Recruiters and employers know that salaries are higher in certain technology hubs, such as the Bay Area. This is a reflection of supply and demand: there are only so many experienced professionals to go around, even in a tech market as big as San Francisco, and so companies are willing to pay top dollar (and lots of perks) in order to secure the help they need.
The cost of living in the larger tech hubs also informs the increases in salary—a fact that smaller cities are using in a bid to attract top talent. Why burn nearly all of your six-figure salary on rent and food in New York City, those municipalities ask, when for the same monthly paycheck you can buy a house and invest?
Whatever the location, the burgeoning tech industry has enjoyed an accompanying rise in salary, which has made life more interesting for recruiters and employers trying to lock down talent. But which states pay their tech pros the most? According to the most recent Dice Salary Survey, the following pay quite a bit, as an influx of startups and established firms makes the competition for specialized skill-sets increasingly fierce.