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Best states for a software specialist
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 software specialists in the United States. Software specialist 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 software specialists.In fact, our research shows that Arizona is the best state for software specialists in America. The best city in America for software specialists with the highest pay is New York, NY.
The median salary for software specialists in Arizona is $83,921. Compare that to the median salary in South Dakota of $42,587, which ranked worst for software specialists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a software specialist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for software specialists in 2025
1. Arizona
Total software specialist jobs: 1,649 Average annual salary: $83,921 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1
2. New York
Total software specialist jobs: 3,406 Average annual salary: $88,908 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
3. North Carolina
Total software specialist jobs: 2,390 Average annual salary: $84,405 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
4. New Hampshire
Total software specialist jobs: 428 Average annual salary: $85,782 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
5. Connecticut
Total software specialist jobs: 862 Average annual salary: $85,535 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
6. New Jersey
Total software specialist jobs: 2,069 Average annual salary: $84,945 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
7. Pennsylvania
Total software specialist jobs: 2,553 Average annual salary: $87,002 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
8. Virginia
Total software specialist jobs: 3,517 Average annual salary: $81,571 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
9. Massachusetts
Total software specialist jobs: 3,303 Average annual salary: $82,466 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
10. Maryland
Total software specialist jobs: 2,362 Average annual salary: $83,212 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
Software specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a software specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a software specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $83,921 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,649 |
| 2 | New York | $88,908 | $62,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,406 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $84,405 | $58,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,390 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $85,782 | $62,000 | 1,342,795 | 428 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $85,535 | $60,000 | 3,588,184 | 862 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $84,945 | $60,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,069 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $87,002 | $60,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,553 |
| 8 | Virginia | $81,571 | $56,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,517 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $82,466 | $59,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,303 |
| 10 | Maryland | $83,212 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,362 |
| 11 | Texas | $79,778 | $53,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,338 |
| 12 | Delaware | $78,538 | $54,000 | 961,939 | 467 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $79,572 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 700 |
| 14 | California | $75,206 | $46,000 | 39,536,653 | 12,453 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $83,900 | $62,000 | 1,427,538 | 233 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $79,240 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 268 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $79,512 | $52,000 | 6,715,984 | 943 |
| 18 | Michigan | $77,781 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,779 |
| 19 | Vermont | $72,932 | $52,000 | 623,657 | 321 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $73,452 | $52,000 | 1,059,639 | 434 |
| 21 | Georgia | $76,633 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,488 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $78,666 | $53,000 | 4,684,333 | 543 |
| 23 | Florida | $75,859 | $53,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,780 |
| 24 | Ohio | $75,985 | $50,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,052 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $71,684 | $46,000 | 3,004,279 | 616 |
| 26 | Oregon | $65,807 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,477 |
| 27 | Nevada | $70,250 | $42,000 | 2,998,039 | 483 |
| 28 | Alabama | $69,773 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,009 |
| 29 | Maine | $72,872 | $52,000 | 1,335,907 | 293 |
| 30 | Washington | $61,570 | $34,000 | 7,405,743 | 4,184 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $70,556 | $44,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,262 |
| 32 | Illinois | $65,457 | $42,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,341 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $68,179 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 410 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $69,974 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 624 |
| 35 | Colorado | $58,633 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,911 |
| 36 | Utah | $53,315 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,220 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $59,068 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,718 |
| 38 | Indiana | $63,550 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,490 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $66,320 | $44,000 | 2,984,100 | 277 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $61,737 | $40,000 | 4,454,189 | 698 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $46,236 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 193 |
| 42 | Kansas | $53,713 | $34,000 | 2,913,123 | 718 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $60,930 | $39,000 | 3,930,864 | 439 |
| 44 | Idaho | $43,913 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 522 |
| 45 | Iowa | $52,232 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 848 |
| 46 | Missouri | $57,551 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,197 |
| 47 | Alaska | $51,090 | $36,000 | 739,795 | 195 |
| 48 | Montana | $38,466 | $23,000 | 1,050,493 | 358 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $47,683 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 486 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $46,253 | $28,000 | 755,393 | 204 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $42,587 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 219 |
Highest paying states for software specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Software Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $83,921 |
| 2 | New York | $88,908 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $84,405 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $85,782 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $85,535 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $84,945 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $87,002 |
| 8 | Virginia | $81,571 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $82,466 |
| 10 | Maryland | $83,212 |
| 11 | Texas | $79,778 |
| 12 | Delaware | $78,538 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $79,572 |
| 14 | California | $75,206 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $83,900 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $79,240 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $79,512 |
| 18 | Michigan | $77,781 |
| 19 | Vermont | $72,932 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $73,452 |
| 21 | Georgia | $76,633 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $78,666 |
| 23 | Florida | $75,859 |
| 24 | Ohio | $75,985 |
| 25 | Arkansas | $71,684 |
| 26 | Oregon | $65,807 |
| 27 | Nevada | $70,250 |
| 28 | Alabama | $69,773 |
| 29 | Maine | $72,872 |
| 30 | Washington | $61,570 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $70,556 |
| 32 | Illinois | $65,457 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $68,179 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $69,974 |
| 35 | Colorado | $58,633 |
| 36 | Utah | $53,315 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $59,068 |
| 38 | Indiana | $63,550 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $66,320 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $61,737 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $46,236 |
| 42 | Kansas | $53,713 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $60,930 |
| 44 | Idaho | $43,913 |
| 45 | Iowa | $52,232 |
| 46 | Missouri | $57,551 |
| 47 | Alaska | $51,090 |
| 48 | Montana | $38,466 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $47,683 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $46,253 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $42,587 |
Expert opinions on the best states for software specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for software 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025