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Best states for an associate director of nursing
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for associate directors of nursing? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for associate director of nursing jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Although there are abundant associate director of nursing jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. New York is the best state in the country for associate director of nursing jobs.
New York is the best state for jobs for associate directors of nursing, and South Carolina is the worst. The most common pay in New York is $105,633, while the median pay in South Carolina is $60,199.If you are currently seeking employment as an associate director of nursing, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for associate directors of nursing in 2026
1. New York
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 1,508 Average annual salary: $105,633 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
2. California
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 2,345 Average annual salary: $116,175 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
3. Nevada
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 131 Average annual salary: $98,054 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
4. Maryland
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 837 Average annual salary: $95,090 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.78
5. District of Columbia
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $113,607 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 0.44
6. New Jersey
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 832 Average annual salary: $95,007 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
7. Pennsylvania
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 174 Average annual salary: $100,534 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.2
8. Massachusetts
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 134 Average annual salary: $105,020 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.2
9. Oregon
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 470 Average annual salary: $88,969 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
10. Ohio
Total associate director of nursing jobs: 167 Average annual salary: $91,201 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 0.22
Associate director of nursing jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an associate director of nursing
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an associate director of nursing
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $105,633 | $73,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,508 |
| 2 | California | $116,175 | $78,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,345 |
| 3 | Nevada | $98,054 | $66,000 | 2,998,039 | 131 |
| 4 | Maryland | $95,090 | $66,000 | 6,052,177 | 837 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $113,607 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 55 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $95,007 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 832 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $100,534 | $70,000 | 12,805,537 | 174 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $105,020 | $73,000 | 6,859,819 | 134 |
| 9 | Oregon | $88,969 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 470 |
| 10 | Ohio | $91,201 | $63,000 | 11,658,609 | 167 |
| 11 | Delaware | $98,353 | $69,000 | 961,939 | 17 |
| 12 | Alaska | $92,207 | $65,000 | 739,795 | 44 |
| 13 | Idaho | $82,103 | $56,000 | 1,716,943 | 203 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $78,629 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 463 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $85,307 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 405 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $84,033 | $58,000 | 1,815,857 | 56 |
| 17 | Washington | $93,877 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 107 |
| 18 | Georgia | $80,483 | $54,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,199 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $89,016 | $62,000 | 1,059,639 | 17 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $74,650 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 773 |
| 21 | Illinois | $82,222 | $57,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,096 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $86,094 | $59,000 | 5,795,483 | 63 |
| 23 | Michigan | $75,366 | $52,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,118 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $77,663 | $55,000 | 579,315 | 46 |
| 25 | Arizona | $79,774 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 507 |
| 26 | Kansas | $71,706 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 451 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $83,567 | $57,000 | 5,576,606 | 84 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $68,192 | $46,000 | 2,088,070 | 303 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $81,008 | $66,000 | 1,427,538 | 59 |
| 30 | Alabama | $66,413 | $44,000 | 4,874,747 | 836 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $76,359 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 29 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $73,242 | $50,000 | 6,715,984 | 88 |
| 33 | Texas | $72,207 | $47,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,316 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $76,882 | $53,000 | 10,273,419 | 99 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $67,328 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 123 |
| 36 | Virginia | $72,304 | $50,000 | 8,470,020 | 929 |
| 37 | Vermont | $78,234 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 8 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $64,143 | $42,000 | 2,984,100 | 474 |
| 39 | Montana | $69,080 | $47,000 | 1,050,493 | 100 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $66,654 | $46,000 | 3,004,279 | 179 |
| 41 | Missouri | $66,659 | $47,000 | 6,113,532 | 528 |
| 42 | Maine | $70,097 | $49,000 | 1,335,907 | 21 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $58,263 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 739 |
| 44 | Colorado | $64,880 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 714 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $62,039 | $44,000 | 1,920,076 | 254 |
| 46 | Indiana | $65,726 | $46,000 | 6,666,818 | 152 |
| 47 | Iowa | $58,427 | $41,000 | 3,145,711 | 434 |
| 48 | Utah | $64,951 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 192 |
| 49 | Florida | $65,924 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 269 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $65,487 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 5 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $60,199 | $40,000 | 5,024,369 | 73 |
Highest paying states for associate directors of nursing
| Rank | State | Avg. Associate Director Of Nursing Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $105,633 |
| 2 | California | $116,175 |
| 3 | Nevada | $98,054 |
| 4 | Maryland | $95,090 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $113,607 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $95,007 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $100,534 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $105,020 |
| 9 | Oregon | $88,969 |
| 10 | Ohio | $91,201 |
| 11 | Delaware | $98,353 |
| 12 | Alaska | $92,207 |
| 13 | Idaho | $82,103 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $78,629 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $85,307 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $84,033 |
| 17 | Washington | $93,877 |
| 18 | Georgia | $80,483 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $89,016 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $74,650 |
| 21 | Illinois | $82,222 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $86,094 |
| 23 | Michigan | $75,366 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $77,663 |
| 25 | Arizona | $79,774 |
| 26 | Kansas | $71,706 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $83,567 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $68,192 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $81,008 |
| 30 | Alabama | $66,413 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $76,359 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $73,242 |
| 33 | Texas | $72,207 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $76,882 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $67,328 |
| 36 | Virginia | $72,304 |
| 37 | Vermont | $78,234 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $64,143 |
| 39 | Montana | $69,080 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $66,654 |
| 41 | Missouri | $66,659 |
| 42 | Maine | $70,097 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $58,263 |
| 44 | Colorado | $64,880 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $62,039 |
| 46 | Indiana | $65,726 |
| 47 | Iowa | $58,427 |
| 48 | Utah | $64,951 |
| 49 | Florida | $65,924 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $65,487 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $60,199 |
Associate director of nursing best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025