Arizona Is One of the Best States to Get a Job in Software Development, Study Finds

According to a new study, Maryland is the best state in the US to get a job in software development.

Software development company Vention investigated which US state is best for finding a software development job. They considered four factors, which included the average salary for a software developer, availability of this job type, state income tax, and cost of living in each state. They then calculated an overall index score out of 100 for each state based on these factors. The final ranking was determined based on the states with the highest index score.

Arizona comes in tenth place, the study finds, with an index score of 48.52 out of 100. The average annual salary is $128,040 with a smaller tax bracket, making it a more affordable state overall. With only 3 job listings per 100,000 residents, it may be slim pickings but still garners a spot int eh top ten.

The top five include:

1. Maryland – 69.56 out of 100

Maryland ranked as the best state to get a job in software development, with an overall index score of 69.56 out of 100.

The average annual salary for a software developer in Maryland is $150,740, the third highest in the country. There were found to be 28 job postings per 100,000 people for role tagged as ‘software developer’ in the state, which is the highest rate of anywhere in the country.

The highest tax bracket in Maryland is 5.75%, the 17th lowest percentage compared to the other states. The annual cost of living per person in Maryland is $56,052, the 19th highest in the US.

2. Virginia – 64.21 out of 100

Virginia is the second-best state to get a software development job, with an overall index score of 64.21 out of 100.

The average annual salary for a software developer in Virginia is $139,920, the eighth-highest in the country. The number of job postings for this role per 100,000 people in Virginia is 25, the second-highest in the US.

The highest tax bracket in Virginia is 5.75%, the joint 17th lowest percentage in the country. The annual cost of living per person in Virginia is $55,776, the 22nd highest amount compared to the other states.

3. Washington – 60.27 out of 100

Washington ranks as the third-best state for a job in software development, with an overall index score of 60.27 out of 100.

The average annual salary for a software developer in Washington is $159,990, the second highest in the US. The number of job postings for this role per 100,000 in the state is 22, the third highest amount compared to the other states.

Washington’s highest tax bracket is 7%, the 11th highest in the country. The annual cost of living per person in the state is $60,528, the ninth-highest amount.

4. Texas – 57.01 out of 100

The fourth-best state for a job in software development is Texas, with an overall index score of 57.01 out of 100.

The average annual salary for a software developer in Texas is $125,890, the 22nd highest salary in the US. The number of job postings for a software developer role per 100,000 people in Texas is 7, the 10th highest amount compared to the other states.

The highest tax bracket in the state is 0%, the joint lowest in the country. Texas’s annual cost of living per person is $52,299, ranking the state as the 23rd lowest in the US.

5. Nevada – 54.03 out of 100

Nevada is the fifth-best state for a job in software development, with an overall index score of 54.03 out of 1

The average annual salary for a software developer in the state is $133,490, the 12th highest in the country. The number of job postings for a software developer role per 100,000 people in Nevada is 3, the 16th lowest number compared to the other states.

The highest tax bracket in Nevada is 0%, the joint lowest in the country. The annual cost of living per person in Nevada is $54,054, ranking it 25th in the nation

The best states to get a job in software development – Top 10

Rank	State	Average annual salary	Number of ‘software developer’ job listings per 100,000 residents	Cost of living	Highest tax bracket (%)	Index score (/100)
1.	Maryland	$150,740	28	$56,052	5.75	69.56
2.	Virginia	$139,920	25	$55,776	5.75	64.21
3.	Washington	$159,990	22	$60,528	7	60.27
4.	Texas	$125,890	7	$52,299	0	57.01
5.	Nevada	$133,490	3	$54,054	0	54.03
6.	Tennessee	$113,410	2	$49,326	0	52.00
7.	Alabama	$110,630	7	$44,529	5	50.56
8.	Idaho	$135,000	2	$46,270	5.8	50.14
9.	North Carolina	$130,970	5	$51,081	4.75	49.46
10.	Arizona	$128,040	3	$53,921	2.5	48.52

Marc Karasu, CMO at Vention commented on these findings,

“Searching for a job in an industry as competitive as software development can be difficult. It can also be hard to identify the best roles for you out of the thousands advertised on sites such as Glassdoor

“The index provided in this research allows us to consider the many factors that contribute to a job that is not only enjoyable but one that also provides someone with financial stability in the state they live in.”