Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a program analyst
Quoted expert
John Alpers
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Program analyst opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for program analysts, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for program analysts.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for program analysts. We found that District of Columbia is the best state in the nation for program analysts, and people in Salisbury earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for program analyst jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that the Midwest is best for program analysts, and the Northeast is the worst. Washington, DC is the best city in the country for program analyst jobs, where as District of Columbia is the best state in the country.
10 best states for program analysts in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total program analyst jobs: 1,081 Average annual salary: $96,986 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 3.07
2. New York
Total program analyst jobs: 3,821 Average annual salary: $91,302 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
3. Maryland
Total program analyst jobs: 1,627 Average annual salary: $93,853 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
4. New Jersey
Total program analyst jobs: 1,891 Average annual salary: $89,353 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
5. Connecticut
Total program analyst jobs: 826 Average annual salary: $85,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
6. North Carolina
Total program analyst jobs: 1,956 Average annual salary: $82,776 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
7. Washington
Total program analyst jobs: 1,335 Average annual salary: $89,250 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
8. Virginia
Total program analyst jobs: 2,989 Average annual salary: $81,394 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
9. Rhode Island
Total program analyst jobs: 322 Average annual salary: $77,939 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
10. Colorado
Total program analyst jobs: 1,558 Average annual salary: $79,413 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
Program analyst jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a program analyst
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a program analyst
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $96,986 | $66,000 | 693,972 | 1,081 |
| 2 | New York | $91,302 | $63,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,821 |
| 3 | Maryland | $93,853 | $64,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,627 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $89,353 | $61,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,891 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $85,851 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 826 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $82,776 | $55,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,956 |
| 7 | Washington | $89,250 | $62,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,335 |
| 8 | Virginia | $81,394 | $55,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,989 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $77,939 | $54,000 | 1,059,639 | 322 |
| 10 | Colorado | $79,413 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,558 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $86,393 | $60,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,606 |
| 12 | Alabama | $78,904 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 792 |
| 13 | Arizona | $76,185 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,480 |
| 14 | Nevada | $77,362 | $51,000 | 2,998,039 | 410 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $76,102 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 394 |
| 16 | Texas | $74,851 | $49,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,451 |
| 17 | Illinois | $76,470 | $52,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,714 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $75,748 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,456 |
| 19 | Oregon | $75,897 | $53,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,082 |
| 20 | Ohio | $74,831 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,843 |
| 21 | California | $85,459 | $57,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,044 |
| 22 | Iowa | $74,877 | $51,000 | 3,145,711 | 546 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $75,750 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 656 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $70,862 | $48,000 | 2,088,070 | 404 |
| 25 | Michigan | $71,287 | $48,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,383 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $70,257 | $47,000 | 6,715,984 | 967 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $69,681 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,200 |
| 28 | Missouri | $72,772 | $49,000 | 6,113,532 | 957 |
| 29 | Delaware | $67,016 | $46,000 | 961,939 | 423 |
| 30 | Alaska | $76,350 | $65,000 | 739,795 | 133 |
| 31 | Indiana | $69,296 | $47,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,048 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $69,523 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 96 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $63,093 | $44,000 | 755,393 | 255 |
| 34 | Idaho | $65,567 | $45,000 | 1,716,943 | 343 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $58,607 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 264 |
| 36 | Montana | $65,657 | $45,000 | 1,050,493 | 258 |
| 37 | Maine | $66,290 | $46,000 | 1,335,907 | 257 |
| 38 | Vermont | $70,596 | $49,000 | 623,657 | 111 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $64,457 | $44,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,059 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $64,689 | $45,000 | 869,666 | 194 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $64,786 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 252 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $67,037 | $43,000 | 2,984,100 | 329 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $67,407 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 454 |
| 44 | Georgia | $63,395 | $41,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,057 |
| 45 | Utah | $57,600 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 827 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $64,208 | $43,000 | 4,454,189 | 616 |
| 47 | Kansas | $64,119 | $44,000 | 2,913,123 | 524 |
| 48 | Florida | $58,984 | $36,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,124 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $56,962 | $39,000 | 1,920,076 | 460 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $56,611 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 525 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $62,167 | $42,000 | 3,930,864 | 467 |
Highest paying states for program analysts
| Rank | State | Avg. Program Analyst Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $96,986 |
| 2 | New York | $91,302 |
| 3 | Maryland | $93,853 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $89,353 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $85,851 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $82,776 |
| 7 | Washington | $89,250 |
| 8 | Virginia | $81,394 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $77,939 |
| 10 | Colorado | $79,413 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $86,393 |
| 12 | Alabama | $78,904 |
| 13 | Arizona | $76,185 |
| 14 | Nevada | $77,362 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $76,102 |
| 16 | Texas | $74,851 |
| 17 | Illinois | $76,470 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $75,748 |
| 19 | Oregon | $75,897 |
| 20 | Ohio | $74,831 |
| 21 | California | $85,459 |
| 22 | Iowa | $74,877 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $75,750 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $70,862 |
| 25 | Michigan | $71,287 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $70,257 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $69,681 |
| 28 | Missouri | $72,772 |
| 29 | Delaware | $67,016 |
| 30 | Alaska | $76,350 |
| 31 | Indiana | $69,296 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $69,523 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $63,093 |
| 34 | Idaho | $65,567 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $58,607 |
| 36 | Montana | $65,657 |
| 37 | Maine | $66,290 |
| 38 | Vermont | $70,596 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $64,457 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $64,689 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $64,786 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $67,037 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $67,407 |
| 44 | Georgia | $63,395 |
| 45 | Utah | $57,600 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $64,208 |
| 47 | Kansas | $64,119 |
| 48 | Florida | $58,984 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $56,962 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $56,611 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $62,167 |
Expert opinions on the best states for program analysts
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for program 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.
Program analyst best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
Search for program analyst jobs
Updated January 8, 2025