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Best states for a systems administrator
Quoted expert
Joshua Elliott Ed.D.
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Systems administrator opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for systems administrators, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for systems administrators.Our research found that Vermont is the best state for systems administrators, while California and Washington are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Vermont has a median salary of $83,778 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for systems administrators.
The median salary for systems administrators in Vermont is $83,778. Compare that to the median salary in Arkansas of $64,257, which ranked worst for systems administrators, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Vermont is the best state for systems administrator jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for systems administrators in 2026
1. Vermont
Total systems administrator jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $83,778 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
2. Washington
Total systems administrator jobs: 1,466 Average annual salary: $83,947 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
3. Oregon
Total systems administrator jobs: 801 Average annual salary: $80,357 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
4. New Hampshire
Total systems administrator jobs: 320 Average annual salary: $77,254 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
5. Pennsylvania
Total systems administrator jobs: 1,866 Average annual salary: $77,588 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1
6. Nevada
Total systems administrator jobs: 344 Average annual salary: $77,258 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
7. Rhode Island
Total systems administrator jobs: 225 Average annual salary: $76,838 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
8. Maryland
Total systems administrator jobs: 1,618 Average annual salary: $81,351 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
9. Connecticut
Total systems administrator jobs: 571 Average annual salary: $80,314 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
10. North Dakota
Total systems administrator jobs: 176 Average annual salary: $73,985 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
Systems administrator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a systems administrator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a systems administrator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $83,778 | $64,000 | 623,657 | 156 |
| 2 | Washington | $83,947 | $61,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,466 |
| 3 | Oregon | $80,357 | $59,000 | 4,142,776 | 801 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $77,254 | $59,000 | 1,342,795 | 320 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $77,588 | $59,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,866 |
| 6 | Nevada | $77,258 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 344 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $76,838 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 225 |
| 8 | Maryland | $81,351 | $62,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,618 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $80,314 | $61,000 | 3,588,184 | 571 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $73,985 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 176 |
| 11 | Virginia | $78,094 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,105 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $80,675 | $62,000 | 693,972 | 369 |
| 13 | Arizona | $73,519 | $55,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,306 |
| 14 | Texas | $73,367 | $56,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,901 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $81,432 | $62,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,205 |
| 16 | California | $89,121 | $65,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,429 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $73,243 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,631 |
| 18 | Maine | $76,606 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 172 |
| 19 | New York | $80,526 | $61,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,025 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $71,136 | $53,000 | 2,088,070 | 420 |
| 21 | Delaware | $76,552 | $59,000 | 961,939 | 186 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $72,654 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,155 |
| 23 | Ohio | $71,277 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,489 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $77,386 | $59,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,221 |
| 25 | Michigan | $70,481 | $54,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,197 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $68,708 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 223 |
| 27 | Illinois | $71,938 | $55,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,912 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $68,504 | $53,000 | 6,715,984 | 731 |
| 29 | Indiana | $69,233 | $53,000 | 6,666,818 | 769 |
| 30 | Georgia | $70,439 | $54,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,516 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $68,253 | $51,000 | 1,920,076 | 355 |
| 32 | Idaho | $68,674 | $50,000 | 1,716,943 | 276 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $69,401 | $55,000 | 1,427,538 | 155 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $69,270 | $53,000 | 5,024,369 | 642 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $68,956 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 703 |
| 36 | Missouri | $69,123 | $53,000 | 6,113,532 | 843 |
| 37 | Kansas | $67,577 | $51,000 | 2,913,123 | 451 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $69,346 | $53,000 | 4,684,333 | 315 |
| 39 | Florida | $66,691 | $51,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,986 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $65,833 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 174 |
| 41 | Alaska | $63,987 | $52,000 | 739,795 | 187 |
| 42 | Iowa | $67,625 | $51,000 | 3,145,711 | 500 |
| 43 | Colorado | $66,558 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,026 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $67,800 | $52,000 | 4,454,189 | 397 |
| 45 | Alabama | $66,997 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 519 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $66,679 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 302 |
| 47 | Utah | $65,397 | $47,000 | 3,101,833 | 469 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $58,432 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 117 |
| 49 | Montana | $61,905 | $45,000 | 1,050,493 | 173 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $65,937 | $50,000 | 3,930,864 | 361 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $64,257 | $49,000 | 3,004,279 | 293 |
Highest paying states for systems administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. Systems Administrator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $83,778 |
| 2 | Washington | $83,947 |
| 3 | Oregon | $80,357 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $77,254 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $77,588 |
| 6 | Nevada | $77,258 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $76,838 |
| 8 | Maryland | $81,351 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $80,314 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $73,985 |
| 11 | Virginia | $78,094 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $80,675 |
| 13 | Arizona | $73,519 |
| 14 | Texas | $73,367 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $81,432 |
| 16 | California | $89,121 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $73,243 |
| 18 | Maine | $76,606 |
| 19 | New York | $80,526 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $71,136 |
| 21 | Delaware | $76,552 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $72,654 |
| 23 | Ohio | $71,277 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $77,386 |
| 25 | Michigan | $70,481 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $68,708 |
| 27 | Illinois | $71,938 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $68,504 |
| 29 | Indiana | $69,233 |
| 30 | Georgia | $70,439 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $68,253 |
| 32 | Idaho | $68,674 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $69,401 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $69,270 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $68,956 |
| 36 | Missouri | $69,123 |
| 37 | Kansas | $67,577 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $69,346 |
| 39 | Florida | $66,691 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $65,833 |
| 41 | Alaska | $63,987 |
| 42 | Iowa | $67,625 |
| 43 | Colorado | $66,558 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $67,800 |
| 45 | Alabama | $66,997 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $66,679 |
| 47 | Utah | $65,397 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $58,432 |
| 49 | Montana | $61,905 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $65,937 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $64,257 |
Expert opinions on the best states for systems administrators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for systems administrators to find work opportunities?
Joshua Elliott Ed.D.
Associate Dean, Fairfield University
Although I am not sure where the best places are to work geographically, many states are adopting initiatives like Open Educational Resources (OER) and ISTE Certification for Educators, both of which are a part of the Fairfield University Educational Technology program.
Systems administrator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025