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Best states for a senior software engineer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for senior software engineers in the United States. Senior software engineer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for senior software engineers.In order to help you decide which state is the best for senior software engineers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for senior software engineer jobs.
The median salary for senior software engineers in Washington is $129,229. Compare that to the median salary in Oklahoma of $87,980, which ranked worst for senior software engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Midwest is best for senior software engineers, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for senior software engineer jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for senior software engineers in 2026
1. Washington
Total senior software engineer jobs: 6,876 Average annual salary: $129,229 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 2.54
2. California
Total senior software engineer jobs: 18,645 Average annual salary: $130,711 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
3. Oregon
Total senior software engineer jobs: 2,400 Average annual salary: $111,336 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
4. New York
Total senior software engineer jobs: 4,936 Average annual salary: $113,338 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
5. Nevada
Total senior software engineer jobs: 588 Average annual salary: $108,412 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
6. Rhode Island
Total senior software engineer jobs: 655 Average annual salary: $100,283 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
7. Arizona
Total senior software engineer jobs: 1,974 Average annual salary: $103,433 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
8. Utah
Total senior software engineer jobs: 1,705 Average annual salary: $98,460 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
9. Massachusetts
Total senior software engineer jobs: 4,300 Average annual salary: $104,916 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
10. New Hampshire
Total senior software engineer jobs: 621 Average annual salary: $101,558 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
Senior software engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior software engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior software engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $129,229 | $95,000 | 7,405,743 | 6,876 |
| 2 | California | $130,711 | $96,000 | 39,536,653 | 18,645 |
| 3 | Oregon | $111,336 | $81,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,400 |
| 4 | New York | $113,338 | $88,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,936 |
| 5 | Nevada | $108,412 | $80,000 | 2,998,039 | 588 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $100,283 | $78,000 | 1,059,639 | 655 |
| 7 | Arizona | $103,433 | $77,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,974 |
| 8 | Utah | $98,460 | $74,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,705 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $104,916 | $82,000 | 6,859,819 | 4,300 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $101,558 | $79,000 | 1,342,795 | 621 |
| 11 | Texas | $99,933 | $76,000 | 28,304,596 | 7,464 |
| 12 | Delaware | $101,638 | $78,000 | 961,939 | 604 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $99,269 | $77,000 | 10,273,419 | 3,192 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $99,051 | $77,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,326 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $105,903 | $82,000 | 693,972 | 988 |
| 16 | Idaho | $98,907 | $74,000 | 1,716,943 | 570 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $104,059 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,869 |
| 18 | Maryland | $101,266 | $78,000 | 6,052,177 | 3,379 |
| 19 | Virginia | $100,122 | $77,000 | 8,470,020 | 4,929 |
| 20 | Montana | $96,776 | $74,000 | 1,050,493 | 442 |
| 21 | Vermont | $96,835 | $76,000 | 623,657 | 402 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $98,051 | $76,000 | 1,815,857 | 293 |
| 23 | Alaska | $100,545 | $79,000 | 739,795 | 223 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $99,535 | $77,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,090 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $92,151 | $71,000 | 579,315 | 234 |
| 26 | Georgia | $95,387 | $74,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,931 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $94,736 | $74,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,251 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $92,909 | $73,000 | 755,393 | 277 |
| 29 | Ohio | $93,770 | $73,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,386 |
| 30 | Michigan | $94,074 | $73,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,066 |
| 31 | Illinois | $95,102 | $74,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,838 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $95,360 | $74,000 | 5,024,369 | 0 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $91,314 | $70,000 | 3,004,279 | 716 |
| 34 | Colorado | $93,030 | $71,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,564 |
| 35 | Maine | $93,327 | $73,000 | 1,335,907 | 365 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $92,989 | $72,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,247 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $90,392 | $70,000 | 869,666 | 271 |
| 38 | Alabama | $90,667 | $70,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,112 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $89,822 | $69,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,053 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $90,351 | $70,000 | 4,454,189 | 717 |
| 41 | Iowa | $90,357 | $70,000 | 3,145,711 | 793 |
| 42 | Florida | $92,638 | $69,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,872 |
| 43 | Indiana | $88,800 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,807 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $91,038 | $74,000 | 1,427,538 | 231 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $89,818 | $68,000 | 2,088,070 | 543 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $88,464 | $68,000 | 1,920,076 | 627 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $89,369 | $69,000 | 2,984,100 | 298 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $89,926 | $69,000 | 4,684,333 | 569 |
| 49 | Kansas | $87,929 | $68,000 | 2,913,123 | 802 |
| 50 | Missouri | $88,778 | $69,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,355 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $87,980 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 475 |
Highest paying states for senior software engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Software Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $129,229 |
| 2 | California | $130,711 |
| 3 | Oregon | $111,336 |
| 4 | New York | $113,338 |
| 5 | Nevada | $108,412 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $100,283 |
| 7 | Arizona | $103,433 |
| 8 | Utah | $98,460 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $104,916 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $101,558 |
| 11 | Texas | $99,933 |
| 12 | Delaware | $101,638 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $99,269 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $99,051 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $105,903 |
| 16 | Idaho | $98,907 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $104,059 |
| 18 | Maryland | $101,266 |
| 19 | Virginia | $100,122 |
| 20 | Montana | $96,776 |
| 21 | Vermont | $96,835 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $98,051 |
| 23 | Alaska | $100,545 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $99,535 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $92,151 |
| 26 | Georgia | $95,387 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $94,736 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $92,909 |
| 29 | Ohio | $93,770 |
| 30 | Michigan | $94,074 |
| 31 | Illinois | $95,102 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $95,360 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $91,314 |
| 34 | Colorado | $93,030 |
| 35 | Maine | $93,327 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $92,989 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $90,392 |
| 38 | Alabama | $90,667 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $89,822 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $90,351 |
| 41 | Iowa | $90,357 |
| 42 | Florida | $92,638 |
| 43 | Indiana | $88,800 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $91,038 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $89,818 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $88,464 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $89,369 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $89,926 |
| 49 | Kansas | $87,929 |
| 50 | Missouri | $88,778 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $87,980 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior software engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior software engineers 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 software engineer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025