Leader Salary By State: Highest-Paid Leaders by State [2026]
Research Summary. In a comprehensive analysis conducted by the Zippia data science team, we’ve identified the current leader salary by state across the United States:
-
Maine boasts the highest leader salary at $107,828.
-
Utah ranks lowest with a leader salary of $53,190.
-
The national average salary for leaders stands at $86,964.
-
Nationally, the average hourly pay for leaders is $41.81.
For more details, explore our specific methodology.
Background
Consistently, surveys reveal that salary is the top priority for job seekers across all demographics. A key question remains: how much do leaders earn in my area?
While individual salaries can vary based on numerous factors, we provide robust data on average leader salaries by state, categorized by seniority level. Although local salaries may differ slightly from state averages, these figures offer a valuable benchmark for understanding potential earnings.
Currently, the state with the highest average salary for leaders is Maine.
Here’s a quick overview of the top ten states for leader salaries:
Now, let’s delve into the full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Leaders By State
| Rank | State | Average Leader Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $107,828 | $69,000 | $167,000 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $104,599 | $66,000 | $163,000 |
| 3 | New York | $103,282 | $64,000 | $165,000 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $102,385 | $64,000 | $162,000 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $101,643 | $62,000 | $164,000 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $98,747 | $62,000 | $155,000 |
| 7 | Delaware | $98,258 | $58,000 | $165,000 |
| 8 | California | $94,566 | $51,000 | $174,000 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $94,283 | $60,000 | $147,000 |
| 10 | Alaska | $93,599 | $67,000 | $129,000 |
| 11 | Maryland | $89,752 | $51,000 | $156,000 |
| 12 | Michigan | $89,516 | $51,000 | $156,000 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $88,157 | $52,000 | $147,000 |
| 14 | Texas | $85,680 | $45,000 | $162,000 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $84,817 | $44,000 | $160,000 |
| 16 | Illinois | $83,416 | $44,000 | $156,000 |
| 17 | Washington | $83,241 | $46,000 | $149,000 |
| 18 | Ohio | $82,488 | $45,000 | $150,000 |
| 19 | Virginia | $82,458 | $45,000 | $149,000 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $82,111 | $45,000 | $148,000 |
| 21 | Arizona | $81,652 | $42,000 | $157,000 |
| 22 | Vermont | $80,545 | $51,000 | $127,000 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $80,183 | $43,000 | $146,000 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $79,934 | $43,000 | $148,000 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $77,479 | $59,000 | $101,000 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $76,793 | $39,000 | $148,000 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $76,552 | $43,000 | $136,000 |
| 28 | Georgia | $76,227 | $39,000 | $147,000 |
| 29 | Alabama | $74,906 | $38,000 | $145,000 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $74,207 | $38,000 | $142,000 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $73,588 | $38,000 | $142,000 |
| 32 | Indiana | $73,550 | $38,000 | $141,000 |
| 33 | Florida | $73,323 | $38,000 | $137,000 |
| 34 | Oregon | $72,919 | $38,000 | $136,000 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $70,285 | $35,000 | $138,000 |
| 36 | Nevada | $70,220 | $35,000 | $138,000 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $69,711 | $34,000 | $140,000 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $68,797 | $34,000 | $138,000 |
| 39 | Missouri | $68,353 | $33,000 | $138,000 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $67,769 | $34,000 | $134,000 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $66,743 | $33,000 | $133,000 |
| 42 | Kansas | $65,466 | $31,000 | $134,000 |
| 43 | Idaho | $64,590 | $32,000 | $128,000 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $64,087 | $31,000 | $131,000 |
| 45 | Colorado | $63,949 | $30,000 | $132,000 |
| 46 | Iowa | $62,998 | $31,000 | $126,000 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $62,774 | $30,000 | $128,000 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $61,656 | $29,000 | $127,000 |
| 49 | Montana | $60,758 | $31,000 | $117,000 |
| 50 | Utah | $53,190 | $25,000 | $110,000 |
Methodology: Leader Salary By State
To gain insights into leader compensation across the states, Zippia has compiled data from various sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Labor Commission (FLC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We complement this data with actual salaries listed in job postings. Our data science team then calculates a weighted average based on these inputs to derive the average leader salary by state.
We ranked each state based on average annual salary data for leaders, identifying the highest-paid state as that with the highest average salary for leaders.
Leader Salary By State FAQs
-
What is the highest-paid state for leaders?
The highest-paid state for leaders is Maine, with an average salary of $107,828 per year.
-
What city pays leaders the most?
Portland, ME, offers the highest salary for leaders, averaging $108,922 per year.
-
What is the worst state for leaders?
The state with the lowest average salary for leaders is Utah, with an average salary of $53,190 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.
