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Best states for a senior development 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 senior development engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for senior development 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.We wanted to look at the best states for senior development engineers -- where there are plenty of senior development engineer jobs to go around and senior development engineers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
We figured that the best places for senior development engineer 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.District of Columbia is the best state, and Windsor is the city with the highest pay for senior development engineers.
10 best states for senior development engineers in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total senior development engineer jobs: 727 Average annual salary: $150,220 Lowest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
2. New Hampshire
Total senior development engineer jobs: 601 Average annual salary: $124,944 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
3. California
Total senior development engineer jobs: 13,264 Average annual salary: $133,786 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
4. Massachusetts
Total senior development engineer jobs: 2,756 Average annual salary: $125,608 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
5. Rhode Island
Total senior development engineer jobs: 316 Average annual salary: $128,869 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
6. Arizona
Total senior development engineer jobs: 2,219 Average annual salary: $113,086 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
7. Delaware
Total senior development engineer jobs: 356 Average annual salary: $123,449 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. Idaho
Total senior development engineer jobs: 378 Average annual salary: $125,163 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
9. Oregon
Total senior development engineer jobs: 1,378 Average annual salary: $111,483 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
10. Maryland
Total senior development engineer jobs: 2,168 Average annual salary: $116,505 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
Senior development engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior development engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior development engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $150,220 | $114,000 | 693,972 | 727 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $124,944 | $95,000 | 1,342,795 | 601 |
| 3 | California | $133,786 | $98,000 | 39,536,653 | 13,264 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $125,608 | $95,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,756 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $128,869 | $98,000 | 1,059,639 | 316 |
| 6 | Arizona | $113,086 | $84,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,219 |
| 7 | Delaware | $123,449 | $93,000 | 961,939 | 356 |
| 8 | Idaho | $125,163 | $93,000 | 1,716,943 | 378 |
| 9 | Oregon | $111,483 | $82,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,378 |
| 10 | Maryland | $116,505 | $88,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,168 |
| 11 | Virginia | $112,313 | $85,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,055 |
| 12 | Nevada | $109,920 | $81,000 | 2,998,039 | 540 |
| 13 | Washington | $107,895 | $80,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,035 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $110,693 | $84,000 | 1,815,857 | 330 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $106,332 | $80,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,059 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $110,748 | $84,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,118 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $107,065 | $79,000 | 2,088,070 | 530 |
| 18 | Utah | $106,066 | $78,000 | 3,101,833 | 915 |
| 19 | Texas | $109,897 | $82,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,396 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $112,122 | $85,000 | 3,588,184 | 765 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $116,786 | $89,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,459 |
| 22 | New York | $114,338 | $87,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,976 |
| 23 | Alaska | $105,391 | $85,000 | 739,795 | 242 |
| 24 | Michigan | $101,778 | $78,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,083 |
| 25 | Georgia | $102,499 | $78,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,937 |
| 26 | Vermont | $104,502 | $80,000 | 623,657 | 205 |
| 27 | Colorado | $104,286 | $79,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,845 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $99,030 | $75,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,800 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $107,033 | $80,000 | 4,684,333 | 533 |
| 30 | Illinois | $107,805 | $83,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,336 |
| 31 | Florida | $101,788 | $75,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,341 |
| 32 | Alabama | $97,044 | $73,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,127 |
| 33 | Maine | $103,284 | $79,000 | 1,335,907 | 197 |
| 34 | Ohio | $95,686 | $73,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,246 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $96,220 | $74,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,425 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $95,124 | $75,000 | 1,427,538 | 268 |
| 37 | Montana | $90,479 | $68,000 | 1,050,493 | 338 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $87,298 | $68,000 | 755,393 | 272 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $96,251 | $73,000 | 3,930,864 | 505 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $93,809 | $71,000 | 579,315 | 127 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $94,793 | $73,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,389 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $93,533 | $71,000 | 5,024,369 | 773 |
| 43 | Indiana | $87,235 | $67,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,614 |
| 44 | Missouri | $92,105 | $70,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,230 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $91,110 | $69,000 | 4,454,189 | 688 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $80,305 | $61,000 | 3,004,279 | 709 |
| 47 | Kansas | $84,843 | $64,000 | 2,913,123 | 748 |
| 48 | Iowa | $86,379 | $66,000 | 3,145,711 | 826 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $89,983 | $68,000 | 2,984,100 | 321 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $85,288 | $65,000 | 869,666 | 243 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $81,700 | $62,000 | 1,920,076 | 561 |
Highest paying states for senior development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Development Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $150,220 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $124,944 |
| 3 | California | $133,786 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $125,608 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $128,869 |
| 6 | Arizona | $113,086 |
| 7 | Delaware | $123,449 |
| 8 | Idaho | $125,163 |
| 9 | Oregon | $111,483 |
| 10 | Maryland | $116,505 |
| 11 | Virginia | $112,313 |
| 12 | Nevada | $109,920 |
| 13 | Washington | $107,895 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $110,693 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $106,332 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $110,748 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $107,065 |
| 18 | Utah | $106,066 |
| 19 | Texas | $109,897 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $112,122 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $116,786 |
| 22 | New York | $114,338 |
| 23 | Alaska | $105,391 |
| 24 | Michigan | $101,778 |
| 25 | Georgia | $102,499 |
| 26 | Vermont | $104,502 |
| 27 | Colorado | $104,286 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $99,030 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $107,033 |
| 30 | Illinois | $107,805 |
| 31 | Florida | $101,788 |
| 32 | Alabama | $97,044 |
| 33 | Maine | $103,284 |
| 34 | Ohio | $95,686 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $96,220 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $95,124 |
| 37 | Montana | $90,479 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $87,298 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $96,251 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $93,809 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $94,793 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $93,533 |
| 43 | Indiana | $87,235 |
| 44 | Missouri | $92,105 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $91,110 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $80,305 |
| 47 | Kansas | $84,843 |
| 48 | Iowa | $86,379 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $89,983 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $85,288 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $81,700 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior development engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior development 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.
Senior development engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025