Salaries

Salaries by State.

Taxes, cost of living, and salary data across 50 U.S. states.

States

50

No Income Tax

9

states

Highest Avg

$178,000

Hawaii

Best Value

$137,963

Maryland

Data updated

Hawaii pays the highest average Software Engineer salary at $178,000, but Maryland delivers the best purchasing power at $137,963 after cost of living. 9 states charge no income tax.

Top 15 States for Tech Salaries (2026)

Published data held: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings (a filed minimum visa base wage, not market pay). Cost-of-living adjusted via BEA Regional Price Parities.
#StateMetrosAvg SE Medianvs Q2 2026Tax StatusCOL-Adjusted
1Hawaii1$178,000+1.1% (+$2,000)11%$136,923
2Washington DC1$168,000-0.6% ($-1,000)10.75%$134,400
3California5$166,800+0.0% (+$0)13.3%$134,516
4Massachusetts1$166,000+0.6% (+$1,000)5%$136,066
5New Jersey3$154,333-2.7% ($-4,334)10.75%$130,791
6Alaska1$152,000-0.7% ($-1,000)No income tax$134,513
7New York2$151,500+0.0% (+$0)10.9%$135,268
8Colorado2$149,000-1.0% ($-1,500)4.4%$134,234
9Maryland1$149,000+2.1% (+$3,000)5.75%$137,963
10Illinois1$147,000+2.1% (+$3,000)4.95%$137,383
11Washington2$145,000-0.3% ($-500)No income tax$134,259
12Maine1$144,000+1.4% (+$2,000)7.15%$137,143
13Virginia3$142,333-1.4% ($-2,000)5.75%$133,021
14Oregon1$142,000-4.7% ($-7,000)9.9%$129,091
15Connecticut1$141,000-3.4% ($-5,000)6.99%$130,556
Methodology

The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers.

No-Income-Tax States: Salary & Savings (9 States, 2026)

Published data held: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings (a filed minimum visa base wage, not market pay). Cost-of-living adjusted via BEA Regional Price Parities.
#StateAvg Tech SalaryEst. Tax Savings vs CA (13.3%)COL-Adjusted
1Alaska$152,000$20,216$134,513
2Washington$145,000$19,285$134,259
3New Hampshire$138,000$18,354$130,189
4Texas$133,250$17,722$135,969
5Florida$132,667$17,645$131,353
6Nevada$125,500$16,692$130,729
7Tennessee$122,000$16,226$128,421
8South Dakota$114,000$15,162$134,118
9Wyoming$112,000$14,896$128,736
Methodology

The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers.

All 50 States

Common questions

Hawaii pays the highest average Software Engineer salary at $178,000 in 2026, driven by its major metro area with high employer density. However, its 11% state income tax reduces take-home pay.

Not necessarily. Among the 9 no-income-tax states tracked, Alaska offers an average of $152,000 for Software Engineers. While some no-tax states pay below the national average, Washington (home to Amazon and Microsoft) and Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston) offer competitive salaries with zero state income tax.

Maryland offers the best purchasing power with a COL-adjusted average of $137,963. Its 5.75% state tax is offset by lower living costs. The COL-adjusted ranking differs significantly from the gross salary ranking.

On a $178,000 salary, moving from California (13.3% tax) to a no-income-tax state like Texas or Washington saves approximately $23,674 per year in state income tax alone. Combined with cost-of-living differences, the effective savings can be even larger.

Texas, Florida, and Colorado are among the fastest-growing states for tech employment. Corporate relocations to Austin, Miami, and Denver have accelerated hiring. These states combine competitive salaries with favorable tax environments and lower cost of living compared to California and New York.

California pays higher gross salaries (avg $166,800) but Texas (avg $133,250) offers zero state income tax and lower cost of living. After adjusting for taxes and COL, Texas often delivers comparable or better take-home pay. The best choice depends on your career goals, employer options, and lifestyle priorities.

Cite this data

Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.

Tech Salary Data by U.S. State (2024). Orbyt. Retrieved May 2024, from https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/states

Your offer is not your salary.

See what you actually take home after taxes and cost of living.

Get started free.