IT professional salary ranges across the United States: A data-based national and state comparison
IT professional salary ranges across the United States are shaped by occupation, experience, specialized skills, location, industry, and the way compensation data is collected. National benchmarks provide useful context, but employer-posted salaries, reported pay, and total compensation studies answer different questions about the technology labor market. 1
National benchmarks for IT compensation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $105,990 for computer and information technology occupations in May 2024, compared with $49,500 for all occupations. The same occupational group is projected to generate approximately 317,700 openings each year from 2024 through 2034 through employment growth and replacement needs. 4 This figure is a broad occupational median, not a universal salary for every technology role.
| Benchmark type | What it measures | Reported figure or scope |
|---|---|---|
| BLS occupational group | Median wages across computer and information technology occupations | $105,990 median annual wage |
| PayScale IT Services | Average base salary reported for the IT Services industry | $94,000 per year |
| Avasant salary research | Total compensation across IT functions and markets | 82 job functions and more than 400 U.S. metro areas |
| Robert Half salary guide | Starting compensation by role and market level | Low, mid, and high ranges |
Salary ranges by technology role
Role-level data shows why an all-IT average can conceal substantial differences. Robert Half’s 2026 national starting compensation figures list AI architect pay at $142,750 to $196,750, AI/ML engineer pay at $134,000 to $193,250, data scientist pay at $121,750 to $182,500, AI/ML analyst pay at $119,250 to $174,000, and RPA engineer pay at $105,250 to $152,500. The figures vary according to skills, experience, certifications, industry, company size, revenue, and demand. 1
| Role | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Architect | $142,750 | $175,000 | $196,750 |
| AI/ML Engineer | $134,000 | $170,750 | $193,250 |
| Data Scientist | $121,750 | $153,750 | $182,500 |
| AI/ML Analyst | $119,250 | $145,750 | $174,000 |
| RPA Engineer | $105,250 | $123,500 | $152,500 |
Employer-published posting data produces a different view of the market. Scanrole reported average salaries of $178,805 for software engineers, $184,015 for ML engineers, $194,472 for machine learning engineers, $156,290 for data engineers, $161,603 for DevOps engineers, $139,699 for QA engineers, and $115,406 for data analysts. These averages were based on 127,577 employer-published postings covering 59 roles, rather than employee-submitted compensation reports. 3
State-level differences across the United States
Geography creates a major salary differential for otherwise similar technology work. Scanrole states that compensation for the same role can vary by $40,000 to $80,000 depending on the state, with California, New York, and Washington consistently reporting the highest disclosed ranges. Texas and Illinois were described as competitive markets with a lower cost-of-living differential than some of the highest-paying locations. 2 State averages should therefore be treated as market indicators rather than guarantees for a specific job.
| State | Average across tracked tech roles | Posting volume shown by source |
|---|---|---|
| California | $187,099 | 51,209+ |
| New York | $179,070 | 43,954+ |
| Washington | $176,707 | 87,986+ |
| Virginia | $164,376 | 52,839+ |
| Texas | $162,392 | 63,161+ |
| Colorado | $160,725 | 18,102+ |
| Illinois | $158,954 | 16,338+ |
| Georgia | $157,714 | 15,354+ |
| Tennessee | $141,402 | 15,300+ |
Experience and specialized skills
Seniority changes the practical range within nearly every IT occupation. One 2026 U.S. salary guide places software engineers at $75,000 to $110,000 for junior workers, $115,000 to $160,000 for mid-level professionals, and $160,000 to $220,000 for senior professionals. Staff and principal engineers may reach $200,000 to more than $350,000 in total compensation. The same guide lists junior DevOps roles at $85,000 to $115,000, mid-level DevOps or SRE roles at $120,000 to $165,000, and senior SRE or platform engineering roles at $170,000 to $250,000. 7
- Cloud infrastructure, AI engineering, cybersecurity, and data science are identified as areas of strong demand in the supplied 2026 market overview. 7
- Robert Half identifies AI, cloud computing, data modernization, and cybersecurity as specialized areas receiving significant employer attention. 6
- Python, Go, and Rust experience, along with full-stack development and cloud exposure, are described as skills associated with stronger software engineering compensation. 7
- Certifications, experience, industry, employer size, and company revenue can shift starting compensation within the same job title. 1
Why salary sources produce different results
Salary figures are not directly interchangeable because their methodologies differ. The BLS reports occupational wages, PayScale reports an average base salary for the IT Services industry from 30,382 individuals, Robert Half reports starting compensation at low, mid, and high levels, and Scanrole analyzes employer-published job postings. Avasant’s 2026 report uses total compensation and provides data at the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles across 82 IT job functions, more than 400 U.S. metro areas, and 20 industry sectors. 4 8 1 3 5
| Data source approach | Primary interpretation | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Government wage statistics | Occupation-wide wage distribution | May combine very different employers and specialties |
| Employer job postings | Pay employers disclose while hiring | Does not capture every negotiated outcome |
| Employee-reported databases | Compensation received by reporting workers | Can reflect reporting and sampling bias |
| Total compensation studies | Salary plus broader compensation components | May not be comparable with base salary figures |
How to interpret an IT offer
A meaningful comparison requires separating base salary from bonuses, equity, signing incentives, overtime, benefits, and other forms of compensation. A salary range may also reflect a particular seniority level, metropolitan market, industry, or hiring context. Robert Half reports that technology salaries were projected to rise by an average of 1.6% year over year in 2026, while employers continued using above-market compensation and enhanced benefits to address shortages in specialized talent. 6
Market friction remains important. Remote work can raise questions about which geographic pay framework applies, while disclosed ranges may not show the final negotiated package. Candidates and employers should verify whether a number represents base pay or total compensation, identify the relevant location, examine the experience assumptions, and compare the same role definition across sources. A national median is useful for orientation, but state, metro, skill, and seniority data provide a more precise picture of expected compensation.
Sources
- Robert Half, 2026 Tech and IT Salaries and Compensation Trends
- Scanrole, Tech Salary by Role and State, United States
- Scanrole, Tech Salary by Role, United States
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer and Information Technology Occupations
- Avasant, IT Salary Report 2026
- Robert Half, 2026 Technology Salary Trends
- ProfileNova, IT Salary Guide U.S. 2026
- PayScale, Information Technology Services Salary
Authored by 24Trendz team