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Best states for a program development specialist
Quoted expert
C. Jeffrey Waddoups Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for program development specialists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for program development specialist jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.As program development specialists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for program development specialists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a program development specialist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
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 program development specialists.We found that Pennsylvania is the best state for program development specialist jobs, whereas South Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for program development specialists in 2025
1. Pennsylvania
Total program development specialist jobs: 2,891 Average annual salary: $66,449 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.222. New Hampshire
Total program development specialist jobs: 536 Average annual salary: $58,966 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.53. Delaware
Total program development specialist jobs: 348 Average annual salary: $61,160 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.364. Rhode Island
Total program development specialist jobs: 257 Average annual salary: $64,535 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.045. District of Columbia
Total program development specialist jobs: 301 Average annual salary: $79,953 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.886. Maryland
Total program development specialist jobs: 839 Average annual salary: $74,600 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.657. New York
Total program development specialist jobs: 2,668 Average annual salary: $66,836 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.028. Nevada
Total program development specialist jobs: 485 Average annual salary: $60,813 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.149. Texas
Total program development specialist jobs: 3,631 Average annual salary: $64,982 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.8810. Connecticut
Total program development specialist jobs: 746 Average annual salary: $63,054 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
Program development specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a program development specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a program development specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $66,449 | $39,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,891 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $58,966 | $36,000 | 1,342,795 | 536 |
| 3 | Delaware | $61,160 | $36,000 | 961,939 | 348 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $64,535 | $39,000 | 1,059,639 | 257 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $79,953 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 301 |
| 6 | Maryland | $74,600 | $44,000 | 6,052,177 | 839 |
| 7 | New York | $66,836 | $40,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,668 |
| 8 | Nevada | $60,813 | $35,000 | 2,998,039 | 485 |
| 9 | Texas | $64,982 | $40,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,631 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $63,054 | $38,000 | 3,588,184 | 746 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $68,282 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,378 |
| 12 | Illinois | $63,724 | $39,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,075 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $55,885 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,733 |
| 14 | Michigan | $54,552 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,936 |
| 15 | Maine | $61,071 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 242 |
| 16 | California | $67,762 | $39,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,374 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $53,475 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 474 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $52,994 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,372 |
| 19 | Montana | $54,275 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 253 |
| 20 | Washington | $61,149 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 866 |
| 21 | Georgia | $50,872 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,776 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $48,474 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 183 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $52,694 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 309 |
| 24 | Virginia | $59,842 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,224 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $49,772 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 279 |
| 26 | Vermont | $50,256 | $31,000 | 623,657 | 212 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $47,663 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 307 |
| 28 | Ohio | $51,053 | $31,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,232 |
| 29 | Indiana | $51,941 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,367 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $52,810 | $32,000 | 4,684,333 | 648 |
| 31 | Colorado | $53,692 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,261 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $46,766 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 565 |
| 33 | Kansas | $50,450 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 654 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $56,094 | $34,000 | 6,859,819 | 979 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $47,327 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,307 |
| 36 | Alabama | $47,239 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,081 |
| 37 | Arizona | $47,645 | $29,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,410 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $43,648 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 769 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $44,465 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 597 |
| 40 | Oregon | $50,275 | $30,000 | 4,142,776 | 837 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $43,999 | $27,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,394 |
| 42 | Iowa | $44,232 | $27,000 | 3,145,711 | 846 |
| 43 | Florida | $42,881 | $26,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,383 |
| 44 | Missouri | $46,537 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,195 |
| 45 | Utah | $43,962 | $27,000 | 3,101,833 | 698 |
| 46 | Alaska | $38,586 | $26,000 | 739,795 | 225 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $43,396 | $27,000 | 3,930,864 | 655 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $37,222 | $22,000 | 1,815,857 | 408 |
| 49 | Idaho | $41,596 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 363 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $39,119 | $24,000 | 4,454,189 | 792 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $41,026 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 847 |
Highest paying states for program development specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Program Development Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $66,449 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $58,966 |
| 3 | Delaware | $61,160 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $64,535 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $79,953 |
| 6 | Maryland | $74,600 |
| 7 | New York | $66,836 |
| 8 | Nevada | $60,813 |
| 9 | Texas | $64,982 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $63,054 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $68,282 |
| 12 | Illinois | $63,724 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $55,885 |
| 14 | Michigan | $54,552 |
| 15 | Maine | $61,071 |
| 16 | California | $67,762 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $53,475 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $52,994 |
| 19 | Montana | $54,275 |
| 20 | Washington | $61,149 |
| 21 | Georgia | $50,872 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $48,474 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $52,694 |
| 24 | Virginia | $59,842 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $49,772 |
| 26 | Vermont | $50,256 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $47,663 |
| 28 | Ohio | $51,053 |
| 29 | Indiana | $51,941 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $52,810 |
| 31 | Colorado | $53,692 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $46,766 |
| 33 | Kansas | $50,450 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | $56,094 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $47,327 |
| 36 | Alabama | $47,239 |
| 37 | Arizona | $47,645 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $43,648 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $44,465 |
| 40 | Oregon | $50,275 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $43,999 |
| 42 | Iowa | $44,232 |
| 43 | Florida | $42,881 |
| 44 | Missouri | $46,537 |
| 45 | Utah | $43,962 |
| 46 | Alaska | $38,586 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $43,396 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $37,222 |
| 49 | Idaho | $41,596 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $39,119 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $41,026 |
Expert opinions on the best states for program development specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for program development specialists to find work opportunities?
C. Jeffrey Waddoups Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, University of Nevada - Las Vegas
The demand for graduates in economics will remain as long as employers need intelligent analytical workers with good communication skills. There is no place in particular where such skills are needed more than any other site.
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Updated January 8, 2025