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Best states for a systems manager
Quoted expert
Delvin Grant
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to systems manager jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for systems manager jobs.
The median salary for systems managers in California is $136,702. Compare that to the median salary in Louisiana of $79,860, which ranked worst for systems managers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that California is the best state for systems manager jobs, whereas Louisiana is the worst.
10 best states for systems managers in 2025
1. California
Total systems manager jobs: 5,062 Average annual salary: $136,702 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
2. Rhode Island
Total systems manager jobs: 231 Average annual salary: $119,625 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
3. New Hampshire
Total systems manager jobs: 288 Average annual salary: $122,237 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
4. Washington
Total systems manager jobs: 1,252 Average annual salary: $121,826 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
5. Vermont
Total systems manager jobs: 130 Average annual salary: $118,121 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
6. New Mexico
Total systems manager jobs: 325 Average annual salary: $109,381 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
7. Nevada
Total systems manager jobs: 284 Average annual salary: $113,833 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
8. New Jersey
Total systems manager jobs: 1,170 Average annual salary: $113,432 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
9. Alaska
Total systems manager jobs: 137 Average annual salary: $108,169 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. Virginia
Total systems manager jobs: 2,574 Average annual salary: $106,252 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.84
Systems manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a systems manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a systems manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $136,702 | $93,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,062 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $119,625 | $85,000 | 1,059,639 | 231 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $122,237 | $87,000 | 1,342,795 | 288 |
| 4 | Washington | $121,826 | $82,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,252 |
| 5 | Vermont | $118,121 | $84,000 | 623,657 | 130 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $109,381 | $75,000 | 2,088,070 | 325 |
| 7 | Nevada | $113,833 | $76,000 | 2,998,039 | 284 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $113,432 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,170 |
| 9 | Alaska | $108,169 | $77,000 | 739,795 | 137 |
| 10 | Virginia | $106,252 | $76,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,574 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $109,116 | $78,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,488 |
| 12 | Montana | $109,468 | $75,000 | 1,050,493 | 149 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $109,033 | $78,000 | 1,815,857 | 176 |
| 14 | New York | $112,359 | $80,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,807 |
| 15 | Delaware | $112,274 | $80,000 | 961,939 | 152 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $102,268 | $75,000 | 755,393 | 133 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $105,466 | $75,000 | 3,588,184 | 539 |
| 18 | Utah | $98,356 | $66,000 | 3,101,833 | 552 |
| 19 | Oregon | $101,464 | $68,000 | 4,142,776 | 699 |
| 20 | Arizona | $99,423 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 961 |
| 21 | Michigan | $100,599 | $72,000 | 9,962,311 | 996 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $100,332 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,568 |
| 23 | Texas | $98,218 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,227 |
| 24 | Ohio | $98,866 | $71,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,232 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $96,374 | $69,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,384 |
| 26 | Idaho | $95,793 | $64,000 | 1,716,943 | 224 |
| 27 | Maine | $98,841 | $71,000 | 1,335,907 | 143 |
| 28 | Maryland | $94,338 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,475 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $97,052 | $70,000 | 5,795,483 | 595 |
| 30 | Illinois | $94,595 | $68,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,686 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $91,762 | $65,000 | 693,972 | 511 |
| 32 | Colorado | $89,387 | $62,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,068 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $92,399 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 911 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $86,253 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 170 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $87,401 | $62,000 | 1,920,076 | 277 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $81,127 | $56,000 | 579,315 | 98 |
| 37 | Georgia | $90,102 | $64,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,220 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $88,778 | $63,000 | 3,004,279 | 255 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $86,266 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 611 |
| 40 | Indiana | $85,321 | $62,000 | 6,666,818 | 618 |
| 41 | Alabama | $83,533 | $59,000 | 4,874,747 | 530 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $85,879 | $61,000 | 3,930,864 | 297 |
| 43 | Florida | $79,219 | $54,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,290 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $79,344 | $57,000 | 869,666 | 134 |
| 45 | Missouri | $82,258 | $59,000 | 6,113,532 | 708 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $83,504 | $60,000 | 4,454,189 | 334 |
| 47 | Iowa | $79,464 | $57,000 | 3,145,711 | 411 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,467 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 232 |
| 49 | Kansas | $76,524 | $54,000 | 2,913,123 | 367 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $79,246 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 482 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $79,860 | $55,000 | 4,684,333 | 266 |
Highest paying states for systems managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Systems Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $136,702 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $119,625 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $122,237 |
| 4 | Washington | $121,826 |
| 5 | Vermont | $118,121 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $109,381 |
| 7 | Nevada | $113,833 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $113,432 |
| 9 | Alaska | $108,169 |
| 10 | Virginia | $106,252 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $109,116 |
| 12 | Montana | $109,468 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $109,033 |
| 14 | New York | $112,359 |
| 15 | Delaware | $112,274 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $102,268 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $105,466 |
| 18 | Utah | $98,356 |
| 19 | Oregon | $101,464 |
| 20 | Arizona | $99,423 |
| 21 | Michigan | $100,599 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $100,332 |
| 23 | Texas | $98,218 |
| 24 | Ohio | $98,866 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $96,374 |
| 26 | Idaho | $95,793 |
| 27 | Maine | $98,841 |
| 28 | Maryland | $94,338 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $97,052 |
| 30 | Illinois | $94,595 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $91,762 |
| 32 | Colorado | $89,387 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $92,399 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $86,253 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $87,401 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $81,127 |
| 37 | Georgia | $90,102 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $88,778 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $86,266 |
| 40 | Indiana | $85,321 |
| 41 | Alabama | $83,533 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $85,879 |
| 43 | Florida | $79,219 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $79,344 |
| 45 | Missouri | $82,258 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $83,504 |
| 47 | Iowa | $79,464 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $78,467 |
| 49 | Kansas | $76,524 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $79,246 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $79,860 |
Expert opinions on the best states for systems managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for systems managers to find work opportunities?
Delvin Grant
Associate Professor, DePaul University
It is not about the geographic area but more about the skills they possess. Many MIS/IT-related jobs could be done remotely, if you wanted to pin down areas that will include areas of the USA where technology is heavily used (NY, IL, CA, MA, Huntsville AL, Parts of the Midwest, and the south, with vibrant health care and manufacturing industries. Any where industries require a healthy dose of technology are good locations.
Systems manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025