Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Best states for a Software Engineering Manager
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Software engineering manager opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for software engineering managers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for software engineering managers.Our research shows that Washington is the best state in the country for software engineering managers.
The median salary for software engineering managers in Washington is $158,025. Compare that to the median salary in Oklahoma of $93,381, which ranked worst for software engineering managers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Midwest is best for software engineering managers, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for software engineering manager jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for software engineering managers in 2025
1. Washington
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 4,604 Average Annual Salary: $158,025 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $107,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $231,000 Location Quotient: 2.162. California
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 11,474 Average Annual Salary: $157,991 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $109,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $227,000 Location Quotient: 1.343. Oregon
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 1,559 Average Annual Salary: $139,507 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $93,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 1.294. Alaska
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 206 Average Annual Salary: $153,930 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $104,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $227,000 Location Quotient: 0.855. Massachusetts
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 3,495 Average Annual Salary: $123,882 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $91,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.36. New York
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 4,067 Average Annual Salary: $131,369 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $97,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.097. New Hampshire
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 544 Average Annual Salary: $119,968 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $88,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.078. Nevada
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 504 Average Annual Salary: $128,936 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $86,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 0.839. Arizona
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 1,600 Average Annual Salary: $120,296 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $81,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.9410. Rhode Island
Total Software Engineering Manager Jobs: 585 Average Annual Salary: $111,265 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $82,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
Software Engineering Manager JobsNear Ashburn, VA
How Zippia determines the best states to be a software engineering manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a software engineering manager
| Rank | State | Average Salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $158,025 | $107,000 | 7,405,743 | 4,604 |
| 2 | California | $157,991 | $109,000 | 39,536,653 | 11,474 |
| 3 | Oregon | $139,507 | $93,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,559 |
| 4 | Alaska | $153,930 | $104,000 | 739,795 | 206 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $123,882 | $91,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,495 |
| 6 | New York | $131,369 | $97,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,067 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $119,968 | $88,000 | 1,342,795 | 544 |
| 8 | Nevada | $128,936 | $86,000 | 2,998,039 | 504 |
| 9 | Arizona | $120,296 | $81,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,600 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $111,265 | $82,000 | 1,059,639 | 585 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $119,607 | $88,000 | 1,815,857 | 297 |
| 12 | Montana | $111,952 | $76,000 | 1,050,493 | 399 |
| 13 | Maine | $116,665 | $86,000 | 1,335,907 | 316 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $118,697 | $87,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,278 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $116,537 | $86,000 | 3,588,184 | 960 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $119,162 | $88,000 | 693,972 | 706 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $117,655 | $84,000 | 869,666 | 229 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $114,601 | $84,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,994 |
| 19 | Maryland | $116,735 | $86,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,312 |
| 20 | Delaware | $111,053 | $82,000 | 961,939 | 479 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $108,987 | $80,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,747 |
| 22 | Utah | $104,730 | $69,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,460 |
| 23 | Michigan | $111,440 | $83,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,792 |
| 24 | Texas | $106,893 | $72,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,795 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $103,697 | $71,000 | 579,315 | 202 |
| 26 | Virginia | $110,938 | $82,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,457 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $105,926 | $77,000 | 755,393 | 249 |
| 28 | Vermont | $107,969 | $80,000 | 623,657 | 228 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $119,507 | $85,000 | 1,427,538 | 203 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $105,653 | $71,000 | 2,088,070 | 544 |
| 31 | Idaho | $103,917 | $68,000 | 1,716,943 | 536 |
| 32 | Illinois | $107,817 | $79,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,215 |
| 33 | Ohio | $105,639 | $78,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,100 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $104,449 | $77,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,905 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $105,431 | $77,000 | 5,024,369 | 809 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $103,296 | $76,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,280 |
| 37 | Georgia | $105,178 | $76,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,416 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $103,679 | $76,000 | 4,454,189 | 692 |
| 39 | Colorado | $98,595 | $67,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,091 |
| 40 | Indiana | $99,507 | $73,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,522 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $98,053 | $70,000 | 1,920,076 | 537 |
| 42 | Iowa | $98,857 | $72,000 | 3,145,711 | 719 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $97,579 | $71,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,014 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $95,181 | $67,000 | 3,004,279 | 691 |
| 45 | Kansas | $97,795 | $69,000 | 2,913,123 | 679 |
| 46 | Alabama | $96,240 | $69,000 | 4,874,747 | 954 |
| 47 | Florida | $98,649 | $68,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,318 |
| 48 | Missouri | $95,390 | $68,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,303 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $95,584 | $66,000 | 4,684,333 | 542 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $94,239 | $66,000 | 2,984,100 | 324 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $93,381 | $65,000 | 3,930,864 | 458 |
Highest paying states for software engineering managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Software Engineering Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $158,025 |
| 2 | California | $157,991 |
| 3 | Oregon | $139,507 |
| 4 | Alaska | $153,930 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $123,882 |
| 6 | New York | $131,369 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $119,968 |
| 8 | Nevada | $128,936 |
| 9 | Arizona | $120,296 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $111,265 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $119,607 |
| 12 | Montana | $111,952 |
| 13 | Maine | $116,665 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $118,697 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $116,537 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $119,162 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $117,655 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $114,601 |
| 19 | Maryland | $116,735 |
| 20 | Delaware | $111,053 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $108,987 |
| 22 | Utah | $104,730 |
| 23 | Michigan | $111,440 |
| 24 | Texas | $106,893 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $103,697 |
| 26 | Virginia | $110,938 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $105,926 |
| 28 | Vermont | $107,969 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $119,507 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $105,653 |
| 31 | Idaho | $103,917 |
| 32 | Illinois | $107,817 |
| 33 | Ohio | $105,639 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $104,449 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $105,431 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $103,296 |
| 37 | Georgia | $105,178 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $103,679 |
| 39 | Colorado | $98,595 |
| 40 | Indiana | $99,507 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $98,053 |
| 42 | Iowa | $98,857 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $97,579 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $95,181 |
| 45 | Kansas | $97,795 |
| 46 | Alabama | $96,240 |
| 47 | Florida | $98,649 |
| 48 | Missouri | $95,390 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $95,584 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $94,239 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $93,381 |
Software Engineering Manager best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
Search for software engineering manager jobs
Updated January 8, 2025