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Best states for an academic affairs director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and executive management careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to academic affairs director jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for academic affairs directors.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for academic affairs directors. We found that California is the best state in the nation for academic affairs directors, and people in Rohnert Park earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for academic affairs directors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for academic affairs directors, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for academic affairs director jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for academic affairs directors in 2025
1. California
Total academic affairs director jobs: 902 Average annual salary: $141,772 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $225,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
2. Louisiana
Total academic affairs director jobs: 497 Average annual salary: $118,067 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 6.02
3. Connecticut
Total academic affairs director jobs: 77 Average annual salary: $129,691 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
4. Colorado
Total academic affairs director jobs: 144 Average annual salary: $123,211 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
5. Oregon
Total academic affairs director jobs: 81 Average annual salary: $122,339 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
6. North Carolina
Total academic affairs director jobs: 163 Average annual salary: $120,067 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
7. Nevada
Total academic affairs director jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $140,735 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $224,000 Location Quotient: 0.35
8. Wyoming
Total academic affairs director jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $117,583 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.52
9. Alabama
Total academic affairs director jobs: 526 Average annual salary: $108,687 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 4.62
10. Montana
Total academic affairs director jobs: 17 Average annual salary: $118,352 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
Academic affairs director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an academic affairs director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an academic affairs director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $141,772 | $89,000 | 39,536,653 | 902 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $118,067 | $69,000 | 4,684,333 | 497 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $129,691 | $82,000 | 3,588,184 | 77 |
| 4 | Colorado | $123,211 | $73,000 | 5,607,154 | 144 |
| 5 | Oregon | $122,339 | $75,000 | 4,142,776 | 81 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $120,067 | $73,000 | 10,273,419 | 163 |
| 7 | Nevada | $140,735 | $88,000 | 2,998,039 | 19 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $117,583 | $70,000 | 579,315 | 8 |
| 9 | Alabama | $108,687 | $63,000 | 4,874,747 | 526 |
| 10 | Montana | $118,352 | $72,000 | 1,050,493 | 17 |
| 11 | Ohio | $116,951 | $71,000 | 11,658,609 | 127 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $120,390 | $75,000 | 693,972 | 148 |
| 13 | Michigan | $113,373 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 107 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $113,685 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 15 |
| 15 | New York | $113,537 | $70,000 | 19,849,399 | 426 |
| 16 | Utah | $109,068 | $64,000 | 3,101,833 | 56 |
| 17 | Texas | $109,335 | $63,000 | 28,304,596 | 345 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $110,759 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 38 |
| 19 | Arizona | $108,001 | $63,000 | 7,016,270 | 123 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $111,718 | $67,000 | 869,666 | 9 |
| 21 | Missouri | $109,431 | $64,000 | 6,113,532 | 85 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $107,451 | $65,000 | 5,795,483 | 91 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $109,539 | $67,000 | 9,005,644 | 296 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $106,061 | $65,000 | 5,576,606 | 161 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $107,174 | $66,000 | 6,859,819 | 340 |
| 26 | Washington | $108,724 | $66,000 | 7,405,743 | 143 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $104,406 | $64,000 | 12,805,537 | 226 |
| 28 | Maryland | $111,687 | $69,000 | 6,052,177 | 106 |
| 29 | Maine | $105,691 | $64,000 | 1,335,907 | 19 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $96,913 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 311 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $103,435 | $63,000 | 1,059,639 | 22 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $95,949 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 436 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $102,621 | $59,000 | 6,715,984 | 69 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $106,982 | $62,000 | 2,088,070 | 15 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $104,113 | $61,000 | 5,024,369 | 48 |
| 36 | Delaware | $103,087 | $63,000 | 961,939 | 19 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $100,084 | $58,000 | 1,920,076 | 27 |
| 38 | Vermont | $100,568 | $60,000 | 623,657 | 15 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $101,097 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 22 |
| 40 | Illinois | $95,621 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 303 |
| 41 | Virginia | $101,408 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 154 |
| 42 | Idaho | $101,217 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 13 |
| 43 | Iowa | $97,688 | $57,000 | 3,145,711 | 41 |
| 44 | Alaska | $80,841 | $52,000 | 739,795 | 24 |
| 45 | Indiana | $92,137 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 102 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $93,951 | $53,000 | 3,004,279 | 30 |
| 47 | Kansas | $96,358 | $55,000 | 2,913,123 | 20 |
| 48 | Georgia | $91,401 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 199 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $93,530 | $58,000 | 755,393 | 3 |
| 50 | Florida | $89,578 | $49,000 | 20,984,400 | 200 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $53,803 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 8 |
Highest paying states for academic affairs directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Academic Affairs Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $141,772 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $118,067 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $129,691 |
| 4 | Colorado | $123,211 |
| 5 | Oregon | $122,339 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $120,067 |
| 7 | Nevada | $140,735 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $117,583 |
| 9 | Alabama | $108,687 |
| 10 | Montana | $118,352 |
| 11 | Ohio | $116,951 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $120,390 |
| 13 | Michigan | $113,373 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $113,685 |
| 15 | New York | $113,537 |
| 16 | Utah | $109,068 |
| 17 | Texas | $109,335 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $110,759 |
| 19 | Arizona | $108,001 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $111,718 |
| 21 | Missouri | $109,431 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $107,451 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $109,539 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $106,061 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $107,174 |
| 26 | Washington | $108,724 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $104,406 |
| 28 | Maryland | $111,687 |
| 29 | Maine | $105,691 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $96,913 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $103,435 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $95,949 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $102,621 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $106,982 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $104,113 |
| 36 | Delaware | $103,087 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $100,084 |
| 38 | Vermont | $100,568 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $101,097 |
| 40 | Illinois | $95,621 |
| 41 | Virginia | $101,408 |
| 42 | Idaho | $101,217 |
| 43 | Iowa | $97,688 |
| 44 | Alaska | $80,841 |
| 45 | Indiana | $92,137 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $93,951 |
| 47 | Kansas | $96,358 |
| 48 | Georgia | $91,401 |
| 49 | North Dakota | $93,530 |
| 50 | Florida | $89,578 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $53,803 |
Academic affairs director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025