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Best states for a business development & sales executive
Quoted expert
Heath Weber
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
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 & sales executive jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for business development & sales executives.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for business development & sales executive jobs.
The median salary for business development & sales executives in Wisconsin is $106,429. Compare that to the median salary in Mississippi of $78,878, which ranked worst for business development & sales executives, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Wisconsin is the best state for business development & sales executive jobs, whereas Mississippi is the worst.
10 best states for business development & sales executives in 2026
1. Wisconsin
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 1,954 Average annual salary: $106,429 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
2. Michigan
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 2,631 Average annual salary: $106,823 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
3. New Jersey
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 2,221 Average annual salary: $126,025 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
4. Pennsylvania
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 3,462 Average annual salary: $107,680 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
5. Oregon
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 1,216 Average annual salary: $113,558 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
6. Rhode Island
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 375 Average annual salary: $106,383 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
7. Utah
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 980 Average annual salary: $106,232 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
8. Indiana
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 2,002 Average annual salary: $105,067 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
9. New York
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 3,364 Average annual salary: $116,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
10. District of Columbia
Total business development & sales executive jobs: 668 Average annual salary: $106,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
Business development & sales executive jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a business development & sales executive
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a business development & sales executive
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $106,429 | $70,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,954 |
| 2 | Michigan | $106,823 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,631 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $126,025 | $83,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,221 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $107,680 | $70,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,462 |
| 5 | Oregon | $113,558 | $75,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,216 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $106,383 | $70,000 | 1,059,639 | 375 |
| 7 | Utah | $106,232 | $70,000 | 3,101,833 | 980 |
| 8 | Indiana | $105,067 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 2,002 |
| 9 | New York | $116,366 | $76,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,364 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $106,851 | $69,000 | 693,972 | 668 |
| 11 | Ohio | $98,981 | $64,000 | 11,658,609 | 3,507 |
| 12 | Delaware | $109,238 | $71,000 | 961,939 | 292 |
| 13 | Arizona | $100,598 | $65,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,964 |
| 14 | Nevada | $95,968 | $61,000 | 2,998,039 | 872 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $103,539 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,842 |
| 16 | Illinois | $101,749 | $66,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,645 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $102,243 | $66,000 | 1,815,857 | 386 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $105,155 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 386 |
| 19 | Vermont | $100,217 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 229 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $90,947 | $59,000 | 3,004,279 | 936 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $93,555 | $61,000 | 2,088,070 | 664 |
| 22 | Alaska | $96,095 | $68,000 | 739,795 | 291 |
| 23 | California | $107,331 | $68,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,404 |
| 24 | Maine | $100,400 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 253 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $90,968 | $60,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,905 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $89,758 | $61,000 | 869,666 | 342 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $91,210 | $62,000 | 755,393 | 287 |
| 28 | Washington | $100,318 | $66,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,916 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $100,742 | $66,000 | 3,588,184 | 794 |
| 30 | Iowa | $91,641 | $61,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,038 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $89,405 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 1,139 |
| 32 | Kansas | $85,690 | $57,000 | 2,913,123 | 1,098 |
| 33 | Idaho | $93,791 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 404 |
| 34 | Montana | $86,779 | $59,000 | 1,050,493 | 512 |
| 35 | Texas | $86,802 | $54,000 | 28,304,596 | 7,296 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $85,433 | $57,000 | 1,920,076 | 819 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $85,732 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,990 |
| 38 | Georgia | $90,298 | $58,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,005 |
| 39 | Virginia | $96,112 | $62,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,448 |
| 40 | Missouri | $86,778 | $57,000 | 6,113,532 | 2,091 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $92,074 | $59,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,291 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $82,372 | $56,000 | 579,315 | 216 |
| 43 | Florida | $85,827 | $53,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,497 |
| 44 | Colorado | $86,502 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,595 |
| 45 | Maryland | $91,951 | $59,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,300 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $75,728 | $60,000 | 1,427,538 | 220 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $80,743 | $52,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,249 |
| 48 | Alabama | $80,807 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,145 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $75,111 | $46,000 | 4,684,333 | 916 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $72,512 | $48,000 | 3,930,864 | 837 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $78,878 | $50,000 | 2,984,100 | 519 |
Highest paying states for business development & sales executives
| Rank | State | Avg. Business Development & Sales Executive Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $106,429 |
| 2 | Michigan | $106,823 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $126,025 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $107,680 |
| 5 | Oregon | $113,558 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $106,383 |
| 7 | Utah | $106,232 |
| 8 | Indiana | $105,067 |
| 9 | New York | $116,366 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $106,851 |
| 11 | Ohio | $98,981 |
| 12 | Delaware | $109,238 |
| 13 | Arizona | $100,598 |
| 14 | Nevada | $95,968 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $103,539 |
| 16 | Illinois | $101,749 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $102,243 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $105,155 |
| 19 | Vermont | $100,217 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $90,947 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $93,555 |
| 22 | Alaska | $96,095 |
| 23 | California | $107,331 |
| 24 | Maine | $100,400 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $90,968 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $89,758 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $91,210 |
| 28 | Washington | $100,318 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $100,742 |
| 30 | Iowa | $91,641 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $89,405 |
| 32 | Kansas | $85,690 |
| 33 | Idaho | $93,791 |
| 34 | Montana | $86,779 |
| 35 | Texas | $86,802 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $85,433 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $85,732 |
| 38 | Georgia | $90,298 |
| 39 | Virginia | $96,112 |
| 40 | Missouri | $86,778 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $92,074 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $82,372 |
| 43 | Florida | $85,827 |
| 44 | Colorado | $86,502 |
| 45 | Maryland | $91,951 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $75,728 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $80,743 |
| 48 | Alabama | $80,807 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $75,111 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $72,512 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $78,878 |
Expert opinions on the best states for business development & sales executives
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for business development & sales executives 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.
Business development & sales executive best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025