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Best states for a chief finance officer
Quoted expert
Connel Fullenkamp Ph.D.
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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 chief finance officer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for chief finance officers.In fact, our research shows that New York is the best state for chief finance officers in America. The best city in America for chief finance officers with the highest pay is Washington, DC.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for chief finance officers.New York is the best state, and Monterey is the city with the highest pay for chief finance officers.
10 best states for chief finance officers in 2025
1. New York
Total chief finance officer jobs: 4,942 Average annual salary: $149,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $235,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
2. Nevada
Total chief finance officer jobs: 590 Average annual salary: $144,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $227,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
3. New Jersey
Total chief finance officer jobs: 2,237 Average annual salary: $149,930 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $236,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
4. California
Total chief finance officer jobs: 9,292 Average annual salary: $150,852 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $234,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
5. Massachusetts
Total chief finance officer jobs: 2,672 Average annual salary: $139,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $225,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
6. District of Columbia
Total chief finance officer jobs: 476 Average annual salary: $151,846 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $239,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
7. Illinois
Total chief finance officer jobs: 3,374 Average annual salary: $137,229 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $221,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
8. Rhode Island
Total chief finance officer jobs: 353 Average annual salary: $132,888 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
9. Virginia
Total chief finance officer jobs: 3,016 Average annual salary: $133,818 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $220,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
10. Washington
Total chief finance officer jobs: 1,993 Average annual salary: $135,880 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
Chief finance officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief finance officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief finance officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $149,128 | $94,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,942 |
| 2 | Nevada | $144,744 | $92,000 | 2,998,039 | 590 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $149,930 | $94,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,237 |
| 4 | California | $150,852 | $96,000 | 39,536,653 | 9,292 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $139,359 | $86,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,672 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $151,846 | $96,000 | 693,972 | 476 |
| 7 | Illinois | $137,229 | $85,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,374 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $132,888 | $81,000 | 1,059,639 | 353 |
| 9 | Virginia | $133,818 | $81,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,016 |
| 10 | Washington | $135,880 | $87,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,993 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $133,469 | $81,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,694 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $135,949 | $83,000 | 3,588,184 | 844 |
| 13 | Michigan | $134,904 | $83,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,690 |
| 14 | Texas | $129,667 | $78,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,907 |
| 15 | Maryland | $133,249 | $81,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,709 |
| 16 | Arizona | $124,490 | $75,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,534 |
| 17 | Delaware | $127,040 | $76,000 | 961,939 | 282 |
| 18 | Colorado | $122,958 | $75,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,542 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $120,695 | $73,000 | 1,920,076 | 484 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $125,781 | $74,000 | 4,684,333 | 620 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $112,869 | $68,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,896 |
| 22 | Florida | $108,369 | $60,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,731 |
| 23 | Georgia | $112,884 | $64,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,521 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $109,426 | $63,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,409 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $110,747 | $63,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,345 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $115,005 | $67,000 | 1,342,795 | 380 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $114,548 | $70,000 | 869,666 | 209 |
| 28 | Ohio | $109,654 | $64,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,085 |
| 29 | Missouri | $109,808 | $64,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,285 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $98,094 | $60,000 | 755,393 | 262 |
| 31 | Vermont | $105,568 | $61,000 | 623,657 | 183 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $107,169 | $62,000 | 1,815,857 | 255 |
| 33 | Maine | $105,340 | $60,000 | 1,335,907 | 285 |
| 34 | Oregon | $108,107 | $66,000 | 4,142,776 | 873 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $95,993 | $56,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,392 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $102,546 | $60,000 | 2,088,070 | 417 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $102,549 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 872 |
| 38 | Idaho | $89,915 | $54,000 | 1,716,943 | 461 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $102,124 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 630 |
| 40 | Alabama | $95,819 | $53,000 | 4,874,747 | 932 |
| 41 | Utah | $98,170 | $58,000 | 3,101,833 | 603 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $89,507 | $49,000 | 2,984,100 | 474 |
| 43 | Iowa | $91,900 | $53,000 | 3,145,711 | 725 |
| 44 | Indiana | $90,477 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,289 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $83,240 | $49,000 | 579,315 | 109 |
| 46 | Montana | $87,198 | $54,000 | 1,050,493 | 81 |
| 47 | Kansas | $83,342 | $47,000 | 2,913,123 | 430 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $83,624 | $53,000 | 1,427,538 | 134 |
| 49 | Alaska | $84,799 | $55,000 | 739,795 | 102 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $78,010 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 479 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $73,092 | $41,000 | 3,004,279 | 394 |
Highest paying states for chief finance officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Finance Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $149,128 |
| 2 | Nevada | $144,744 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $149,930 |
| 4 | California | $150,852 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $139,359 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $151,846 |
| 7 | Illinois | $137,229 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $132,888 |
| 9 | Virginia | $133,818 |
| 10 | Washington | $135,880 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $133,469 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $135,949 |
| 13 | Michigan | $134,904 |
| 14 | Texas | $129,667 |
| 15 | Maryland | $133,249 |
| 16 | Arizona | $124,490 |
| 17 | Delaware | $127,040 |
| 18 | Colorado | $122,958 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $120,695 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $125,781 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $112,869 |
| 22 | Florida | $108,369 |
| 23 | Georgia | $112,884 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $109,426 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $110,747 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $115,005 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $114,548 |
| 28 | Ohio | $109,654 |
| 29 | Missouri | $109,808 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $98,094 |
| 31 | Vermont | $105,568 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $107,169 |
| 33 | Maine | $105,340 |
| 34 | Oregon | $108,107 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $95,993 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $102,546 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $102,549 |
| 38 | Idaho | $89,915 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $102,124 |
| 40 | Alabama | $95,819 |
| 41 | Utah | $98,170 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $89,507 |
| 43 | Iowa | $91,900 |
| 44 | Indiana | $90,477 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $83,240 |
| 46 | Montana | $87,198 |
| 47 | Kansas | $83,342 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $83,624 |
| 49 | Alaska | $84,799 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $78,010 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $73,092 |
Expert opinions on the best states for chief finance officers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chief finance officers to find work opportunities?
Connel Fullenkamp Ph.D.
Professor of the Practice of Economics, Duke Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Generally, cities with their clusters of companies and expertise have been the best places to find work. But students shouldn't overlook smaller cities that have good colleges and universities in them, because they also have similar clusters of knowledge and opportunity.
Chief finance officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025