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Best states for a systems developer
Quoted expert
Dr. Ted Junseok Song
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Are you thinking of becoming a systems developer and really want to work at Alight.com? Turns out, your chances to become a systems developer are better in some states than others.We wanted to look at the best states for systems developers -- where there are plenty of systems developer jobs to go around and systems developers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
The median salary for systems developers in Washington is $115,880. Compare that to the median salary in Alabama of $74,694, which ranked worst for systems developers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the South is best for systems developers, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for systems developer jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.
10 best states for systems developers in 2025
1. Washington
Total systems developer jobs: 2,316 Average annual salary: $115,880 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.312. Massachusetts
Total systems developer jobs: 2,475 Average annual salary: $116,603 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.113. Alaska
Total systems developer jobs: 230 Average annual salary: $102,186 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.134. New York
Total systems developer jobs: 3,176 Average annual salary: $110,821 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.025. Maine
Total systems developer jobs: 303 Average annual salary: $105,470 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 0.946. California
Total systems developer jobs: 7,649 Average annual salary: $110,481 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.087. Oregon
Total systems developer jobs: 1,218 Average annual salary: $99,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.218. New Mexico
Total systems developer jobs: 493 Average annual salary: $100,236 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.039. Connecticut
Total systems developer jobs: 870 Average annual salary: $102,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.0810. Rhode Island
Total systems developer jobs: 397 Average annual salary: $95,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
Systems developer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a systems developer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a systems developer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $115,880 | $85,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,316 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $116,603 | $87,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,475 |
| 3 | Alaska | $102,186 | $80,000 | 739,795 | 230 |
| 4 | New York | $110,821 | $82,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,176 |
| 5 | Maine | $105,470 | $79,000 | 1,335,907 | 303 |
| 6 | California | $110,481 | $80,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,649 |
| 7 | Oregon | $99,851 | $73,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,218 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $100,236 | $75,000 | 2,088,070 | 493 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $102,636 | $76,000 | 3,588,184 | 870 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $95,696 | $71,000 | 1,059,639 | 397 |
| 11 | Delaware | $97,046 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 413 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $97,149 | $72,000 | 1,342,795 | 452 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $106,307 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 804 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $95,423 | $70,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,892 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $102,227 | $76,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,853 |
| 16 | Texas | $90,747 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,731 |
| 17 | Maryland | $98,546 | $73,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,969 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $97,498 | $74,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,392 |
| 19 | Arizona | $91,301 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,536 |
| 20 | Michigan | $92,022 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,648 |
| 21 | Vermont | $89,826 | $67,000 | 623,657 | 321 |
| 22 | Nevada | $94,270 | $69,000 | 2,998,039 | 435 |
| 23 | Virginia | $91,213 | $68,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,312 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $87,417 | $66,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,411 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $84,599 | $64,000 | 755,393 | 247 |
| 26 | Illinois | $92,360 | $69,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,369 |
| 27 | Iowa | $87,726 | $66,000 | 3,145,711 | 736 |
| 28 | Georgia | $89,135 | $67,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,276 |
| 29 | Montana | $86,202 | $64,000 | 1,050,493 | 299 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $101,024 | $80,000 | 1,427,538 | 159 |
| 31 | Idaho | $85,369 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 374 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $82,776 | $62,000 | 1,815,857 | 327 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $80,850 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 211 |
| 34 | Kansas | $84,547 | $64,000 | 2,913,123 | 618 |
| 35 | Ohio | $82,594 | $62,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,107 |
| 36 | Indiana | $82,423 | $62,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,439 |
| 37 | Missouri | $86,359 | $65,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,127 |
| 38 | Utah | $83,021 | $61,000 | 3,101,833 | 778 |
| 39 | Florida | $83,567 | $63,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,630 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $83,063 | $62,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,120 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $82,072 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 985 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $79,078 | $59,000 | 869,666 | 238 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $78,697 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 586 |
| 44 | Colorado | $77,628 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,577 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $81,796 | $61,000 | 5,024,369 | 698 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $79,741 | $60,000 | 4,454,189 | 586 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $76,067 | $57,000 | 1,920,076 | 518 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $80,036 | $60,000 | 2,984,100 | 309 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $80,616 | $61,000 | 4,684,333 | 460 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $78,019 | $59,000 | 3,930,864 | 483 |
| 51 | Alabama | $74,694 | $56,000 | 4,874,747 | 844 |
Highest paying states for systems developers
| Rank | State | Avg. Systems Developer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $115,880 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $116,603 |
| 3 | Alaska | $102,186 |
| 4 | New York | $110,821 |
| 5 | Maine | $105,470 |
| 6 | California | $110,481 |
| 7 | Oregon | $99,851 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $100,236 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $102,636 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $95,696 |
| 11 | Delaware | $97,046 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $97,149 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $106,307 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $95,423 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $102,227 |
| 16 | Texas | $90,747 |
| 17 | Maryland | $98,546 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $97,498 |
| 19 | Arizona | $91,301 |
| 20 | Michigan | $92,022 |
| 21 | Vermont | $89,826 |
| 22 | Nevada | $94,270 |
| 23 | Virginia | $91,213 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $87,417 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $84,599 |
| 26 | Illinois | $92,360 |
| 27 | Iowa | $87,726 |
| 28 | Georgia | $89,135 |
| 29 | Montana | $86,202 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $101,024 |
| 31 | Idaho | $85,369 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $82,776 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $80,850 |
| 34 | Kansas | $84,547 |
| 35 | Ohio | $82,594 |
| 36 | Indiana | $82,423 |
| 37 | Missouri | $86,359 |
| 38 | Utah | $83,021 |
| 39 | Florida | $83,567 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $83,063 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $82,072 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $79,078 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $78,697 |
| 44 | Colorado | $77,628 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $81,796 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $79,741 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $76,067 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $80,036 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $80,616 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $78,019 |
| 51 | Alabama | $74,694 |
Expert opinions on the best states for systems developers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for systems developers 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