Director Salary By State: Highest-Paid Directors by State [2026]
Research Summary. Through comprehensive analysis conducted by the Zippia data science team, we present updated insights on director salaries across the United States for 2026:
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New York leads with the highest average director salary of $135,344.
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Iowa reports the lowest average director salary at $59,877.
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The national average salary for directors is $113,489.
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Nationally, directors earn an average hourly wage of $54.56.
For further details, explore our specific methodology.
Understanding Director Salaries
Salary remains a top priority in job considerations for many professionals. The question on everyone’s mind often is, “How much do directors earn in my area?”
While various factors influence individual salaries, we provide reliable data reflecting average director salaries across states, segmented by seniority level. Although your city might differ slightly from the state average, these figures offer a clear picture of expected compensation.
As of 2026, New York stands out as the state with the highest salary for directors.
Here’s a quick overview of the top ten states for director salaries:
Let’s examine how we arrived at these insights and review the complete ranking of all states.
Highest-Paid Directors By State
| Rank | State | Average Director Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $135,344 | $84,000 | $215,000 |
| 2 | California | $131,748 | $81,000 | $214,000 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $122,159 | $74,000 | $199,000 |
| 4 | Georgia | $109,902 | $66,000 | $181,000 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $109,188 | $65,000 | $180,000 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $104,675 | $62,000 | $176,000 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $103,465 | $62,000 | $172,000 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $100,633 | $62,000 | $163,000 |
| 9 | Texas | $100,310 | $58,000 | $171,000 |
| 10 | Washington | $97,159 | $57,000 | $164,000 |
| 11 | Virginia | $97,075 | $58,000 | $162,000 |
| 12 | Illinois | $96,039 | $56,000 | $161,000 |
| 13 | Maryland | $96,004 | $57,000 | $160,000 |
| 14 | Delaware | $92,963 | $55,000 | $156,000 |
| 15 | Nevada | $92,123 | $53,000 | $159,000 |
| 16 | Florida | $91,455 | $53,000 | $155,000 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $91,048 | $53,000 | $153,000 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $90,887 | $53,000 | $155,000 |
| 19 | Michigan | $90,763 | $53,000 | $154,000 |
| 20 | Arizona | $87,154 | $50,000 | $151,000 |
| 21 | Vermont | $87,042 | $50,000 | $151,000 |
| 22 | Oregon | $86,486 | $50,000 | $148,000 |
| 23 | Colorado | $85,569 | $50,000 | $144,000 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $85,460 | $50,000 | $145,000 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $84,174 | $48,000 | $145,000 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $83,557 | $49,000 | $141,000 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $79,223 | $46,000 | $134,000 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $77,396 | $45,000 | $130,000 |
| 29 | Maine | $76,641 | $44,000 | $133,000 |
| 30 | Ohio | $76,333 | $44,000 | $129,000 |
| 31 | Idaho | $76,110 | $45,000 | $128,000 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $75,391 | $44,000 | $127,000 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $75,041 | $44,000 | $127,000 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $73,599 | $42,000 | $128,000 |
| 35 | Missouri | $73,563 | $43,000 | $124,000 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $73,025 | $43,000 | $121,000 |
| 37 | Alabama | $71,484 | $42,000 | $120,000 |
| 38 | Montana | $69,926 | $42,000 | $114,000 |
| 39 | Alaska | $68,099 | $39,000 | $118,000 |
| 40 | Utah | $68,049 | $40,000 | $115,000 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $67,685 | $39,000 | $115,000 |
| 42 | Indiana | $66,872 | $39,000 | $113,000 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $66,539 | $39,000 | $112,000 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $65,553 | $39,000 | $109,000 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $65,507 | $38,000 | $112,000 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $64,637 | $38,000 | $108,000 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $64,476 | $38,000 | $107,000 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $63,773 | $37,000 | $108,000 |
| 49 | Kansas | $61,347 | $36,000 | $103,000 |
| 50 | Iowa | $59,877 | $35,000 | $100,000 |
Methodology: Director Salary By State
To accurately assess director salaries by state, Zippia aggregates data from multiple reliable sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Federal Labor Commission (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This data is complemented by actual salary listings from current job postings. The data science team then computes a weighted average to arrive at the average pay for directors in each state.
We ranked every state based on average annual salary data for directors, identifying the state with the highest salary as having the top average compensation for directors.
Director Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for directors?
The highest-paid state for directors is New York, with an average salary of $135,344 per year.
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What city pays directors the most?
New York, NY offers the highest average salary for directors at $139,575 per year.
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What is the lowest-paying state for directors?
The lowest-paying state for directors is Iowa, with an average salary of $59,877 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.
