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Best states for a program developer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and computer and mathematical careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to program developer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for program developers.As program developers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for program developers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a program developer, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for program developer 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.Nevada is the best state, and Grants Pass is the city with the highest pay for program developers.
10 best states for program developers in 2026
1. Nevada
Total program developer jobs: 364 Average annual salary: $94,166 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
2. Washington
Total program developer jobs: 1,076 Average annual salary: $107,492 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1
3. Colorado
Total program developer jobs: 1,428 Average annual salary: $78,980 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
4. Oregon
Total program developer jobs: 564 Average annual salary: $108,890 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
5. Connecticut
Total program developer jobs: 509 Average annual salary: $89,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
6. Pennsylvania
Total program developer jobs: 2,492 Average annual salary: $75,411 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
7. Texas
Total program developer jobs: 4,264 Average annual salary: $74,482 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
8. Hawaii
Total program developer jobs: 197 Average annual salary: $90,761 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
9. Montana
Total program developer jobs: 303 Average annual salary: $72,757 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.78
10. Idaho
Total program developer jobs: 193 Average annual salary: $88,425 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
Program developer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a program developer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a program developer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $94,166 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 364 |
| 2 | Washington | $107,492 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,076 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,980 | $47,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,428 |
| 4 | Oregon | $108,890 | $66,000 | 4,142,776 | 564 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $89,995 | $54,000 | 3,588,184 | 509 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $75,411 | $45,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,492 |
| 7 | Texas | $74,482 | $43,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,264 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $90,761 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 197 |
| 9 | Montana | $72,757 | $43,000 | 1,050,493 | 303 |
| 10 | Idaho | $88,425 | $52,000 | 1,716,943 | 193 |
| 11 | California | $105,750 | $64,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,263 |
| 12 | Arizona | $80,568 | $48,000 | 7,016,270 | 776 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $74,700 | $44,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,220 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $69,454 | $41,000 | 755,393 | 251 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $79,397 | $48,000 | 1,059,639 | 161 |
| 16 | New York | $74,003 | $44,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,020 |
| 17 | Utah | $74,293 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 430 |
| 18 | Alaska | $74,901 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 127 |
| 19 | Ohio | $69,925 | $40,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,774 |
| 20 | Delaware | $73,547 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 200 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $69,308 | $41,000 | 1,342,795 | 405 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $66,308 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 185 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $66,495 | $40,000 | 869,666 | 203 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $66,954 | $39,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,054 |
| 25 | Indiana | $67,374 | $39,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,061 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $67,151 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 413 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $76,579 | $46,000 | 9,005,644 | 893 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $79,217 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 200 |
| 29 | Maine | $67,222 | $40,000 | 1,335,907 | 272 |
| 30 | Iowa | $67,087 | $39,000 | 3,145,711 | 572 |
| 31 | Maryland | $77,365 | $46,000 | 6,052,177 | 438 |
| 32 | Illinois | $72,689 | $42,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,203 |
| 33 | Vermont | $66,069 | $39,000 | 623,657 | 298 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $64,059 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 548 |
| 35 | Michigan | $65,739 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,343 |
| 36 | Alabama | $64,587 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 833 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $67,406 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 457 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $73,022 | $44,000 | 6,859,819 | 441 |
| 39 | Virginia | $71,690 | $42,000 | 8,470,020 | 614 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $61,437 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 288 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $61,694 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 438 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $65,040 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 268 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $61,616 | $36,000 | 6,715,984 | 853 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $63,240 | $37,000 | 3,930,864 | 439 |
| 45 | Georgia | $57,290 | $34,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,949 |
| 46 | Kansas | $58,120 | $34,000 | 2,913,123 | 495 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $55,825 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,928 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $58,778 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 545 |
| 49 | Missouri | $56,099 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 860 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $56,616 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 606 |
| 51 | Florida | $56,375 | $33,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,535 |
Highest paying states for program developers
| Rank | State | Avg. Program Developer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $94,166 |
| 2 | Washington | $107,492 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,980 |
| 4 | Oregon | $108,890 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $89,995 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $75,411 |
| 7 | Texas | $74,482 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $90,761 |
| 9 | Montana | $72,757 |
| 10 | Idaho | $88,425 |
| 11 | California | $105,750 |
| 12 | Arizona | $80,568 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $74,700 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $69,454 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $79,397 |
| 16 | New York | $74,003 |
| 17 | Utah | $74,293 |
| 18 | Alaska | $74,901 |
| 19 | Ohio | $69,925 |
| 20 | Delaware | $73,547 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $69,308 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $66,308 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $66,495 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $66,954 |
| 25 | Indiana | $67,374 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $67,151 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $76,579 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $79,217 |
| 29 | Maine | $67,222 |
| 30 | Iowa | $67,087 |
| 31 | Maryland | $77,365 |
| 32 | Illinois | $72,689 |
| 33 | Vermont | $66,069 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $64,059 |
| 35 | Michigan | $65,739 |
| 36 | Alabama | $64,587 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $67,406 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $73,022 |
| 39 | Virginia | $71,690 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $61,437 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $61,694 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $65,040 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $61,616 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $63,240 |
| 45 | Georgia | $57,290 |
| 46 | Kansas | $58,120 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $55,825 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $58,778 |
| 49 | Missouri | $56,099 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $56,616 |
| 51 | Florida | $56,375 |
Program developer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025