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Best states for an area manager
Quoted expert
Karen Kus
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Do you want to become an area manager at Walmart, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for area managers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. In fact, our research shows that New York is the best state for area managers in America. The best city in America for area managers with the highest pay is New York, NY.
The median salary for area managers in New York is $86,778. Compare that to the median salary in Vermont of $54,247, which ranked worst for area managers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that New York is the best state for area manager jobs, whereas Vermont is the worst.
10 best states for area managers in 2026
1. New York
Total area manager jobs: 4,515 Average annual salary: $86,778 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
2. Delaware
Total area manager jobs: 417 Average annual salary: $81,386 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
3. Nevada
Total area manager jobs: 729 Average annual salary: $76,263 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
4. Rhode Island
Total area manager jobs: 394 Average annual salary: $80,543 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
5. California
Total area manager jobs: 10,541 Average annual salary: $81,855 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
6. New Jersey
Total area manager jobs: 2,652 Average annual salary: $80,258 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1
7. Washington
Total area manager jobs: 2,253 Average annual salary: $82,810 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
8. Colorado
Total area manager jobs: 1,955 Average annual salary: $77,897 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
9. Massachusetts
Total area manager jobs: 2,757 Average annual salary: $81,434 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
10. North Carolina
Total area manager jobs: 3,245 Average annual salary: $72,806 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
Area manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an area manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an area manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $86,778 | $57,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,515 |
| 2 | Delaware | $81,386 | $54,000 | 961,939 | 417 |
| 3 | Nevada | $76,263 | $52,000 | 2,998,039 | 729 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $80,543 | $53,000 | 1,059,639 | 394 |
| 5 | California | $81,855 | $57,000 | 39,536,653 | 10,541 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $80,258 | $53,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,652 |
| 7 | Washington | $82,810 | $61,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,253 |
| 8 | Colorado | $77,897 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,955 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $81,434 | $53,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,757 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $72,806 | $48,000 | 10,273,419 | 3,245 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $77,702 | $51,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,085 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $78,988 | $56,000 | 869,666 | 224 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $76,866 | $53,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,530 |
| 14 | Illinois | $72,161 | $49,000 | 12,802,023 | 4,296 |
| 15 | Virginia | $73,692 | $48,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,323 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $72,503 | $51,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,198 |
| 17 | Texas | $68,527 | $46,000 | 28,304,596 | 7,178 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $67,884 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 2,021 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $70,148 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 603 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $84,196 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 451 |
| 21 | Indiana | $68,471 | $46,000 | 6,666,818 | 2,136 |
| 22 | Alabama | $66,292 | $43,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,530 |
| 23 | Maryland | $73,066 | $48,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,092 |
| 24 | Ohio | $65,374 | $44,000 | 11,658,609 | 3,297 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $68,237 | $58,000 | 1,427,538 | 318 |
| 26 | Arizona | $68,648 | $47,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,897 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $69,665 | $47,000 | 2,088,070 | 495 |
| 28 | Oregon | $70,179 | $51,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,293 |
| 29 | Montana | $68,610 | $49,000 | 1,050,493 | 357 |
| 30 | Florida | $62,792 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 5,930 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $65,461 | $46,000 | 579,315 | 188 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $66,471 | $47,000 | 755,393 | 254 |
| 33 | Michigan | $65,393 | $44,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,312 |
| 34 | Georgia | $61,136 | $40,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,921 |
| 35 | Kansas | $63,974 | $44,000 | 2,913,123 | 982 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $67,197 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 488 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,227 | $45,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,080 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $61,125 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 4,080 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $60,101 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,574 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $58,727 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 1,138 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $58,405 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 898 |
| 42 | Maine | $63,593 | $41,000 | 1,335,907 | 350 |
| 43 | Missouri | $63,337 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,707 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $56,861 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 1,268 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $62,014 | $42,000 | 3,930,864 | 871 |
| 46 | Utah | $59,550 | $41,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,023 |
| 47 | Alaska | $61,009 | $52,000 | 739,795 | 209 |
| 48 | Idaho | $60,390 | $43,000 | 1,716,943 | 410 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $54,512 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 399 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $52,695 | $35,000 | 2,984,100 | 609 |
| 51 | Vermont | $54,247 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 178 |
Highest paying states for area managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Area Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $86,778 |
| 2 | Delaware | $81,386 |
| 3 | Nevada | $76,263 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $80,543 |
| 5 | California | $81,855 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $80,258 |
| 7 | Washington | $82,810 |
| 8 | Colorado | $77,897 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $81,434 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $72,806 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $77,702 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $78,988 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $76,866 |
| 14 | Illinois | $72,161 |
| 15 | Virginia | $73,692 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $72,503 |
| 17 | Texas | $68,527 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $67,884 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $70,148 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $84,196 |
| 21 | Indiana | $68,471 |
| 22 | Alabama | $66,292 |
| 23 | Maryland | $73,066 |
| 24 | Ohio | $65,374 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $68,237 |
| 26 | Arizona | $68,648 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $69,665 |
| 28 | Oregon | $70,179 |
| 29 | Montana | $68,610 |
| 30 | Florida | $62,792 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $65,461 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $66,471 |
| 33 | Michigan | $65,393 |
| 34 | Georgia | $61,136 |
| 35 | Kansas | $63,974 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $67,197 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,227 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $61,125 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $60,101 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $58,727 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $58,405 |
| 42 | Maine | $63,593 |
| 43 | Missouri | $63,337 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $56,861 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $62,014 |
| 46 | Utah | $59,550 |
| 47 | Alaska | $61,009 |
| 48 | Idaho | $60,390 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $54,512 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $52,695 |
| 51 | Vermont | $54,247 |
Expert opinions on the best states for area managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for area managers to find work opportunities?
Karen Kus
Assistant Director of Career Services, SUNY Potsdam
Our graduates mostly stay within New York state, so it is a bit challenging for me to identify specific geographic areas that hire graduates with a degree in history. Larger metropolitan cities usually have more opportunities available, but candidate competition is likely higher. Since one can do so much with a degree in history, like work as a teacher, curator, researcher, etc., it's challenging to pinpoint a geographic area since the field of history can be open-ended. For instance, one might have luck landing a teaching position in New York or work as a researcher in Boston. I find if one is looking to find work that directly engages with history, it may be a good idea to explore opportunities in geographic areas that are known for or frequently celebrate history, like Washington, D.C. for instance.
Area manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025