Your Guide to 2017 IT Salaries by State
If you’re worn out by daily road rage—how many middle fingers can you see in one day— or irked at the prospect of being taxed to death, maybe it’s time for a change. Future job opportunity, salary, cost of living and quality of life are a balancing act. We can’t tell you what to do, but we can let you know where IT professionals are making the highest average salaries in the U.S.
Whether you’re considering moving from Louisiana to Colorado to be closer to the ski slopes or maybe from Oregon to New Hampshire to be closer to family, we’ve compiled data from 4,802 U.S. respondents in the 2017 Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report and calculated the average IT salary in each state. This gives you a sense of national trends if you’re thinking about moving for personal, professional or financial reasons.
But before you pack your bags and hire the movers, you can’t overlook differences in cost of living in each state or region ranging from housing values, state and local taxes and differences in food prices or commute costs among other things. Don’t forget that since we’re looking at averages, your individual results may vary.
Without further ado, here is your list of the top 10 states (with the District of Columbia thrown in for good measure) and their average IT salaries for 2016 and 2017:
Start Packing: States 1–10
These top 10 states (and yes, D.C., we know it’s a pain point you’re not a state) are the cream of the crop for both IT staff and decision-makers. These states represent the highest-reported average salaries from our pool of U.S. respondents. There’s a strong East Coast presence in this list, but this is a trend for top money-making states that’s continued over the years. It’s not breaking news. However, for those interested in warmer climates, take note of Hawaii in the number nine slot. California and Washington should come as no surprise given their reputation as tech hubs.
| 2017 Rankings | 2016 Rankings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $125,746 | District of Columbia | $104,265 | |
| 2 | Connecticut | $113,326 | Virginia | $103,395 | |
| 3 | Virginia | $110,756 | Maryland | $99,678 | |
| 4 | California | $105,680 | Hawaii* | $98,004 | |
| 5 | Maryland | $103,702 | California | $96,066 | |
| 6 | Washington | $103,163 | New York | $96,066 | |
| 7 | New Jersey | $102,905 | New Jersey | $93,979 | |
| 8 | New York | $101,404 | Connecticut | $93,100 | |
| 9 | Hawaii* | $99,029 | Minnesota | $90,987 | |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $98,583 | Massachusetts | $90,060 | |
*Denotes fewer than 20 respondents.
Want to learn more?
To view the rest of the rankings, read the full report here.