Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we have updated the details of sales leader salary by state for the United States as of 2026:
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California continues to have the highest sales leader salary at $85,043
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Maine has the lowest sales leader salary, which is $39,925
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The national average salary for sales leaders is $68,699
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The national hourly pay for sales leaders is $33.03
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
Consistently, surveys show that the most important aspect of a job for many professionals is salary — how much do sales leaders earn in my area?
Although individual salary expectations can vary based on experience, industry, and location, average salaries for sales leaders by state in the U.S. provide a solid foundation for understanding potential earnings across different regions. While specific city salaries may differ from state averages, these figures offer a useful benchmark.
As of 2026, California remains the top-paying state for sales leaders.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for sales leader salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we compiled this information and the complete ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Sales Leaders By State
| Rank | State | Average Sales Leader Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $85,043 | $44,000 | $162,000 |
| 2 | Tennessee | $76,467 | $37,000 | $154,000 |
| 3 | Texas | $76,390 | $38,000 | $149,000 |
| 4 | Georgia | $74,204 | $36,000 | $152,000 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $72,900 | $32,000 | $164,000 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $72,601 | $57,000 | $90,000 |
| 7 | Virginia | $70,593 | $31,000 | $157,000 |
| 8 | New York | $69,242 | $30,000 | $158,000 |
| 9 | Washington | $69,099 | $35,000 | $133,000 |
| 10 | Illinois | $66,292 | $31,000 | $139,000 |
| 11 | Arizona | $63,309 | $32,000 | $125,000 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $63,172 | $30,000 | $130,000 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $62,431 | $25,000 | $150,000 |
| 14 | Nevada | $61,411 | $30,000 | $123,000 |
| 15 | Colorado | $61,222 | $31,000 | $117,000 |
| 16 | Florida | $61,009 | $28,000 | $128,000 |
| 17 | Utah | $60,419 | $31,000 | $116,000 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $60,265 | $29,000 | $122,000 |
| 19 | Delaware | $60,034 | $25,000 | $141,000 |
| 20 | Missouri | $59,785 | $29,000 | $122,000 |
| 21 | Kansas | $59,692 | $29,000 | $119,000 |
| 22 | Alabama | $59,639 | $28,000 | $125,000 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $59,262 | $29,000 | $118,000 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $59,033 | $26,000 | $131,000 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $58,149 | $29,000 | $116,000 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $57,204 | $26,000 | $123,000 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $56,904 | $28,000 | $112,000 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $56,573 | $22,000 | $139,000 |
| 29 | Maryland | $56,549 | $23,000 | $134,000 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $56,358 | $27,000 | $114,000 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $55,967 | $26,000 | $116,000 |
| 32 | Oregon | $54,244 | $27,000 | $107,000 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $53,952 | $24,000 | $119,000 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $53,138 | $21,000 | $131,000 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $53,011 | $27,000 | $101,000 |
| 36 | Idaho | $51,685 | $27,000 | $98,000 |
| 37 | Michigan | $51,636 | $22,000 | $119,000 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $51,257 | $20,000 | $131,000 |
| 39 | Montana | $50,572 | $28,000 | $90,000 |
| 40 | Indiana | $49,797 | $22,000 | $109,000 |
| 41 | Ohio | $49,140 | $21,000 | $114,000 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $48,348 | $22,000 | $105,000 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $47,942 | $19,000 | $118,000 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $47,449 | $25,000 | $89,000 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $46,020 | $24,000 | $86,000 |
| 46 | Alaska | $44,096 | $25,000 | $77,000 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $43,912 | $18,000 | $103,000 |
| 48 | Vermont | $43,602 | $16,000 | $115,000 |
| 49 | Iowa | $43,575 | $21,000 | $88,000 |
| 50 | Maine | $39,925 | $14,000 | $109,000 |
Methodology: Sales Leader Salary By State
To better understand sales leader pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data from various sources including the BLS, FLC, and OPM, supplemented by actual listed salaries from job postings. Our data science team calculates a weighted average based on these inputs to derive average salaries for sales leaders by state.
We ranked every state based on the average annual salary for sales leaders, with the highest average salary state ranked accordingly.
Sales Leader Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for sales leaders?
The highest-paid state for sales leaders is California, with an average salary of $85,043 per year.
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What city pays sales leaders the most?
San Francisco, CA pays sales leaders the most, with an average salary of $87,872 per year.
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What is the worst state for sales leaders?
The worst state for sales leaders is Maine, with an average salary of $39,925 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.
