108,932 |
| 32 | Maryland | $106,751 |
| 33 | Michigan | $106,475 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $102,005 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $108,019 |
| 36 | Ohio | $101,239 |
| 37 | Iowa | $106,420 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $107,262 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $104,517 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $102,653 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $101,054 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $102,860 |
| 43 | Maine | $103,417 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $98,879 |
| 45 | Indiana | $100,925 |
| 46 | Missouri | $102,827 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $99,501 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $98,520 |
| 49 | Kansas | $96,404 |
| 50 | Alabama | $97,636 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $97,964 |
Expert opinions on the best states for principal developers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for principal developers 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