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Best states for a senior program and engineering manager
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like senior program and engineering managers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for senior program and engineering managers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In order to help you decide which state is the best for senior program and engineering managers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for senior program and engineering manager jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for senior program and engineering managers. Washington is the best state for senior program and engineering managers, where the median salary is $146,711.We found that Washington is the best state for senior program and engineering manager jobs, whereas Missouri is the worst.
10 best states for senior program and engineering managers in 2026
1. Washington
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 3,836 Average annual salary: $146,711 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 2.36
2. California
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 8,340 Average annual salary: $150,334 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
3. Virginia
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 2,713 Average annual salary: $144,051 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
4. Massachusetts
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 2,159 Average annual salary: $135,339 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
5. Nevada
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 387 Average annual salary: $143,989 Lowest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
6. Arkansas
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 575 Average annual salary: $122,706 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
7. New Jersey
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 1,617 Average annual salary: $138,256 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
8. New Hampshire
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 432 Average annual salary: $123,311 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
9. Oregon
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 1,278 Average annual salary: $121,168 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
10. Maine
Total senior program and engineering manager jobs: 296 Average annual salary: $121,208 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1
Senior program and engineering manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior program and engineering manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior program and engineering manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $146,711 | $108,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,836 |
| 2 | California | $150,334 | $110,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,340 |
| 3 | Virginia | $144,051 | $107,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,713 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $135,339 | $100,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,159 |
| 5 | Nevada | $143,989 | $106,000 | 2,998,039 | 387 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $122,706 | $92,000 | 3,004,279 | 575 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $138,256 | $102,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,617 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $123,311 | $91,000 | 1,342,795 | 432 |
| 9 | Oregon | $121,168 | $89,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,278 |
| 10 | Maine | $121,208 | $90,000 | 1,335,907 | 296 |
| 11 | Alaska | $127,560 | $101,000 | 739,795 | 170 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $121,741 | $91,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,728 |
| 13 | Indiana | $123,460 | $92,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,011 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $120,831 | $89,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,007 |
| 15 | Montana | $117,181 | $89,000 | 1,050,493 | 305 |
| 16 | Idaho | $115,037 | $85,000 | 1,716,943 | 421 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $123,925 | $94,000 | 1,427,538 | 232 |
| 18 | Delaware | $116,838 | $87,000 | 961,939 | 370 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $117,724 | $88,000 | 2,984,100 | 349 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $120,619 | $90,000 | 4,684,333 | 454 |
| 21 | Vermont | $111,753 | $83,000 | 623,657 | 284 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $110,649 | $82,000 | 1,059,639 | 361 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $112,729 | $85,000 | 869,666 | 207 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $107,561 | $82,000 | 755,393 | 292 |
| 25 | New York | $118,285 | $87,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,347 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $109,636 | $82,000 | 1,815,857 | 308 |
| 27 | Texas | $111,208 | $83,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,091 |
| 28 | Florida | $116,198 | $88,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,723 |
| 29 | Arizona | $110,458 | $81,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,515 |
| 30 | Alabama | $109,515 | $82,000 | 4,874,747 | 854 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $112,797 | $85,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,310 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $108,995 | $81,000 | 693,972 | 736 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $110,083 | $81,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,082 |
| 34 | Maryland | $111,960 | $83,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,314 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $107,724 | $81,000 | 1,920,076 | 441 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $107,905 | $81,000 | 6,715,984 | 905 |
| 37 | Kansas | $108,571 | $81,000 | 2,913,123 | 479 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $107,445 | $79,000 | 2,088,070 | 430 |
| 39 | Michigan | $107,637 | $80,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,467 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $105,986 | $79,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,126 |
| 41 | Utah | $103,005 | $76,000 | 3,101,833 | 988 |
| 42 | Colorado | $106,328 | $79,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,639 |
| 43 | Illinois | $108,112 | $81,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,290 |
| 44 | Ohio | $106,177 | $79,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,613 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $97,974 | $73,000 | 579,315 | 198 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $103,816 | $78,000 | 5,024,369 | 733 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $104,576 | $78,000 | 3,930,864 | 420 |
| 48 | Georgia | $102,960 | $77,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,803 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $102,067 | $76,000 | 4,454,189 | 550 |
| 50 | Iowa | $101,669 | $76,000 | 3,145,711 | 549 |
| 51 | Missouri | $101,170 | $76,000 | 6,113,532 | 771 |
Highest paying states for senior program and engineering managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Program And Engineering Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $146,711 |
| 2 | California | $150,334 |
| 3 | Virginia | $144,051 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $135,339 |
| 5 | Nevada | $143,989 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $122,706 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $138,256 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $123,311 |
| 9 | Oregon | $121,168 |
| 10 | Maine | $121,208 |
| 11 | Alaska | $127,560 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $121,741 |
| 13 | Indiana | $123,460 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $120,831 |
| 15 | Montana | $117,181 |
| 16 | Idaho | $115,037 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $123,925 |
| 18 | Delaware | $116,838 |
| 19 | Mississippi | $117,724 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $120,619 |
| 21 | Vermont | $111,753 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $110,649 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $112,729 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $107,561 |
| 25 | New York | $118,285 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $109,636 |
| 27 | Texas | $111,208 |
| 28 | Florida | $116,198 |
| 29 | Arizona | $110,458 |
| 30 | Alabama | $109,515 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $112,797 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $108,995 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $110,083 |
| 34 | Maryland | $111,960 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $107,724 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $107,905 |
| 37 | Kansas | $108,571 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $107,445 |
| 39 | Michigan | $107,637 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $105,986 |
| 41 | Utah | $103,005 |
| 42 | Colorado | $106,328 |
| 43 | Illinois | $108,112 |
| 44 | Ohio | $106,177 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $97,974 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $103,816 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $104,576 |
| 48 | Georgia | $102,960 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $102,067 |
| 50 | Iowa | $101,669 |
| 51 | Missouri | $101,170 |
Senior program and engineering manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025