Economy
The U.S. States with the Top Tech Salaries in 2021
The U.S. States with the Top Tech Salaries in 2021
In 2020, despite the economic turmoil caused by the global pandemic, America’s tech sector experienced rapid growth. Last year, the total number of U.S. tech jobs grew by 60,000.
Because of this demand, U.S. employers are willing to pay for the right talent—on average, tech workers in the U.S. earn about 61% more than the average salary. But some tech workers make more than others, depending on where they live.
This graphic by business.org uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to highlight the average annual tech salaries in each state, compared to the average salary of other occupations. We’ll also touch on the top-paying metro areas, and what type of tech jobs offer the highest compensation across the country.
Average U.S. Tech Salaries by State
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Washington and California have the highest average salaries, largely because of the high job density in those areas.
However, when it comes to the difference in tech salary versus average salary, Alabama takes the top spot—on average, tech jobs pay 85% more than other occupations in that state.
Rank | State | Average hourly wage for tech workers | Average salary for tech workers | % more that tech workers earn than all occupations |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alabama | $41.69 | $86,720 | 85% |
2 | Washington | $58.96 | $122,640 | 83% |
3 | North Carolina | $44.19 | $91,920 | 80% |
4 | Texas | $45.04 | $93,690 | 79% |
5 | Virginia | $51.50 | $107,130 | 78% |
6 | California | $56.16 | $116,820 | 78% |
7 | Georgia | $44.00 | $91,510 | 76% |
8 | Delaware | $47.76 | $99,340 | 75% |
9 | Mississippi | $34.48 | $71,720 | 72% |
10 | Ohio | $41.48 | $86,270 | 67% |
11 | Idaho | $37.65 | $78,320 | 67% |
12 | New Hampshire | $45.50 | $94,650 | 67% |
13 | South Carolina | $37.06 | $77,080 | 67% |
14 | Iowa | $39.34 | $81,820 | 66% |
15 | Florida | $39.81 | $82,810 | 66% |
16 | Maryland | $50.55 | $105,150 | 65% |
17 | Colorado | $48.33 | $100,520 | 65% |
18 | Arkansas | $35.28 | $73,390 | 64% |
19 | Kentucky | $36.21 | $75,330 | 64% |
20 | Missouri | $39.44 | $82,040 | 64% |
21 | New Jersey | $50.04 | $104,090 | 63% |
22 | Pennsylvania | $42.29 | $87,970 | 63% |
23 | Arizona | $41.84 | $87,030 | 63% |
24 | Oregon | $44.25 | $92,040 | 62% |
25 | West Virginia | $35.29 | $73,410 | 62% |
26 | Kansas | $37.70 | $78,420 | 61% |
27 | Tennessee | $36.86 | $76,660 | 61% |
28 | Utah | $39.82 | $82,830 | 61% |
29 | Minnesota | $45.47 | $94,570 | 61% |
30 | Indiana | $37.66 | $78,340 | 61% |
31 | Nebraska | $38.83 | $80,770 | 61% |
32 | Illinois | $44.87 | $93,320 | 61% |
33 | Wisconsin | $39.55 | $82,270 | 61% |
34 | Oklahoma | $36.33 | $75,560 | 60% |
35 | New Mexico | $38.06 | $79,160 | 59% |
36 | Louisiana | $35.50 | $73,840 | 59% |
37 | Nevada | $38.29 | $79,650 | 58% |
38 | Maine | $38.48 | $80,030 | 56% |
39 | South Dakota | $33.65 | $70,000 | 56% |
40 | Rhode Island | $44.43 | $92,410 | 53% |
41 | Michigan | $39.32 | $81,780 | 53% |
42 | New York | $49.65 | $103,280 | 52% |
43 | Montana | $34.40 | $71,540 | 51% |
44 | Massachusetts | $50.67 | $105,400 | 51% |
45 | Vermont | $38.55 | $80,180 | 50% |
46 | Connecticut | $45.94 | $95,550 | 46% |
47 | Hawaii | $40.32 | $83,870 | 44% |
48 | North Dakota | $34.53 | $71,820 | 37% |
49 | Alaska | $40.02 | $83,250 | 35% |
50 | Wyoming | $32.52 | $67,640 | 32% |
51 | District of Columbia | $54.78 | $113,930 | 20% |
Why are tech workers so generously compensated in Alabama? It could be because the area’s talent pool is not keeping up with demand.
In 2021, Huntsville, Alabama is expected to see 25,000 new jobs in aerospace, logistics, defense, and other tech-related industries. But these jobs could be difficult to fill given the area’s low unemployment rate.
On the other end of the spectrum, the District of Columbia has the smallest discrepancy between tech and other salaries. But at $95,330, the area has the highest average yearly salary for other occupations in the country—and tech workers still make 20% more.
Top 10 Metro Areas for Tech Salaries
Some of the highest-paying states are also home to the highest-paying metro areas.
For instance, when it comes to pay differences in tech, two of the top 10 metro areas are located in Washington state, while three are in California. The graphic below shows the metros with the highest difference between the area’s average salary and the average salary of tech jobs.
The highest pay difference between tech jobs vs the average salary is in San Jose, where tech workers make 507% more on average. This figure is almost certainly skewed because of the area’s high concentration of tech millionaires and top tier programmers.
Highest Paying Tech Jobs Nationally
Of course, location isn’t the only factor that plays into salary—the type of job is important, too. Here’s a look at U.S. tech salaries, organized by job type:
In this analysis, which looked at jobs in computer science as well as mathematics, actuaries are the highest paid professionals on average.
While actuaries are more on the mathematical and financial side of the equation, more commonly associated jobs with tech are all over the list as well: software developers, computer network architects, information security analysts, data scientists, computer programmers, web developers, computer systems analysts, and so on.
The Future of Tech is Bright
America’s information technology sector, worth about $1.6 trillion, is expected to grow to $5 trillion by the end of 2021. And as this fast-growing industry continues to boom, jobs in this sector are likely to remain in high supply.
Augmented Reality (AR) in the U.S. is looking especially promising and is projected to grow by a CAGR of 100% between 2021-2025.
In short, tech is expected to keep growing. And salaries will likely follow suit.
Money
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Public trust in the Federal Reserve chair has hit its lowest point in 20 years. Get the details in this infographic.

The Briefing
- Gallup conducts an annual poll to gauge the U.S. public’s trust in the Federal Reserve
- After rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, public trust has fallen to a 20-year low
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
Each year, Gallup conducts a survey of American adults on various economic topics, including the country’s central bank, the Federal Reserve.
More specifically, respondents are asked how much confidence they have in the current Fed chairman to do or recommend the right thing for the U.S. economy. We’ve visualized these results from 2001 to 2023 to see how confidence levels have changed over time.
Methodology and Results
The data used in this infographic is also listed in the table below. Percentages reflect the share of respondents that have either a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence.
Year | Fed chair | % Great deal or Fair amount |
---|---|---|
2023 | Jerome Powell | 36% |
2022 | Jerome Powell | 43% |
2021 | Jerome Powell | 55% |
2020 | Jerome Powell | 58% |
2019 | Jerome Powell | 50% |
2018 | Jerome Powell | 45% |
2017 | Janet Yellen | 45% |
2016 | Janet Yellen | 38% |
2015 | Janet Yellen | 42% |
2014 | Janet Yellen | 37% |
2013 | Ben Bernanke | 42% |
2012 | Ben Bernanke | 39% |
2011 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
2010 | Ben Bernanke | 44% |
2009 | Ben Bernanke | 49% |
2008 | Ben Bernanke | 47% |
2007 | Ben Bernanke | 50% |
2006 | Ben Bernanke | 41% |
2005 | Alan Greenspan | 56% |
2004 | Alan Greenspan | 61% |
2003 | Alan Greenspan | 65% |
2002 | Alan Greenspan | 69% |
2001 | Alan Greenspan | 74% |
Data for 2023 collected April 3-25, with this statement put to respondents: “Please tell me how much confidence you have [in the Fed chair] to recommend the right thing for the economy.”
We can see that trust in the Federal Reserve has fluctuated significantly in recent years.
For example, under Alan Greenspan, trust was initially high due to the relative stability of the economy. The burst of the dotcom bubble—which some attribute to Greenspan’s easy credit policies—resulted in a sharp decline.
On the flip side, public confidence spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was likely due to Jerome Powell’s decisive actions to provide support to the U.S. economy throughout the crisis.
Measures implemented by the Fed include bringing interest rates to near zero, quantitative easing (buying government bonds with newly-printed money), and emergency lending programs to businesses.
Confidence Now on the Decline
After peaking at 58%, those with a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the Fed chair have tumbled to 36%, the lowest number in 20 years.
This is likely due to Powell’s hard stance on fighting post-pandemic inflation, which has involved raising interest rates at an incredible speed. While these rate hikes may be necessary, they also have many adverse effects:
- Negative impact on the stock market
- Increases the burden for those with variable-rate debts
- Makes mortgages and home buying less affordable
Higher rates have also prompted many U.S. tech companies to shrink their workforces, and have been a factor in the regional banking crisis, including the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Where does this data come from?
Source: Gallup (2023)
Data Notes: Results are based on telephone interviews conducted April 3-25, 2023, with a random sample of –1,013—adults, ages 18+, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on this sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. See source for details.
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Visualizing Global Attitudes Towards AI
-
Money6 days ago
Charted: Public Trust in the Federal Reserve
-
Visual Capitalist3 weeks ago
Calling All Data Storytellers to Enter our Creator Program Challenge
-
AI5 days ago
Ranked: The World’s Top 25 Websites in 2023
-
Misc3 weeks ago
Ranked: Top 10 Cities Where International Travelers Spend the Most
-
AI4 days ago
Visualizing the Top U.S. States for AI Jobs
-
VC+3 weeks ago
Coming Soon: Here’s What’s Coming to VC+ Next
-
Personal Finance4 weeks ago
Ranked: The Best U.S. States for Retirement