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Best states for a programming engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for programming engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for programming engineer 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.Our research found that California is the best state for programming engineers, while California and Virginia are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $106,322 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for programming engineers.
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 programming engineers.If you are currently seeking employment as a programming engineer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for programming engineers in 2025
1. California
Total programming engineer jobs: 8,537 Average annual salary: $106,322 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
2. District of Columbia
Total programming engineer jobs: 494 Average annual salary: $110,932 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.84
3. Washington
Total programming engineer jobs: 1,645 Average annual salary: $95,396 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
4. Oregon
Total programming engineer jobs: 926 Average annual salary: $94,370 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
5. Virginia
Total programming engineer jobs: 1,911 Average annual salary: $96,338 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
6. Idaho
Total programming engineer jobs: 233 Average annual salary: $94,566 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
7. Massachusetts
Total programming engineer jobs: 1,865 Average annual salary: $91,535 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
8. New Hampshire
Total programming engineer jobs: 282 Average annual salary: $89,605 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
9. Delaware
Total programming engineer jobs: 237 Average annual salary: $90,654 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
10. Rhode Island
Total programming engineer jobs: 146 Average annual salary: $93,364 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
Programming engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a programming engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a programming engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $106,322 | $77,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,537 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $110,932 | $82,000 | 693,972 | 494 |
| 3 | Washington | $95,396 | $71,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,645 |
| 4 | Oregon | $94,370 | $70,000 | 4,142,776 | 926 |
| 5 | Virginia | $96,338 | $72,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,911 |
| 6 | Idaho | $94,566 | $70,000 | 1,716,943 | 233 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $91,535 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,865 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $89,605 | $67,000 | 1,342,795 | 282 |
| 9 | Delaware | $90,654 | $67,000 | 961,939 | 237 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $93,364 | $69,000 | 1,059,639 | 146 |
| 11 | Arizona | $86,714 | $64,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,077 |
| 12 | Maryland | $90,746 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,245 |
| 13 | New York | $92,288 | $68,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,971 |
| 14 | Michigan | $79,123 | $59,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,321 |
| 15 | Utah | $80,567 | $59,000 | 3,101,833 | 504 |
| 16 | Iowa | $83,602 | $63,000 | 3,145,711 | 423 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $83,070 | $62,000 | 1,815,857 | 122 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $79,624 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 251 |
| 19 | Nevada | $79,410 | $57,000 | 2,998,039 | 258 |
| 20 | Alabama | $75,287 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 643 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $81,111 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 473 |
| 22 | Texas | $74,459 | $55,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,885 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $75,124 | $56,000 | 3,588,184 | 561 |
| 24 | Alaska | $80,473 | $68,000 | 739,795 | 90 |
| 25 | Colorado | $73,367 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,213 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $77,752 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 231 |
| 27 | Vermont | $74,483 | $56,000 | 623,657 | 102 |
| 28 | Indiana | $71,785 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 886 |
| 29 | Maine | $75,898 | $57,000 | 1,335,907 | 123 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $78,047 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 951 |
| 31 | Illinois | $73,055 | $55,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,660 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $71,203 | $53,000 | 5,795,483 | 751 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $72,808 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,287 |
| 34 | Ohio | $69,869 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,361 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $69,924 | $53,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,156 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $73,441 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 489 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $68,007 | $52,000 | 755,393 | 138 |
| 38 | Florida | $71,304 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,908 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $70,114 | $52,000 | 579,315 | 69 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $66,630 | $50,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,491 |
| 41 | Montana | $69,243 | $52,000 | 1,050,493 | 137 |
| 42 | Georgia | $68,198 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,325 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $67,623 | $51,000 | 4,454,189 | 371 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $68,797 | $51,000 | 3,930,864 | 213 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $65,275 | $52,000 | 1,427,538 | 97 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $65,753 | $49,000 | 2,984,100 | 189 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $61,837 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 273 |
| 48 | Missouri | $66,372 | $50,000 | 6,113,532 | 627 |
| 49 | Kansas | $63,962 | $48,000 | 2,913,123 | 319 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $62,141 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 67 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $58,755 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 267 |
Highest paying states for programming engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Programming Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $106,322 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $110,932 |
| 3 | Washington | $95,396 |
| 4 | Oregon | $94,370 |
| 5 | Virginia | $96,338 |
| 6 | Idaho | $94,566 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $91,535 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $89,605 |
| 9 | Delaware | $90,654 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $93,364 |
| 11 | Arizona | $86,714 |
| 12 | Maryland | $90,746 |
| 13 | New York | $92,288 |
| 14 | Michigan | $79,123 |
| 15 | Utah | $80,567 |
| 16 | Iowa | $83,602 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $83,070 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $79,624 |
| 19 | Nevada | $79,410 |
| 20 | Alabama | $75,287 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $81,111 |
| 22 | Texas | $74,459 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $75,124 |
| 24 | Alaska | $80,473 |
| 25 | Colorado | $73,367 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $77,752 |
| 27 | Vermont | $74,483 |
| 28 | Indiana | $71,785 |
| 29 | Maine | $75,898 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $78,047 |
| 31 | Illinois | $73,055 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $71,203 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $72,808 |
| 34 | Ohio | $69,869 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $69,924 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $73,441 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $68,007 |
| 38 | Florida | $71,304 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $70,114 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $66,630 |
| 41 | Montana | $69,243 |
| 42 | Georgia | $68,198 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $67,623 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $68,797 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $65,275 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $65,753 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $61,837 |
| 48 | Missouri | $66,372 |
| 49 | Kansas | $63,962 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $62,141 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $58,755 |
Expert opinions on the best states for programming engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for programming engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
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Updated January 8, 2025