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Best states for a software development specialist
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for software development specialists? 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 software development specialist jobs.In order to help you decide which state is the best for software development specialists, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for software development specialist jobs.
The median salary for software development specialists in California is $129,006. Compare that to the median salary in Mississippi of $81,900, which ranked worst for software development specialists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a software development specialist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for software development specialists in 2025
1. California
Total software development specialist jobs: 13,316 Average annual salary: $129,006 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.362. Washington
Total software development specialist jobs: 5,258 Average annual salary: $115,243 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 2.143. Nevada
Total software development specialist jobs: 686 Average annual salary: $110,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.984. Oregon
Total software development specialist jobs: 1,713 Average annual salary: $102,248 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.235. Massachusetts
Total software development specialist jobs: 3,358 Average annual salary: $104,235 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.096. Arizona
Total software development specialist jobs: 2,137 Average annual salary: $100,905 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.097. Utah
Total software development specialist jobs: 1,265 Average annual salary: $97,815 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.188. Delaware
Total software development specialist jobs: 460 Average annual salary: $100,778 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.099. Texas
Total software development specialist jobs: 6,850 Average annual salary: $98,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.0110. Oklahoma
Total software development specialist jobs: 647 Average annual salary: $106,659 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 0.63
Software development specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a software development specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a software development specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $129,006 | $96,000 | 39,536,653 | 13,316 |
| 2 | Washington | $115,243 | $88,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,258 |
| 3 | Nevada | $110,925 | $82,000 | 2,998,039 | 686 |
| 4 | Oregon | $102,248 | $77,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,713 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $104,235 | $81,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,358 |
| 6 | Arizona | $100,905 | $76,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,137 |
| 7 | Utah | $97,815 | $73,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,265 |
| 8 | Delaware | $100,778 | $77,000 | 961,939 | 460 |
| 9 | Texas | $98,093 | $75,000 | 28,304,596 | 6,850 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $106,659 | $81,000 | 3,930,864 | 647 |
| 11 | New York | $108,487 | $83,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,786 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $103,271 | $79,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,632 |
| 13 | Maryland | $103,742 | $79,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,263 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $94,835 | $73,000 | 1,059,639 | 496 |
| 15 | Idaho | $98,431 | $74,000 | 1,716,943 | 512 |
| 16 | Michigan | $98,141 | $75,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,345 |
| 17 | Virginia | $98,397 | $75,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,621 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $97,333 | $75,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,595 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $97,861 | $77,000 | 1,342,795 | 513 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $94,527 | $74,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,483 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $93,885 | $72,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,548 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $101,283 | $78,000 | 3,588,184 | 837 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $90,228 | $71,000 | 755,393 | 332 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $94,663 | $72,000 | 693,972 | 734 |
| 25 | Georgia | $92,697 | $71,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,200 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $88,378 | $68,000 | 579,315 | 199 |
| 27 | Vermont | $89,918 | $71,000 | 623,657 | 312 |
| 28 | Iowa | $90,358 | $69,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,063 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $91,849 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,718 |
| 30 | Illinois | $94,328 | $72,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,061 |
| 31 | Kansas | $87,977 | $67,000 | 2,913,123 | 958 |
| 32 | Alaska | $89,412 | $78,000 | 739,795 | 276 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $85,409 | $64,000 | 2,088,070 | 721 |
| 34 | Colorado | $90,104 | $68,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,863 |
| 35 | Montana | $83,191 | $64,000 | 1,050,493 | 517 |
| 36 | Ohio | $86,858 | $66,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,672 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $89,162 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 742 |
| 38 | Florida | $89,130 | $68,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,803 |
| 39 | Missouri | $87,857 | $67,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,700 |
| 40 | Indiana | $83,801 | $64,000 | 6,666,818 | 2,019 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $85,446 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 288 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $87,439 | $67,000 | 5,024,369 | 829 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $84,486 | $64,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,290 |
| 44 | Maine | $87,990 | $70,000 | 1,335,907 | 294 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $79,655 | $60,000 | 3,004,279 | 925 |
| 46 | Alabama | $82,883 | $63,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,230 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $78,035 | $60,000 | 1,920,076 | 778 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $81,554 | $62,000 | 4,454,189 | 958 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $80,815 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 387 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $80,098 | $62,000 | 869,666 | 290 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $81,900 | $62,000 | 2,984,100 | 436 |
Highest paying states for software development specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Software Development Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $129,006 |
| 2 | Washington | $115,243 |
| 3 | Nevada | $110,925 |
| 4 | Oregon | $102,248 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $104,235 |
| 6 | Arizona | $100,905 |
| 7 | Utah | $97,815 |
| 8 | Delaware | $100,778 |
| 9 | Texas | $98,093 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $106,659 |
| 11 | New York | $108,487 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $103,271 |
| 13 | Maryland | $103,742 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $94,835 |
| 15 | Idaho | $98,431 |
| 16 | Michigan | $98,141 |
| 17 | Virginia | $98,397 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $97,333 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $97,861 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $94,527 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $93,885 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $101,283 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $90,228 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $94,663 |
| 25 | Georgia | $92,697 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $88,378 |
| 27 | Vermont | $89,918 |
| 28 | Iowa | $90,358 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $91,849 |
| 30 | Illinois | $94,328 |
| 31 | Kansas | $87,977 |
| 32 | Alaska | $89,412 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $85,409 |
| 34 | Colorado | $90,104 |
| 35 | Montana | $83,191 |
| 36 | Ohio | $86,858 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $89,162 |
| 38 | Florida | $89,130 |
| 39 | Missouri | $87,857 |
| 40 | Indiana | $83,801 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $85,446 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $87,439 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $84,486 |
| 44 | Maine | $87,990 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $79,655 |
| 46 | Alabama | $82,883 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $78,035 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $81,554 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $80,815 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $80,098 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $81,900 |
Expert opinions on the best states for software development specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for software development specialists 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.
Software development specialist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025