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Best states for an associate/contractor
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to associate/contractor jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. As associate/contractors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for associate/contractors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an associate/contractor, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for associate/contractor jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that New York is the best state for associate/contractor jobs, whereas Montana is the worst.
10 best states for associate/contractors in 2025
1. New York
Total associate/contractor jobs: 519 Average annual salary: $71,463 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
2. Maryland
Total associate/contractor jobs: 194 Average annual salary: $73,620 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
3. Virginia
Total associate/contractor jobs: 304 Average annual salary: $69,092 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
4. Louisiana
Total associate/contractor jobs: 92 Average annual salary: $64,921 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
5. West Virginia
Total associate/contractor jobs: 47 Average annual salary: $62,680 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
6. California
Total associate/contractor jobs: 701 Average annual salary: $76,350 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
7. Delaware
Total associate/contractor jobs: 28 Average annual salary: $69,753 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
8. New Jersey
Total associate/contractor jobs: 205 Average annual salary: $68,005 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
9. District of Columbia
Total associate/contractor jobs: 58 Average annual salary: $67,735 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
10. Nevada
Total associate/contractor jobs: 43 Average annual salary: $66,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Associate/contractor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an associate/contractor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an associate/contractor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $71,463 | $38,000 | 19,849,399 | 519 |
| 2 | Maryland | $73,620 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 194 |
| 3 | Virginia | $69,092 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 304 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $64,921 | $37,000 | 4,684,333 | 92 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $62,680 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 47 |
| 6 | California | $76,350 | $47,000 | 39,536,653 | 701 |
| 7 | Delaware | $69,753 | $38,000 | 961,939 | 28 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $68,005 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 205 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $67,735 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 58 |
| 10 | Nevada | $66,708 | $42,000 | 2,998,039 | 43 |
| 11 | Texas | $59,006 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 626 |
| 12 | Michigan | $64,736 | $37,000 | 9,962,311 | 152 |
| 13 | Kansas | $59,745 | $37,000 | 2,913,123 | 77 |
| 14 | Arizona | $62,933 | $39,000 | 7,016,270 | 131 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $61,502 | $33,000 | 1,059,639 | 32 |
| 16 | Ohio | $61,431 | $35,000 | 11,658,609 | 227 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $61,331 | $33,000 | 3,588,184 | 93 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $57,616 | $31,000 | 12,805,537 | 314 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $57,877 | $34,000 | 6,715,984 | 127 |
| 20 | Illinois | $59,579 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 291 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $58,138 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 242 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $57,973 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 67 |
| 23 | Oregon | $53,815 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 105 |
| 24 | Colorado | $55,358 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 142 |
| 25 | Alabama | $50,674 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 132 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $56,159 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 97 |
| 27 | Iowa | $55,675 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 63 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $53,745 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 101 |
| 29 | Indiana | $53,661 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 145 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $53,113 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 55 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $56,542 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 35 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $54,102 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 63 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $50,466 | $27,000 | 6,859,819 | 260 |
| 34 | Florida | $49,844 | $27,000 | 20,984,400 | 425 |
| 35 | Georgia | $55,720 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 186 |
| 36 | Missouri | $51,694 | $31,000 | 6,113,532 | 134 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $46,319 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 60 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $53,992 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 31 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $57,714 | $44,000 | 1,427,538 | 6 |
| 40 | Washington | $47,748 | $32,000 | 7,405,743 | 175 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $40,954 | $27,000 | 579,315 | 18 |
| 42 | Alaska | $47,802 | $36,000 | 739,795 | 14 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $45,450 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 22 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $37,476 | $20,000 | 1,342,795 | 45 |
| 45 | Vermont | $35,312 | $19,000 | 623,657 | 21 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $45,784 | $28,000 | 5,576,606 | 118 |
| 47 | Utah | $43,917 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 64 |
| 48 | Maine | $35,981 | $20,000 | 1,335,907 | 32 |
| 49 | Idaho | $45,177 | $30,000 | 1,716,943 | 24 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $41,277 | $27,000 | 755,393 | 20 |
| 51 | Montana | $38,168 | $26,000 | 1,050,493 | 24 |
Highest paying states for associate/contractors
| Rank | State | Avg. Associate/Contractor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $71,463 |
| 2 | Maryland | $73,620 |
| 3 | Virginia | $69,092 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $64,921 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $62,680 |
| 6 | California | $76,350 |
| 7 | Delaware | $69,753 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $68,005 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $67,735 |
| 10 | Nevada | $66,708 |
| 11 | Texas | $59,006 |
| 12 | Michigan | $64,736 |
| 13 | Kansas | $59,745 |
| 14 | Arizona | $62,933 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $61,502 |
| 16 | Ohio | $61,431 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $61,331 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $57,616 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $57,877 |
| 20 | Illinois | $59,579 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $58,138 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $57,973 |
| 23 | Oregon | $53,815 |
| 24 | Colorado | $55,358 |
| 25 | Alabama | $50,674 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $56,159 |
| 27 | Iowa | $55,675 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $53,745 |
| 29 | Indiana | $53,661 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $53,113 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $56,542 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $54,102 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | $50,466 |
| 34 | Florida | $49,844 |
| 35 | Georgia | $55,720 |
| 36 | Missouri | $51,694 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $46,319 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $53,992 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $57,714 |
| 40 | Washington | $47,748 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $40,954 |
| 42 | Alaska | $47,802 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $45,450 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $37,476 |
| 45 | Vermont | $35,312 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $45,784 |
| 47 | Utah | $43,917 |
| 48 | Maine | $35,981 |
| 49 | Idaho | $45,177 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $41,277 |
| 51 | Montana | $38,168 |
Associate/contractor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025