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Best states for a business development director
Quoted expert
Heath Weber
- Rank 1 - 10
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and executive management careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to business development director jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for business development directors.As business development directors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for business development directors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a business development director, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for business development directors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.New Mexico is the best state, and Farmington is the city with the highest pay for business development directors.
10 best states for business development directors in 2026
1. New Mexico
Total business development director jobs: 513 Average annual salary: $133,693 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
2. Tennessee
Total business development director jobs: 1,353 Average annual salary: $126,078 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
3. Nevada
Total business development director jobs: 612 Average annual salary: $120,204 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
4. Michigan
Total business development director jobs: 1,879 Average annual salary: $121,314 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
5. Wisconsin
Total business development director jobs: 1,368 Average annual salary: $117,174 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. Massachusetts
Total business development director jobs: 1,799 Average annual salary: $126,285 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
7. South Carolina
Total business development director jobs: 817 Average annual salary: $121,106 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
8. Kansas
Total business development director jobs: 782 Average annual salary: $116,843 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
9. California
Total business development director jobs: 5,706 Average annual salary: $132,585 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
10. Missouri
Total business development director jobs: 1,378 Average annual salary: $117,231 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
Business development director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a business development director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a business development director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $133,693 | $85,000 | 2,088,070 | 513 |
| 2 | Tennessee | $126,078 | $78,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,353 |
| 3 | Nevada | $120,204 | $75,000 | 2,998,039 | 612 |
| 4 | Michigan | $121,314 | $74,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,879 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $117,174 | $72,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,368 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $126,285 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,799 |
| 7 | South Carolina | $121,106 | $74,000 | 5,024,369 | 817 |
| 8 | Kansas | $116,843 | $72,000 | 2,913,123 | 782 |
| 9 | California | $132,585 | $84,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,706 |
| 10 | Missouri | $117,231 | $72,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,378 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $119,966 | $73,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,263 |
| 12 | Utah | $120,028 | $75,000 | 3,101,833 | 479 |
| 13 | Washington | $123,897 | $77,000 | 7,405,743 | 918 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $123,721 | $76,000 | 3,588,184 | 434 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $115,124 | $70,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,270 |
| 16 | Indiana | $113,390 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,368 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $110,645 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,138 |
| 18 | Arizona | $114,455 | $71,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,203 |
| 19 | Alabama | $108,548 | $65,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,178 |
| 20 | New York | $117,665 | $71,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,812 |
| 21 | Ohio | $107,693 | $65,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,480 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $103,880 | $63,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,067 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $119,464 | $73,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,361 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $113,911 | $69,000 | 693,972 | 530 |
| 25 | Maine | $116,006 | $69,000 | 1,335,907 | 135 |
| 26 | Georgia | $112,876 | $68,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,967 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $105,235 | $63,000 | 4,454,189 | 872 |
| 28 | Illinois | $112,933 | $69,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,068 |
| 29 | Texas | $106,183 | $64,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,522 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $99,025 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 892 |
| 31 | Oregon | $108,474 | $67,000 | 4,142,776 | 828 |
| 32 | Maryland | $116,849 | $71,000 | 6,052,177 | 694 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $101,409 | $62,000 | 579,315 | 138 |
| 34 | Iowa | $95,091 | $57,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,171 |
| 35 | Colorado | $112,805 | $70,000 | 5,607,154 | 718 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $105,827 | $63,000 | 1,059,639 | 226 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $96,526 | $57,000 | 2,984,100 | 619 |
| 38 | Virginia | $111,083 | $67,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,369 |
| 39 | Montana | $96,075 | $59,000 | 1,050,493 | 364 |
| 40 | Idaho | $105,576 | $65,000 | 1,716,943 | 214 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $106,463 | $63,000 | 1,342,795 | 207 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $94,443 | $57,000 | 1,920,076 | 608 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $97,030 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 272 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $92,462 | $54,000 | 4,684,333 | 990 |
| 45 | Vermont | $103,267 | $61,000 | 623,657 | 135 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $92,739 | $56,000 | 869,666 | 266 |
| 47 | Alaska | $86,460 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 233 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $94,006 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 168 |
| 49 | Delaware | $100,992 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 141 |
| 50 | Florida | $83,266 | $48,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,710 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $72,133 | $52,000 | 1,427,538 | 141 |
Highest paying states for business development directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Business Development Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $133,693 |
| 2 | Tennessee | $126,078 |
| 3 | Nevada | $120,204 |
| 4 | Michigan | $121,314 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $117,174 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $126,285 |
| 7 | South Carolina | $121,106 |
| 8 | Kansas | $116,843 |
| 9 | California | $132,585 |
| 10 | Missouri | $117,231 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $119,966 |
| 12 | Utah | $120,028 |
| 13 | Washington | $123,897 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $123,721 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $115,124 |
| 16 | Indiana | $113,390 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $110,645 |
| 18 | Arizona | $114,455 |
| 19 | Alabama | $108,548 |
| 20 | New York | $117,665 |
| 21 | Ohio | $107,693 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $103,880 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $119,464 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $113,911 |
| 25 | Maine | $116,006 |
| 26 | Georgia | $112,876 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $105,235 |
| 28 | Illinois | $112,933 |
| 29 | Texas | $106,183 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $99,025 |
| 31 | Oregon | $108,474 |
| 32 | Maryland | $116,849 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $101,409 |
| 34 | Iowa | $95,091 |
| 35 | Colorado | $112,805 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $105,827 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $96,526 |
| 38 | Virginia | $111,083 |
| 39 | Montana | $96,075 |
| 40 | Idaho | $105,576 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $106,463 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $94,443 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $97,030 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $92,462 |
| 45 | Vermont | $103,267 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $92,739 |
| 47 | Alaska | $86,460 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $94,006 |
| 49 | Delaware | $100,992 |
| 50 | Florida | $83,266 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $72,133 |
Expert opinions on the best states for business development directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for business development directors to find work opportunities?
Heath Weber
Assoc Dean for Performing Arts, Morningside College
Music teachers are in demand in every state. All of the grads in the past two years have found employment in the country, but that is not to say that we don't have students who leave Iowa to pursue teaching in another state. One of our recent grads just took a position at Mitchell HS in Mitchell, SD, directing one of the country's best show choir programs. A 2020 grad is teaching vocal music at Sioux City East and one of the most consistently successful programs in the state of Iowa. Morningside grads are highly sought after in the field of education and Music Education.
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Updated January 8, 2025