Researchers have revealed which states are the most promising for budding tech professionals. The researchers at Scrapfly.com crunched the numbers to see which states have the most job openings for software developers per 100,000 people, and how their median annual wages stack up against each other.

Delaware comes out on top as the best state for a coding career, according to the study, which analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as job site Jooble.  The Diamond State boasts the most software developer job openings per 100,000 people with 759. It also offers a very enticing average annual wage of $108,440 a year. 

Ranked in second place is Vermont with a total of 519 job openings per 100,000 people, as well as an impressive average salary of $99,210.

Wyoming was named the third best place in the country to start a coding career despite being the least populous in the whole country. The state has 488 job openings per 100,000 people and offers a slightly lower annual salary than the two states in first and second place at $80,090.

With a total of 5,236 software developer job openings — meaning there are 475 per 100,000 people — the state of Montana is ranked the fourth best in the country. Developers here can look to earn a similar annual amount to those in Wyoming at $80,610.

South and North Dakota make up numbers five and six on the list, respectively. South Dakota holds 465 jobs per 100,000 people, just edging North Dakota’s offering of 458. Professionals can also expect to earn $260 dollars more on average per year in South Dakota compared to North Dakota.

Although Alaska provides the fourth highest average annual salary on the list, its job openings per 100,000 people (443) are what ranks it the seventh best place for a coding career in the country.

Massachusetts was ranked the eighth best place in the U.S. for a coding career. The Bay State offers 432 job openings per 100,000 of its population and boasts the highest potential annual salary on the list at $128,160 a year.

Rhode Island squeezes in at 10th on the list, providing 395 job openings per 100,000 people and an average annual salary of $105,100.

“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  a spokesperson for Scrapfly.com.  “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. 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.”