Research Summary. Following extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we present updated insights on assistant director salaries across the United States for 2026:
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California continues to lead with the highest assistant director salary of $93,031
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Arkansas still has the lowest assistant director salary at $33,652
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The national average salary for assistant directors has risen to $63,063
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The national hourly wage for assistant directors is currently $30.32
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In job surveys across various demographics, salary remains the foremost priority for most individuals. The question on everyone’s mind is, “How much do assistant directors earn in my area?”
While many factors can influence your individual salary expectations, comprehensive data on average assistant director salaries by state—broken down by seniority level—offers a solid baseline. Although your city may vary slightly from the state average, these figures provide a valuable guide to what you can anticipate in terms of compensation.
For 2026, California still claims the top spot for assistant director salaries.
Here’s a summary of the top ten states for assistant director salaries:
Let’s explore how we arrived at these figures and provide a comprehensive ranking of all states.
Highest-Paid Assistant Directors By State
| Rank | State | Average Assistant Director Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $93,031 | $54,000 | $158,000 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $89,025 | $51,000 | $152,000 |
| 3 | New York | $86,077 | $49,000 | $148,000 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $72,794 | $42,000 | $123,000 |
| 5 | Nevada | $72,179 | $41,000 | $124,000 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $72,102 | $41,000 | $124,000 |
| 7 | Washington | $68,883 | $40,000 | $116,000 |
| 8 | Maryland | $64,914 | $37,000 | $112,000 |
| 9 | Oregon | $61,854 | $36,000 | $104,000 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $57,713 | $34,000 | $97,000 |
| 11 | Illinois | $57,278 | $34,000 | $96,000 |
| 12 | Virginia | $57,047 | $32,000 | $98,000 |
| 13 | Michigan | $56,958 | $33,000 | $97,000 |
| 14 | Georgia | $56,082 | $33,000 | $93,000 |
| 15 | Vermont | $56,036 | $33,000 | $94,000 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $55,679 | $33,000 | $91,000 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $54,810 | $32,000 | $93,000 |
| 18 | Delaware | $54,772 | $31,000 | $95,000 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $53,790 | $33,000 | $87,000 |
| 20 | Arizona | $53,126 | $31,000 | $88,000 |
| 21 | Alaska | $52,992 | $37,000 | $74,000 |
| 22 | Colorado | $52,594 | $32,000 | $85,000 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $52,374 | $30,000 | $90,000 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $52,205 | $31,000 | $87,000 |
| 25 | Texas | $51,177 | $30,000 | $85,000 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $48,408 | $29,000 | $80,000 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $48,350 | $28,000 | $81,000 |
| 28 | Florida | $48,310 | $29,000 | $80,000 |
| 29 | Montana | $48,275 | $29,000 | $78,000 |
| 30 | Idaho | $47,964 | $28,000 | $79,000 |
| 31 | Utah | $47,476 | $28,000 | $78,000 |
| 32 | Ohio | $47,469 | $27,000 | $81,000 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $47,442 | $29,000 | $77,000 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $47,358 | $28,000 | $77,000 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $45,897 | $28,000 | $75,000 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $45,846 | $26,000 | $78,000 |
| 37 | Indiana | $44,643 | $26,000 | $75,000 |
| 38 | Maine | $44,118 | $26,000 | $73,000 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $43,630 | $27,000 | $70,000 |
| 40 | Missouri | $43,100 | $26,000 | $71,000 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $42,366 | $25,000 | $70,000 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $42,060 | $25,000 | $70,000 |
| 43 | Kansas | $40,891 | $25,000 | $66,000 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $40,676 | $24,000 | $67,000 |
| 45 | Alabama | $40,223 | $24,000 | $66,000 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $39,821 | $28,000 | $54,000 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $39,772 | $23,000 | $66,000 |
| 48 | Iowa | $39,710 | $24,000 | $65,000 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $36,813 | $21,000 | $61,000 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $33,652 | $20,000 | $55,000 |
Methodology: Assistant Director Salary By State
To provide clarity on assistant director salaries by state, Zippia aggregates data from multiple reliable sources, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. Additionally, we incorporate actual salary listings from job postings. Our data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to derive the average salary for assistant directors in each state.
We compiled the average annual salary data for assistant directors from these estimates and ranked each state based on this criterion, with the highest salary receiving the top ranking.
Assistant Director Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for assistant directors?
The highest-paid state for assistant directors is California, with an average salary of $93,031 per year.
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What city pays assistant directors the most?
San Francisco, CA offers the highest salaries for assistant directors, averaging $98,073 per year.
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What is the lowest-paying state for assistant directors?
The lowest-paying state for assistant directors is Arkansas, with an average salary of $33,652 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
