RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – A new study ranks tech workers in North Carolina as the sixth happiest in the U.S.

The research, conducted by technology information site Increditools analyzed metrics relevant to careers in tech such as the median hourly wage in tech roles, the number of people employed in tech roles per 1,000 jobs in each state, and the percentage of remote workers and scored them out of 100 in an index that reveals the best states to work in tech in America.

North Carolina – the nation’s ninth largest in terms of population – scored 68.53 out of 100. The median hourly wage for tech roles in the state is $49.22.

The research revealed that Washington is the best state in America to work in tech, with a total score of 86.73 out of 100. The state has the highest number of remote workers as well as the second-highest number of people employed in tech roles per 1,000 jobs. The state also has the second-highest median hourly wage for all industries and the second-highest median hourly wage in tech industries.

California ranks as the second-best state to work in tech in America, scoring 83.79 out of 100. The home of Silicon Valley has the highest median hourly wage for tech roles in America, and people who work in tech earn 259% more than their counterparts in other industries. 21.4% of California’s workers work remotely.

Virginia scores 81.39 out of 100 and places third on the list of the best states to work in tech. The state has the highest number of people employed in tech per 1,000 employed residents. The median hourly wage for tech workers in Virginia is 228% higher than the median hourly wage across all industries.

A spokesperson from Increditools commented on the findings:

“This study provides an interesting insight into which states where tech employees feel the most satisfied, especially given how powerful the tech industry is in today’s society. Despite being the hub of Silicon Valley, California does not claim the first spot even though the state boasts the highest median hourly wage for tech professionals, the state falls short in terms of job opportunities compared to other states.”

The rankingsh

Rank State Number Employed in Tech Positions per 1,000 Jobs Median Hourly Wage for All Industries (US$) Median Hourly Wage for Tech Roles

(US$)

 Median Hourly Wage for Tech Workers Compared to All Workers

(US$)

 % of Remote Workers  Score (/100)
1. Washington 60 27.08 61.64 228% 24.20% 86.73
2. California 39 23.91 61.87 259% 21.40% 83.79
3. Virginia 62 23.22 52.84 228% 22.29% 81.39
4. Maryland 54 24.72 53.09 215% 24.02% 75.09
5. Colorado 48 24.16 51.33 212% 23.75% 70.11
6. North Carolina 37 20.10 49.22 245% 18.77% 68.53
7. Georgia 36 20.62 47.76 232% 18.18% 61.96
8. New Jersey 39 24.56 51.19 208% 22.14% 61.93
9. Delaware 38 22.67 50.75 224% 18.56% 61.69
10. Massachusetts 43 28.10 52.52 187% 23.71% 59.49
11. Oregon 33 22.97 46.65 203% 22.65% 55.93
12. New Hampshire 36 23.04 48.07 209% 19.34% 55.70
13. Minnesota 35 23.44 47.89 204% 20.90% 55.62
14. Arizona 38 21.77 44.62 205% 20.74% 55.48
15. New York 31 25.23 51.14 203% 19.64% 52.80
16. Texas 34 20.90 45.46 218% 16.27% 52.33
17. Rhode Island 34 23.73 48.77 206% 17.53% 51.09
18. Illinois 32 22.83 46.53 204% 19.26% 50.92
19. Utah 41 21.38 40.99 192% 20.04% 50.02
20. Connecticut 30 24.90 48.43 194% 19.47% 47.80
21. Florida 30 19.62 41.26 210% 16.64% 46.20
22. Pennsylvania 30 22.02 41.43 188% 18.68% 41.42
23. New Mexico 25 19.19 39.80 207% 15.23% 40.33
24. Alabama 26 18.50 40.91 221% 9.64% 38.31
25. Ohio 29 21.52 41.61 193% 14.85% 37.62
26. Missouri 31 20.34 39.39 194% 14.71% 37.49
27. Michigan 28 21.88 40.88 187% 16.39% 36.58
28. Kansas 29 20.13 39.18 195% 13.82% 35.60
29. South Carolina 23 18.69 39.44 211% 11.70% 34.29
30. Nebraska 33 21.20 39.83 188% 12.82% 34.09
31. Tennessee 25 19.20 37.73 197% 13.98% 33.84
32. Vermont 26 22.75 38.66 170% 19.59% 33.19
33. Wisconsin 28 21.95 39.50 180% 14.85% 31.63
34. Idaho 24 19.26 37.37 194% 13.25% 31.09
35. Iowa 26 21.32 39.97 187% 13.43% 31.08
36. Maine 22 21.84 37.50 172% 17.74% 28.91
37. Oklahoma 22 18.80 37.67 200% 10.40% 28.73
38. Arkansas 20 17.92 36.61 204% 9.74% 27.52
39. Nevada 18 19.62 37.50 191% 12.97% 27.05
40. Kentucky 20 19.32 36.11 187% 11.45% 23.86
41. Hawaii 22 23.35 42.00 180% 10.73% 23.73
42. Indiana 21 20.24 36.77 182% 11.86% 22.99
43. South Dakota 21 19.17 35.55 185% 11.08% 22.88
44. West Virginia 17 18.16 33.33 184% 10.22% 17.86
45. Montana 18 20.29 33.47 165% 14.04% 17.40
46. Alaska 16 25.00 42.52 170% 10.31% 17.23
47. Louisiana 12 18.74 34.12 182% 8.41% 12.98
48. Mississippi 12 17.36 33.20 191% 6.25% 12.86
49. North Dakota 19 22.79 35.19 154% 8.9% 7.81
50. Wyoming 12 21.85 33.36 153% 8.9% 2.84