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Best states for a business owner
Quoted expert
Patrick Scott Ph.D.
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Business owner opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for business owners, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for business owners.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 owner jobs.
The median salary for business owners in Washington is $120,339. Compare that to the median salary in Florida of $42,325, which ranked worst for business owners, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Washington is the best state, and Olympia is the city with the highest pay for business owners.
10 best states for business owners in 2026
1. Washington
Total business owner jobs: 1,712 Average annual salary: $120,339 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
2. Pennsylvania
Total business owner jobs: 4,194 Average annual salary: $92,646 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
3. Wisconsin
Total business owner jobs: 2,248 Average annual salary: $91,688 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
4. Rhode Island
Total business owner jobs: 245 Average annual salary: $97,770 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
5. Minnesota
Total business owner jobs: 2,874 Average annual salary: $88,999 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.75
6. New York
Total business owner jobs: 2,170 Average annual salary: $109,284 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 0.68
7. Oregon
Total business owner jobs: 1,224 Average annual salary: $92,421 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
8. Colorado
Total business owner jobs: 1,115 Average annual salary: $97,650 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
9. New Jersey
Total business owner jobs: 368 Average annual salary: $110,331 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 0.19
10. Michigan
Total business owner jobs: 3,359 Average annual salary: $82,706 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.75
Business owner jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a business owner
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a business owner
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $120,339 | $80,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,712 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $92,646 | $59,000 | 12,805,537 | 4,194 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $91,688 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 2,248 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $97,770 | $64,000 | 1,059,639 | 245 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $88,999 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,874 |
| 6 | New York | $109,284 | $71,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,170 |
| 7 | Oregon | $92,421 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,224 |
| 8 | Colorado | $97,650 | $62,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,115 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $110,331 | $71,000 | 9,005,644 | 368 |
| 10 | Michigan | $82,706 | $53,000 | 9,962,311 | 3,359 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $94,551 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 155 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $99,694 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 242 |
| 13 | California | $102,886 | $62,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,118 |
| 14 | Delaware | $96,002 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 182 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $100,871 | $62,000 | 693,972 | 117 |
| 16 | Virginia | $83,950 | $50,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,647 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $74,104 | $49,000 | 579,315 | 300 |
| 18 | Ohio | $77,448 | $48,000 | 11,658,609 | 3,230 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $86,006 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 303 |
| 20 | Nevada | $81,892 | $50,000 | 2,998,039 | 460 |
| 21 | Maryland | $87,549 | $54,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,091 |
| 22 | Illinois | $82,107 | $52,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,789 |
| 23 | Montana | $79,535 | $55,000 | 1,050,493 | 206 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $66,190 | $38,000 | 2,088,070 | 1,000 |
| 25 | Maine | $77,525 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 261 |
| 26 | Utah | $71,018 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,143 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $86,852 | $57,000 | 6,859,819 | 511 |
| 28 | Indiana | $67,811 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 2,328 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $58,739 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 813 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $61,219 | $35,000 | 10,273,419 | 4,288 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $75,903 | $54,000 | 755,393 | 62 |
| 32 | Arizona | $74,532 | $43,000 | 7,016,270 | 760 |
| 33 | Alaska | $75,597 | $61,000 | 739,795 | 127 |
| 34 | Vermont | $67,008 | $44,000 | 623,657 | 187 |
| 35 | Kansas | $59,837 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 961 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $54,976 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 2,751 |
| 37 | Texas | $60,144 | $33,000 | 28,304,596 | 6,237 |
| 38 | Idaho | $73,981 | $49,000 | 1,716,943 | 49 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $69,255 | $44,000 | 1,920,076 | 312 |
| 40 | Missouri | $60,703 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,539 |
| 41 | Iowa | $68,210 | $44,000 | 3,145,711 | 445 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $55,202 | $32,000 | 3,930,864 | 832 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $48,507 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,968 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $53,597 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 789 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $46,965 | $26,000 | 3,004,279 | 960 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $50,471 | $29,000 | 4,454,189 | 1,163 |
| 47 | Alabama | $53,328 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 977 |
| 48 | Georgia | $50,596 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,815 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $40,281 | $22,000 | 2,984,100 | 601 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $53,573 | $41,000 | 1,427,538 | 120 |
| 51 | Florida | $42,325 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,223 |
Highest paying states for business owners
| Rank | State | Avg. Business Owner Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $120,339 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $92,646 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $91,688 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $97,770 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $88,999 |
| 6 | New York | $109,284 |
| 7 | Oregon | $92,421 |
| 8 | Colorado | $97,650 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $110,331 |
| 10 | Michigan | $82,706 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $94,551 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $99,694 |
| 13 | California | $102,886 |
| 14 | Delaware | $96,002 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $100,871 |
| 16 | Virginia | $83,950 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $74,104 |
| 18 | Ohio | $77,448 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $86,006 |
| 20 | Nevada | $81,892 |
| 21 | Maryland | $87,549 |
| 22 | Illinois | $82,107 |
| 23 | Montana | $79,535 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $66,190 |
| 25 | Maine | $77,525 |
| 26 | Utah | $71,018 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $86,852 |
| 28 | Indiana | $67,811 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $58,739 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $61,219 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $75,903 |
| 32 | Arizona | $74,532 |
| 33 | Alaska | $75,597 |
| 34 | Vermont | $67,008 |
| 35 | Kansas | $59,837 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $54,976 |
| 37 | Texas | $60,144 |
| 38 | Idaho | $73,981 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $69,255 |
| 40 | Missouri | $60,703 |
| 41 | Iowa | $68,210 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $55,202 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $48,507 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $53,597 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $46,965 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $50,471 |
| 47 | Alabama | $53,328 |
| 48 | Georgia | $50,596 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $40,281 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $53,573 |
| 51 | Florida | $42,325 |
Expert opinions on the best states for business owners
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for business owners 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.
Business owner best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025