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Best states for an associate director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for associate directors? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for associate director jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for associate directors. We found that New Jersey is the best state in the nation for associate directors, and people in Brick earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for associate directors. New Jersey is the best state for associate directors, where the median salary is $123,356.We found that New Jersey is the best state for associate director jobs, whereas Alaska is the worst.
10 best states for associate directors in 2026
1. New Jersey
Total associate director jobs: 2,072 Average annual salary: $123,356 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 2.36
2. Massachusetts
Total associate director jobs: 2,002 Average annual salary: $121,701 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
3. Delaware
Total associate director jobs: 226 Average annual salary: $114,411 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
4. New York
Total associate director jobs: 2,769 Average annual salary: $118,923 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.95
5. California
Total associate director jobs: 4,425 Average annual salary: $122,157 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
6. Pennsylvania
Total associate director jobs: 1,168 Average annual salary: $109,760 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. Connecticut
Total associate director jobs: 487 Average annual salary: $112,593 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
8. Rhode Island
Total associate director jobs: 136 Average annual salary: $108,922 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
9. North Carolina
Total associate director jobs: 1,033 Average annual salary: $105,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
10. Arizona
Total associate director jobs: 534 Average annual salary: $106,714 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Associate director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an associate director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an associate director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $123,356 | $85,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,072 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $121,701 | $84,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,002 |
| 3 | Delaware | $114,411 | $79,000 | 961,939 | 226 |
| 4 | New York | $118,923 | $82,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,769 |
| 5 | California | $122,157 | $80,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,425 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $109,760 | $76,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,168 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $112,593 | $78,000 | 3,588,184 | 487 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $108,922 | $75,000 | 1,059,639 | 136 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $105,792 | $74,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,033 |
| 10 | Arizona | $106,714 | $71,000 | 7,016,270 | 534 |
| 11 | Texas | $105,510 | $72,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,682 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $98,837 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 524 |
| 13 | Virginia | $108,464 | $75,000 | 8,470,020 | 832 |
| 14 | Nevada | $103,838 | $68,000 | 2,998,039 | 183 |
| 15 | Maryland | $113,120 | $78,000 | 6,052,177 | 534 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $103,511 | $72,000 | 693,972 | 456 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $105,803 | $71,000 | 2,088,070 | 118 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $100,823 | $70,000 | 4,454,189 | 246 |
| 19 | Illinois | $99,769 | $69,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,668 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $100,656 | $70,000 | 1,815,857 | 76 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $100,055 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 144 |
| 22 | Georgia | $98,793 | $69,000 | 10,429,379 | 877 |
| 23 | Michigan | $99,729 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 416 |
| 24 | Ohio | $98,285 | $68,000 | 11,658,609 | 658 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $92,489 | $64,000 | 2,984,100 | 318 |
| 26 | Alabama | $91,299 | $64,000 | 4,874,747 | 541 |
| 27 | Vermont | $93,570 | $64,000 | 623,657 | 97 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $95,398 | $66,000 | 5,576,606 | 583 |
| 29 | Oregon | $93,920 | $58,000 | 4,142,776 | 494 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $90,876 | $63,000 | 3,930,864 | 459 |
| 31 | Florida | $95,100 | $65,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,337 |
| 32 | Iowa | $94,703 | $66,000 | 3,145,711 | 208 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $96,303 | $68,000 | 5,024,369 | 204 |
| 34 | Maine | $95,046 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 88 |
| 35 | Washington | $92,015 | $58,000 | 7,405,743 | 660 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $92,913 | $64,000 | 5,795,483 | 389 |
| 37 | Indiana | $92,685 | $64,000 | 6,666,818 | 395 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $90,956 | $64,000 | 6,715,984 | 356 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $95,330 | $69,000 | 1,427,538 | 59 |
| 40 | Utah | $85,842 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 282 |
| 41 | Missouri | $90,546 | $63,000 | 6,113,532 | 403 |
| 42 | Colorado | $91,474 | $62,000 | 5,607,154 | 437 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $87,405 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 178 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $81,598 | $55,000 | 579,315 | 54 |
| 45 | Kansas | $85,367 | $59,000 | 2,913,123 | 226 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $88,894 | $61,000 | 869,666 | 55 |
| 47 | Montana | $77,225 | $51,000 | 1,050,493 | 111 |
| 48 | Idaho | $83,328 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 134 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $83,887 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 170 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $84,139 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 62 |
| 51 | Alaska | $68,346 | $43,000 | 739,795 | 67 |
Highest paying states for associate directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Associate Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $123,356 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $121,701 |
| 3 | Delaware | $114,411 |
| 4 | New York | $118,923 |
| 5 | California | $122,157 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $109,760 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $112,593 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $108,922 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $105,792 |
| 10 | Arizona | $106,714 |
| 11 | Texas | $105,510 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $98,837 |
| 13 | Virginia | $108,464 |
| 14 | Nevada | $103,838 |
| 15 | Maryland | $113,120 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $103,511 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $105,803 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $100,823 |
| 19 | Illinois | $99,769 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $100,656 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $100,055 |
| 22 | Georgia | $98,793 |
| 23 | Michigan | $99,729 |
| 24 | Ohio | $98,285 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $92,489 |
| 26 | Alabama | $91,299 |
| 27 | Vermont | $93,570 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $95,398 |
| 29 | Oregon | $93,920 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $90,876 |
| 31 | Florida | $95,100 |
| 32 | Iowa | $94,703 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $96,303 |
| 34 | Maine | $95,046 |
| 35 | Washington | $92,015 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $92,913 |
| 37 | Indiana | $92,685 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $90,956 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $95,330 |
| 40 | Utah | $85,842 |
| 41 | Missouri | $90,546 |
| 42 | Colorado | $91,474 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $87,405 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $81,598 |
| 45 | Kansas | $85,367 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $88,894 |
| 47 | Montana | $77,225 |
| 48 | Idaho | $83,328 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $83,887 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $84,139 |
| 51 | Alaska | $68,346 |
Associate director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025