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Best states for a senior/lead developer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for senior/lead developers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for senior/lead developer jobs.In fact, our research shows that Alaska is the best state for senior/lead developers in America. The best city in America for senior/lead developers with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for senior/lead developers. Alaska is the best state for senior/lead developers, where the median salary is $167,412.Alaska is the best state, and Anchorage is the city with the highest pay for senior/lead developers.
10 best states for senior/lead developers in 2026
1. Alaska
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 193 Average annual salary: $167,412 Lowest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $233,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
2. Pennsylvania
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 3,377 Average annual salary: $132,098 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
3. Delaware
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 210 Average annual salary: $145,946 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
4. New York
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 2,138 Average annual salary: $150,260 Lowest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
5. California
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 5,671 Average annual salary: $147,741 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
6. New Jersey
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 1,289 Average annual salary: $144,817 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
7. Massachusetts
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 1,619 Average annual salary: $136,968 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
8. Washington
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 1,364 Average annual salary: $135,274 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. District of Columbia
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 610 Average annual salary: $140,581 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 2.08
10. Connecticut
Total senior/lead developer jobs: 476 Average annual salary: $142,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Senior/lead developer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior/lead developer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior/lead developer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $167,412 | $119,000 | 739,795 | 193 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $132,098 | $92,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,377 |
| 3 | Delaware | $145,946 | $102,000 | 961,939 | 210 |
| 4 | New York | $150,260 | $106,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,138 |
| 5 | California | $147,741 | $102,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,671 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $144,817 | $102,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,289 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $136,968 | $96,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,619 |
| 8 | Washington | $135,274 | $94,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,364 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $140,581 | $98,000 | 693,972 | 610 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $142,708 | $100,000 | 3,588,184 | 476 |
| 11 | Vermont | $127,640 | $88,000 | 623,657 | 148 |
| 12 | Utah | $120,293 | $83,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,043 |
| 13 | Maine | $128,286 | $89,000 | 1,335,907 | 194 |
| 14 | Virginia | $124,935 | $87,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,296 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $122,469 | $85,000 | 579,315 | 102 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $128,654 | $89,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,360 |
| 17 | Maryland | $130,733 | $91,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,349 |
| 18 | Nevada | $117,517 | $80,000 | 2,998,039 | 519 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $124,282 | $88,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,097 |
| 20 | Illinois | $124,278 | $86,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,902 |
| 21 | Oregon | $121,630 | $84,000 | 4,142,776 | 748 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $115,304 | $80,000 | 1,059,639 | 223 |
| 23 | Texas | $114,893 | $78,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,495 |
| 24 | Michigan | $115,819 | $81,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,128 |
| 25 | Idaho | $109,854 | $75,000 | 1,716,943 | 445 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $118,292 | $82,000 | 1,342,795 | 208 |
| 27 | Arizona | $112,852 | $77,000 | 7,016,270 | 865 |
| 28 | Ohio | $110,721 | $77,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,435 |
| 29 | Georgia | $112,185 | $77,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,654 |
| 30 | Colorado | $112,147 | $78,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,020 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $108,944 | $75,000 | 1,815,857 | 175 |
| 32 | Indiana | $105,551 | $73,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,009 |
| 33 | Iowa | $108,301 | $75,000 | 3,145,711 | 465 |
| 34 | Montana | $104,210 | $73,000 | 1,050,493 | 286 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $101,418 | $69,000 | 3,004,279 | 623 |
| 36 | Florida | $111,835 | $73,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,225 |
| 37 | Kansas | $101,275 | $70,000 | 2,913,123 | 794 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $104,036 | $71,000 | 3,930,864 | 542 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $100,765 | $71,000 | 869,666 | 217 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $106,172 | $74,000 | 5,795,483 | 750 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $105,187 | $72,000 | 6,715,984 | 615 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $101,613 | $69,000 | 2,088,070 | 433 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $104,488 | $72,000 | 4,454,189 | 495 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $106,836 | $73,000 | 5,024,369 | 414 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $98,912 | $68,000 | 1,920,076 | 516 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $103,371 | $74,000 | 755,393 | 127 |
| 47 | Missouri | $103,232 | $71,000 | 6,113,532 | 853 |
| 48 | Alabama | $101,904 | $70,000 | 4,874,747 | 535 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $102,152 | $69,000 | 4,684,333 | 368 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $81,667 | $65,000 | 1,427,538 | 119 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $100,306 | $68,000 | 2,984,100 | 157 |
Highest paying states for senior/lead developers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior/Lead Developer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $167,412 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $132,098 |
| 3 | Delaware | $145,946 |
| 4 | New York | $150,260 |
| 5 | California | $147,741 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $144,817 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $136,968 |
| 8 | Washington | $135,274 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $140,581 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $142,708 |
| 11 | Vermont | $127,640 |
| 12 | Utah | $120,293 |
| 13 | Maine | $128,286 |
| 14 | Virginia | $124,935 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $122,469 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $128,654 |
| 17 | Maryland | $130,733 |
| 18 | Nevada | $117,517 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $124,282 |
| 20 | Illinois | $124,278 |
| 21 | Oregon | $121,630 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $115,304 |
| 23 | Texas | $114,893 |
| 24 | Michigan | $115,819 |
| 25 | Idaho | $109,854 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $118,292 |
| 27 | Arizona | $112,852 |
| 28 | Ohio | $110,721 |
| 29 | Georgia | $112,185 |
| 30 | Colorado | $112,147 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $108,944 |
| 32 | Indiana | $105,551 |
| 33 | Iowa | $108,301 |
| 34 | Montana | $104,210 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $101,418 |
| 36 | Florida | $111,835 |
| 37 | Kansas | $101,275 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $104,036 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $100,765 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $106,172 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $105,187 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $101,613 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $104,488 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $106,836 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $98,912 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $103,371 |
| 47 | Missouri | $103,232 |
| 48 | Alabama | $101,904 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $102,152 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $81,667 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $100,306 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior/lead developers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior/lead developers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
Associate Professor of Engineering, John Brown University
Due to COVID-19, people have more choices on location as more companies allow their employees to work remotely.
Senior/lead developer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025