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Best states for a business executive
Quoted expert
Jim Drinkwine
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for business executives in the United States. Business executive positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for business executives.Our research found that Massachusetts is the best state for business executives, while New York and Massachusetts are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Massachusetts has a median salary of $105,272 and New York has the highest median salary among all 50 states for business executives.
We figured that the best places for business executive jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that the South is best for business executives, and the Northeast is the worst. Albany, NY is the best city in the country for business executive jobs, where as Massachusetts is the best state in the country.
10 best states for business executives in 2026
1. Massachusetts
Total business executive jobs: 2,109 Average annual salary: $105,272 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
2. Washington
Total business executive jobs: 1,452 Average annual salary: $103,200 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
3. Rhode Island
Total business executive jobs: 270 Average annual salary: $94,202 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
4. Alaska
Total business executive jobs: 176 Average annual salary: $94,881 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
5. Wisconsin
Total business executive jobs: 1,203 Average annual salary: $89,214 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
6. Connecticut
Total business executive jobs: 625 Average annual salary: $96,087 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
7. New York
Total business executive jobs: 2,059 Average annual salary: $110,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
8. Colorado
Total business executive jobs: 1,072 Average annual salary: $96,839 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
9. New Jersey
Total business executive jobs: 1,670 Average annual salary: $90,573 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
10. Ohio
Total business executive jobs: 2,263 Average annual salary: $79,478 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
Business executive jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a business executive
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a business executive
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $105,272 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,109 |
| 2 | Washington | $103,200 | $58,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,452 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $94,202 | $53,000 | 1,059,639 | 270 |
| 4 | Alaska | $94,881 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 176 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $89,214 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,203 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $96,087 | $54,000 | 3,588,184 | 625 |
| 7 | New York | $110,756 | $63,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,059 |
| 8 | Colorado | $96,839 | $53,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,072 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $90,573 | $49,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,670 |
| 10 | Ohio | $79,478 | $41,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,263 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $86,877 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 422 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $89,545 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,843 |
| 13 | California | $91,659 | $48,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,937 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $77,853 | $42,000 | 869,666 | 210 |
| 15 | Maryland | $91,392 | $49,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,022 |
| 16 | Delaware | $87,112 | $46,000 | 961,939 | 216 |
| 17 | Illinois | $72,034 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,618 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $71,549 | $40,000 | 755,393 | 189 |
| 19 | Virginia | $76,022 | $39,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,882 |
| 20 | Nevada | $66,855 | $33,000 | 2,998,039 | 554 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $68,676 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,695 |
| 22 | Montana | $64,000 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 318 |
| 23 | Maine | $83,744 | $48,000 | 1,335,907 | 187 |
| 24 | Michigan | $66,059 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,552 |
| 25 | Vermont | $69,203 | $39,000 | 623,657 | 155 |
| 26 | Oregon | $78,508 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 661 |
| 27 | Missouri | $61,912 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,362 |
| 28 | Texas | $66,962 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,968 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $68,830 | $35,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,650 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $71,928 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 285 |
| 31 | Idaho | $69,484 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 274 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $57,428 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 521 |
| 33 | Utah | $60,849 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 624 |
| 34 | Indiana | $58,234 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,193 |
| 35 | Kansas | $53,454 | $27,000 | 2,913,123 | 692 |
| 36 | Iowa | $57,388 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 683 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $51,518 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,243 |
| 38 | Arizona | $55,540 | $27,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,051 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $46,900 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 582 |
| 40 | Alabama | $55,978 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 722 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $55,346 | $28,000 | 1,815,857 | 241 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $55,331 | $29,000 | 579,315 | 97 |
| 43 | Georgia | $54,011 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,738 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $50,570 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 350 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $48,312 | $25,000 | 4,684,333 | 595 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $57,068 | $43,000 | 1,427,538 | 125 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $49,783 | $25,000 | 3,930,864 | 519 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $48,377 | $24,000 | 5,024,369 | 802 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $41,217 | $21,000 | 4,454,189 | 723 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $44,743 | $23,000 | 2,984,100 | 311 |
| 51 | Florida | $41,928 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,428 |
Highest paying states for business executives
| Rank | State | Avg. Business Executive Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $105,272 |
| 2 | Washington | $103,200 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $94,202 |
| 4 | Alaska | $94,881 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $89,214 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $96,087 |
| 7 | New York | $110,756 |
| 8 | Colorado | $96,839 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $90,573 |
| 10 | Ohio | $79,478 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $86,877 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $89,545 |
| 13 | California | $91,659 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $77,853 |
| 15 | Maryland | $91,392 |
| 16 | Delaware | $87,112 |
| 17 | Illinois | $72,034 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $71,549 |
| 19 | Virginia | $76,022 |
| 20 | Nevada | $66,855 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $68,676 |
| 22 | Montana | $64,000 |
| 23 | Maine | $83,744 |
| 24 | Michigan | $66,059 |
| 25 | Vermont | $69,203 |
| 26 | Oregon | $78,508 |
| 27 | Missouri | $61,912 |
| 28 | Texas | $66,962 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $68,830 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $71,928 |
| 31 | Idaho | $69,484 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $57,428 |
| 33 | Utah | $60,849 |
| 34 | Indiana | $58,234 |
| 35 | Kansas | $53,454 |
| 36 | Iowa | $57,388 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $51,518 |
| 38 | Arizona | $55,540 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $46,900 |
| 40 | Alabama | $55,978 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $55,346 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $55,331 |
| 43 | Georgia | $54,011 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $50,570 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $48,312 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $57,068 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $49,783 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $48,377 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $41,217 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $44,743 |
| 51 | Florida | $41,928 |
Expert opinions on the best states for business executives
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for business executives to find work opportunities?
Jim Drinkwine
Professor, Whatcom Community College
This is a hard question to answer for someone with a business degree. That's because business is a very flexible area of study and can be used in so many industries - from accounting to finance to marketing to even running a yoga studio. While several areas are seeing a lot of growth (the Phoenix area, the Bay Area, Boston, Austin, TX, Boise, ID...) where you want to work depends on the type of work you want, cost of living, and the kind of lifestyle you're looking for. Something else to consider in today's work world is the ability to work remotely. While some businesses are trying to bring employees back to the office, others have already said remote work will continue into 2021. Some jobs have been converted to permanent remote work.
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Updated January 8, 2025