Coding jobs are in high demand and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that computer and information technology employment will grow 13% by 2030. Alongside the increasing demand, coding has emerged as a highly flexible career option with room for growth.
If you’re looking to build a lucrative career in coding, researchers at Scrapfly.com pulled together a list of the top 10 states for coders and what the average salary is in those states.
Scrapfly.com, a web scraping API, calculated each state’s job openings per 100,000 people, as well as the median annual wage. Delaware came out on top with 759 coding jobs per 100,000 people, with a median wage of $108,440. Behind it is Vermont with 519 jobs per 100,000 people and a median wage of $99,210.
Surprisingly, the least populous state in the U.S., Wyoming, rounded out the top three with 488 jobs per 100,000 people.
“As you can see by the data, it’s a common misconception that you have to get a job in one of the more populous states in order to get the dream job as a software developer. Wyoming is a great example of a state that is small in population but is really pushing the boundaries in terms of creating jobs within the tech industry,” Scrapfly.com researchers said.
Despite having the fourth-highest annual salary, Alaska placed seventh on the list with 443 jobs per 100,000 people. Behind it, Massachusetts had the highest median wage at $128,160 per year.
Numbers seven through 10 on the list all bring in at least $100,000 per year, on average, with New Hampshire and Rhode Island providing 411 and 395 jobs per 100,000 people.
Furthermore, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota come in at numbers four, five and six with their median wages varying between $80,000 and $78,000. In those states, between 458 and 475 jobs per 100,000 people were recorded.
“Whether you’re already established in the coding world or looking to kickstart your career journey, there are plenty of states that provide ample opportunity to flourish,” said Sparkfly.com’s research team.
Although many people don’t have a coding background, it is easier than ever to learn the skills necessary to get a job in coding. Indeed.com advised learning a programming language like JavaScript, Python or Swift and taking a coding class. It also touched on the importance of contributing to open source, building projects and expanding your portfolio.
“This research demonstrates that a career in tech and coding is more accessible than many believe. We can see this not only by the sheer number of job openings across the states but by the attractive average salaries too,” the researchers said.
