Are you interested in earning a higher salary?
In this series, I’ve embarked on an expedition to explore and filter through data from Global Knowledge’s eighth annual IT Skills and Salary Report to discover correlations in situations where professionals report a higher income. To aid in my data conquest of the over 16,300 respondents, I’ve broken down the numbers to represent the differences (and similarities) between IT and non-IT professionals. Although both parties are represented in my posts, the report’s survey gathering focused on IT professionals, and so in most cases, the response rate of non-IT professionals is below statistical standards and proves difficult to show its significance.
Wouldn’t it be nice to relocate and immediately make more money? Are you curious to see how your salary compares to others in your state?
In this post, I’m looking at the best and worst states to work based on the average reported salary. Keep in mind, living in these places doesn’t guarantee you’ll make that much money because results will always vary. You could earn more, or less, than the reported amount depending on other factors like tenure, management level, job function, company size and experience. When comparing the data below to our report averages, note that the mean overall salary for IT respondents is $89,066 and $102,828 for non-IT respondents who provided their primary work location.
Move to now states: 1–10
These top 10 states are the cream of the crop for both IT and non-IT professionals, representing the highest-reported average salaries from our pool of U.S. respondents. Looking at both sets of data, you’ll notice that these states are located in the middle or northern half of the country, a trend for top money-making states that’s continued over the years. For IT professionals, these places are booming with technology innovation, and thusly, compensation.
Wait! Before you start packing your bags to move to one of these top 10 states with the highest average salary, consider other factors that could dwindle funds from your bank account.
Cost of living factors:
- Rent and food prices
- Housing and property values
- State and local taxes
- Gas from a longer commute
All these factors, and others, could impact how much money you’ll have left over at the end of the day – even if you have a higher salary.
| IT Respondents | Non-IT Respondents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington DC | $106,724 | Washington DC** | $159,917 |
| 2 | Virginia | $101,193 | North Dakota** | $128,667 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $97,039 | Virginia | $124,421 |
| 4 | Maryland | $96,753 | Minnesota* | $117,972 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $96,508 | West Virginia** | $116,195 |
| 6 | New York | $95,801 | Illinois* | $115,403 |
| 7 | California | $94,801 | New Hampshire** | $115,000 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $94,113 | New York | $113,744 |
| 9 | Colordao | $91,082 | Massachusetts* | $112,427 |
| 10 | Washington | $90,497 | California | $111,846 |
Still-Not-Too-Shabby States: 11–20
The next 10 didn’t make the top money-making states but still are still above, or close to, the average salary reported by U.S. respondents. For IT professionals, number 12 on the list, Texas, is the first state to average below the mean IT salary of $89,066. For non-IT professionals, the spread is a bit larger with the drop below average of $102,828 occurring at number 19, Rhode Island.
These states represent a diverse variety in geography spread throughout the country. So if you’re thinking of relocating in the hopes of a higher paycheck, the next state you move to might be right next door!
| IT Respondents | Non-IT Respondents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Illinois | $90,430 | Maryland* | $111,749 |
| 12 | Texas | $88,460 | Alaska** | $110,500 |
| 13 | Georgia | $87,919 | Kansas** | $110,467 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $87,616 | Texas | $110,007 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $87,562 | South Carolina** | $108,333 |
| 16 | Hawaii* | $87,342 | Washington* | $104,806 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $87,304 | New Jersey* | $103,872 |
| 18 | North Dakota* | $86,255 | Connecticut** | $103,310 |
| 19 | Ohio | $86,153 | Rhode Island** | $101,850 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $85,852 | Arizona* | $100,516 |
Middle-of-the-Road States: 21–40
These states didn’t rank the highest but they didn’t rank the lowest either for average salary. At this point in the rankings, both IT and non-IT professionals are averaging below the mean overall reported income for those in similar fields. If you’re thinking of relocating (or staying) in one of these states, your earning could be below average for 2015.
| IT Respondents | Non-IT Respondents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $85,664 | Oklahoma** | $100,045 |
| 22 | Nevada | $85,126 | Idaho** | $99,133 |
| 23 | Alabama | $85,054 | Oregon** | $98,980 |
| 24 | Florida | $84,782 | Florida | $96,640 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $84,774 | Nevada** | $96,460 |
| 26 | Michigan | $84,362 | Michigan* | $94,902 |
| 27 | Arizona | $84,346 | Colordao* | $94,809 |
| 28 | Arkansas* | $84,291 | Pennsylvania* | $94,085 |
| 29 | Oregon | $83,772 | Georgia* | $93,221 |
| 30 | Deleware* | $83,710 | Missouri** | $93,036 |
| 31 | Maine* | $83,480 | Ohio | $92,297 |
| 32 | Missouri | $83,472 | Alabama** | $91,866 |
| 33 | Alaska* | $83,329 | Utah** | $90,789 |
| 34 | New Hampshire* | $82,250 | North Carolina | $89,658 |
| 35 | Utah | $81,766 | Nebraska** | $87,029 |
| 36 | Kansas | $81,508 | Tennessee* | $85,565 |
| 37 | Iowa | $81,441 | Iowa** | $85,472 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $80,981 | Montana** | $82,000 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $80,840 | Hawaii** | $81,676 |
| 40 | Wyoming** | $80,808 | Wisconsin* | $81,309 |
Lowest-Ranked States: 41–51
Although these states came in with the lowest average salary among respondents in 2015, remember that the cost of living may be lower, and so you’re likely to spend less of your hard-earned dollars on monthly bills.
Additionally, unlike the top states, most of the lower-ranking states had the least amount of respondents for both IT and non-IT professionals, which makes the data less statistically significant and the findings inconclusive.
| IT Respondents | Non-IT Respondents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Louisana | $80,274 | Louisana** | $78,006 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $80,011 | Arkansas** | $77,806 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $79,160 | Wyoming** | $77,000 |
| 44 | Idaho* | $79,100 | Indiana* | $74,303 |
| 45 | Mississippi* | $77,850 | Delaware** | $73,700 |
| 46 | West Virginia* | $77,682 | New Mexico** | $71,720 |
| 47 | Indiana | $77,198 | Kentucky** | $70,238 |
| 48 | Vermont** | $76,993 | Mississippi** | $69,333 |
| 49 | Rhode Island* | $76,548 | South Dakota** | $61,000 |
| 50 | Montana* | $74,508 | Vermont** | $46,000 |
| 51 | South Dakota** | $67,463 | Maine** | $25,500 |
*Denotes 20–49 respondents.
**Denotes less than 20 respondents.
Although we can spot trends at this high level, it’s hard to judge what your potential earnings could be based on the state alone until you accept a position. If you’re considering locating to one of these states, find an online forum, like the My Community forums inside MyGK, for professionals in your field and about state (or even city) average earnings!
Next in the Series
I Want More Money: What Industry Should I Choose?
I Want More Money: What Certifications Should I Have?
Want to learn more?
To see additional data on demographics, job functions and other factors that impact salary, download the full eighth annual IT Skills and Salary Report.
I Want More Money Series
- I Want More Money: Where Should I Live?