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Best states for a business director
Quoted expert
Patrick Scott Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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- 41 - 51
It seems like business directors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for business directors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In fact, our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state for business directors in America. The best city in America for business directors with the highest pay is Providence, RI.
In order to get you the best states for business directors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a business director, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for business directors in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total business director jobs: 562 Average annual salary: $151,947 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $218,000 Location Quotient: 2.19
2. New York
Total business director jobs: 2,733 Average annual salary: $142,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
3. Massachusetts
Total business director jobs: 1,703 Average annual salary: $135,613 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
4. Rhode Island
Total business director jobs: 169 Average annual salary: $156,916 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $224,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
5. Delaware
Total business director jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $136,144 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
6. California
Total business director jobs: 5,343 Average annual salary: $136,296 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
7. South Dakota
Total business director jobs: 302 Average annual salary: $112,935 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.85
8. New Jersey
Total business director jobs: 1,323 Average annual salary: $133,862 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. Nevada
Total business director jobs: 428 Average annual salary: $116,081 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
10. New Mexico
Total business director jobs: 277 Average annual salary: $122,509 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
Business director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a business director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a business director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $151,947 | $105,000 | 693,972 | 562 |
| 2 | New York | $142,754 | $98,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,733 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $135,613 | $92,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,703 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $156,916 | $109,000 | 1,059,639 | 169 |
| 5 | Delaware | $136,144 | $93,000 | 961,939 | 186 |
| 6 | California | $136,296 | $91,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,343 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $112,935 | $77,000 | 869,666 | 302 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $133,862 | $91,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,323 |
| 9 | Nevada | $116,081 | $77,000 | 2,998,039 | 428 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $122,509 | $81,000 | 2,088,070 | 277 |
| 11 | Washington | $130,669 | $87,000 | 7,405,743 | 953 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $114,132 | $78,000 | 5,795,483 | 961 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $121,863 | $83,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,186 |
| 14 | Virginia | $129,536 | $88,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,167 |
| 15 | Alabama | $107,736 | $72,000 | 4,874,747 | 928 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $123,115 | $83,000 | 3,588,184 | 466 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $104,650 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 843 |
| 18 | Illinois | $114,518 | $78,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,023 |
| 19 | Colorado | $123,413 | $84,000 | 5,607,154 | 645 |
| 20 | Michigan | $108,470 | $73,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,270 |
| 21 | Oregon | $112,281 | $74,000 | 4,142,776 | 621 |
| 22 | Ohio | $100,785 | $68,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,688 |
| 23 | Kansas | $100,034 | $68,000 | 2,913,123 | 545 |
| 24 | Maryland | $117,119 | $79,000 | 6,052,177 | 653 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $109,960 | $75,000 | 5,576,606 | 718 |
| 26 | Texas | $104,745 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,256 |
| 27 | Utah | $90,719 | $60,000 | 3,101,833 | 758 |
| 28 | Arizona | $103,513 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 668 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $105,284 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,136 |
| 30 | Indiana | $94,892 | $64,000 | 6,666,818 | 987 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $85,281 | $56,000 | 2,984,100 | 500 |
| 32 | Georgia | $95,759 | $65,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,238 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $94,024 | $63,000 | 5,024,369 | 547 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $87,882 | $59,000 | 6,715,984 | 886 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $97,462 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 178 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $86,094 | $58,000 | 1,920,076 | 436 |
| 37 | Alaska | $88,049 | $59,000 | 739,795 | 159 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $84,976 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 642 |
| 39 | Missouri | $86,395 | $58,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,032 |
| 40 | Florida | $93,616 | $60,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,695 |
| 41 | Vermont | $92,088 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 100 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $79,816 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 685 |
| 43 | Iowa | $85,057 | $58,000 | 3,145,711 | 566 |
| 44 | Idaho | $91,157 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 167 |
| 45 | Montana | $79,845 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 242 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $84,440 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 183 |
| 47 | Maine | $88,873 | $60,000 | 1,335,907 | 121 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $67,086 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 513 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $85,491 | $63,000 | 1,427,538 | 73 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $76,650 | $53,000 | 755,393 | 104 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $79,465 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 57 |
Highest paying states for business directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Business Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $151,947 |
| 2 | New York | $142,754 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $135,613 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $156,916 |
| 5 | Delaware | $136,144 |
| 6 | California | $136,296 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $112,935 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $133,862 |
| 9 | Nevada | $116,081 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $122,509 |
| 11 | Washington | $130,669 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $114,132 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $121,863 |
| 14 | Virginia | $129,536 |
| 15 | Alabama | $107,736 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $123,115 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $104,650 |
| 18 | Illinois | $114,518 |
| 19 | Colorado | $123,413 |
| 20 | Michigan | $108,470 |
| 21 | Oregon | $112,281 |
| 22 | Ohio | $100,785 |
| 23 | Kansas | $100,034 |
| 24 | Maryland | $117,119 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $109,960 |
| 26 | Texas | $104,745 |
| 27 | Utah | $90,719 |
| 28 | Arizona | $103,513 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $105,284 |
| 30 | Indiana | $94,892 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $85,281 |
| 32 | Georgia | $95,759 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $94,024 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $87,882 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $97,462 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $86,094 |
| 37 | Alaska | $88,049 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $84,976 |
| 39 | Missouri | $86,395 |
| 40 | Florida | $93,616 |
| 41 | Vermont | $92,088 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $79,816 |
| 43 | Iowa | $85,057 |
| 44 | Idaho | $91,157 |
| 45 | Montana | $79,845 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $84,440 |
| 47 | Maine | $88,873 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $67,086 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $85,491 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $76,650 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $79,465 |
Expert opinions on the best states for business directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for business directors to find work opportunities?
Patrick Scott Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics, Louisiana Tech University
We have had success in placing our candidates from the College of Business at Louisiana Tech University in all portions of the country. Small towns, to large cities, to graduate programs, and beyond are all able to benefit from the skills learned by these majors.
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Updated January 8, 2025