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Best states for a software development engineer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for software development engineers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for software 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.Our research shows that Washington is the best state in the country for software development engineers.
In order to get you the best states for software development engineers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Washington is the best state for software development engineer jobs, whereas Oklahoma is the worst.
10 best states for software development engineers in 2025
1. Washington
Total software development engineer jobs: 6,147 Average annual salary: $112,720 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 2.16
2. California
Total software development engineer jobs: 17,163 Average annual salary: $115,072 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
3. Oregon
Total software development engineer jobs: 2,074 Average annual salary: $100,735 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
4. Arizona
Total software development engineer jobs: 2,442 Average annual salary: $88,468 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. Massachusetts
Total software development engineer jobs: 4,033 Average annual salary: $92,423 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
6. Nevada
Total software development engineer jobs: 742 Average annual salary: $95,282 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Utah
Total software development engineer jobs: 1,517 Average annual salary: $86,032 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
8. Idaho
Total software development engineer jobs: 638 Average annual salary: $87,723 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
9. Rhode Island
Total software development engineer jobs: 521 Average annual salary: $85,335 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. New York
Total software development engineer jobs: 4,277 Average annual salary: $97,981 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
Software development engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a software development engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a software development engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $112,720 | $82,000 | 7,405,743 | 6,147 |
| 2 | California | $115,072 | $83,000 | 39,536,653 | 17,163 |
| 3 | Oregon | $100,735 | $73,000 | 4,142,776 | 2,074 |
| 4 | Arizona | $88,468 | $65,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,442 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $92,423 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 4,033 |
| 6 | Nevada | $95,282 | $69,000 | 2,998,039 | 742 |
| 7 | Utah | $86,032 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,517 |
| 8 | Idaho | $87,723 | $64,000 | 1,716,943 | 638 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $85,335 | $63,000 | 1,059,639 | 521 |
| 10 | New York | $97,981 | $72,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,277 |
| 11 | Montana | $82,663 | $61,000 | 1,050,493 | 620 |
| 12 | Vermont | $82,799 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 402 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $84,175 | $62,000 | 1,342,795 | 630 |
| 14 | Texas | $82,854 | $62,000 | 28,304,596 | 7,831 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $79,829 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 374 |
| 16 | Maine | $85,581 | $64,000 | 1,335,907 | 403 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $83,493 | $61,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,779 |
| 18 | Delaware | $82,651 | $61,000 | 961,939 | 608 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $87,699 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,936 |
| 20 | Virginia | $83,430 | $62,000 | 8,470,020 | 4,588 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $86,571 | $64,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,057 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $81,109 | $60,000 | 2,088,070 | 797 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $76,751 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 257 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $82,490 | $61,000 | 693,972 | 960 |
| 25 | Maryland | $82,167 | $61,000 | 6,052,177 | 3,270 |
| 26 | Michigan | $78,103 | $58,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,733 |
| 27 | Alaska | $80,433 | $65,000 | 739,795 | 323 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $76,367 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 417 |
| 29 | Ohio | $76,639 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,798 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $76,682 | $58,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,688 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $75,882 | $57,000 | 869,666 | 330 |
| 32 | Indiana | $74,744 | $56,000 | 6,666,818 | 2,290 |
| 33 | Colorado | $75,552 | $56,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,383 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $75,973 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 799 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $76,799 | $58,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,061 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $75,251 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 3,108 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $72,676 | $54,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,019 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $73,326 | $55,000 | 1,920,076 | 867 |
| 39 | Florida | $74,808 | $56,000 | 20,984,400 | 5,351 |
| 40 | Georgia | $74,896 | $56,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,617 |
| 41 | Iowa | $74,261 | $56,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,059 |
| 42 | Alabama | $73,365 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,448 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $74,032 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 1,060 |
| 44 | Illinois | $75,400 | $57,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,624 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $73,182 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,336 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $74,334 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 869 |
| 47 | Kansas | $72,664 | $54,000 | 2,913,123 | 1,030 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $73,524 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 500 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $68,884 | $55,000 | 1,427,538 | 316 |
| 50 | Missouri | $72,901 | $55,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,798 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $72,444 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 659 |
Highest paying states for software development engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Software Development Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $112,720 |
| 2 | California | $115,072 |
| 3 | Oregon | $100,735 |
| 4 | Arizona | $88,468 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $92,423 |
| 6 | Nevada | $95,282 |
| 7 | Utah | $86,032 |
| 8 | Idaho | $87,723 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $85,335 |
| 10 | New York | $97,981 |
| 11 | Montana | $82,663 |
| 12 | Vermont | $82,799 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $84,175 |
| 14 | Texas | $82,854 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $79,829 |
| 16 | Maine | $85,581 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $83,493 |
| 18 | Delaware | $82,651 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $87,699 |
| 20 | Virginia | $83,430 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $86,571 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $81,109 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $76,751 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $82,490 |
| 25 | Maryland | $82,167 |
| 26 | Michigan | $78,103 |
| 27 | Alaska | $80,433 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $76,367 |
| 29 | Ohio | $76,639 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $76,682 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $75,882 |
| 32 | Indiana | $74,744 |
| 33 | Colorado | $75,552 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $75,973 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $76,799 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $75,251 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $72,676 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $73,326 |
| 39 | Florida | $74,808 |
| 40 | Georgia | $74,896 |
| 41 | Iowa | $74,261 |
| 42 | Alabama | $73,365 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $74,032 |
| 44 | Illinois | $75,400 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $73,182 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $74,334 |
| 47 | Kansas | $72,664 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $73,524 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $68,884 |
| 50 | Missouri | $72,901 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $72,444 |
Expert opinions on the best states for software development engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for software development 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025