Best states for a chief of staff

Q: What is the best state for chiefs of staff?

The best state to be a chief of staff is Washington based on chief of staff salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for chiefs of staff?

The highest paying state for chiefs of staff is Mississippi based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for chiefs of staff?

The worst state for chiefs of staff is Mississippi, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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It seems like chiefs of staff are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for chiefs of staff aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. 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 chief of staff jobs.

In order to get you the best states for chiefs of staff, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for chiefs of staff, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for chief of staff jobs, where as Washington is the best state in the country.

10 best states for chiefs of staff in 2026

1. Washington
Total chief of staff jobs: 1,070
Average annual salary: $143,397
Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000
Location Quotient:
1.2
Chief of staff jobs in Washington
2. Texas
Total chief of staff jobs: 2,644
Average annual salary: $138,576
Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
Chief of staff jobs in Texas
3. New York
Total chief of staff jobs: 2,773
Average annual salary: $136,401
Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000
Location Quotient:
1.77
Chief of staff jobs in New York
4. Nevada
Total chief of staff jobs: 278
Average annual salary: $136,446
Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000
Location Quotient:
1.09
Chief of staff jobs in Nevada
5. Delaware
Total chief of staff jobs: 237
Average annual salary: $133,942
Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000
Location Quotient:
1.55
Chief of staff jobs in Delaware
6. District of Columbia
Total chief of staff jobs: 521
Average annual salary: $138,361
Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000
Location Quotient:
2.55
Chief of staff jobs in District of Columbia
7. California
Total chief of staff jobs: 2,985
Average annual salary: $152,447
Lowest 10 percent earn: $103,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $225,000
Location Quotient:
0.84
Chief of staff jobs in California
8. Arizona
Total chief of staff jobs: 839
Average annual salary: $127,817
Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $194,000
Location Quotient:
1.18
Chief of staff jobs in Arizona
9. New Jersey
Total chief of staff jobs: 1,032
Average annual salary: $137,092
Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
Chief of staff jobs in New Jersey
10. Massachusetts
Total chief of staff jobs: 1,636
Average annual salary: $128,874
Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000
Location Quotient:
1.46
Chief of staff jobs in Massachusetts

Chief of staff jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief of staff

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a chief of staff

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Washington	$143,397	$97,000	7,405,743	1,070
2	Texas	$138,576	$90,000	28,304,596	2,644
3	New York	$136,401	$90,000	19,849,399	2,773
4	Nevada	$136,446	$90,000	2,998,039	278
5	Delaware	$133,942	$88,000	961,939	237
6	District of Columbia	$138,361	$91,000	693,972	521
7	California	$152,447	$103,000	39,536,653	2,985
8	Arizona	$127,817	$83,000	7,016,270	839
9	New Jersey	$137,092	$90,000	9,005,644	1,032
10	Massachusetts	$128,874	$84,000	6,859,819	1,636
11	Virginia	$136,488	$89,000	8,470,020	1,122
12	Florida	$127,307	$79,000	20,984,400	2,125
13	Illinois	$119,635	$78,000	12,802,023	1,717
14	Oregon	$121,176	$80,000	4,142,776	568
15	New Mexico	$131,949	$86,000	2,088,070	174
16	Louisiana	$123,024	$78,000	4,684,333	326
17	Georgia	$120,541	$77,000	10,429,379	1,248
18	Rhode Island	$115,799	$75,000	1,059,639	162
19	Connecticut	$116,371	$75,000	3,588,184	484
20	Maryland	$126,450	$82,000	6,052,177	759
21	Hawaii	$131,380	$90,000	1,427,538	87
22	Ohio	$114,710	$74,000	11,658,609	1,020
23	Colorado	$115,637	$76,000	5,607,154	746
24	Pennsylvania	$102,348	$66,000	12,805,537	1,598
25	Alabama	$109,386	$69,000	4,874,747	473
26	Tennessee	$108,606	$69,000	6,715,984	599
27	Michigan	$115,079	$75,000	9,962,311	664
28	North Carolina	$104,680	$66,000	10,273,419	893
29	Utah	$100,718	$66,000	3,101,833	374
30	Minnesota	$104,780	$70,000	5,576,606	677
31	West Virginia	$102,029	$65,000	1,815,857	145
32	Missouri	$100,921	$66,000	6,113,532	606
33	Vermont	$96,959	$62,000	623,657	104
34	Wyoming	$93,134	$62,000	579,315	73
35	Nebraska	$100,336	$66,000	1,920,076	198
36	Arkansas	$93,406	$60,000	3,004,279	275
37	South Carolina	$102,015	$64,000	5,024,369	377
38	Alaska	$107,194	$74,000	739,795	70
39	New Hampshire	$101,339	$65,000	1,342,795	149
40	Wisconsin	$93,604	$61,000	5,795,483	562
41	Idaho	$90,558	$60,000	1,716,943	159
42	North Dakota	$91,576	$62,000	755,393	55
43	Montana	$89,369	$60,000	1,050,493	110
44	Indiana	$87,122	$56,000	6,666,818	601
45	Maine	$77,542	$50,000	1,335,907	156
46	Iowa	$85,272	$56,000	3,145,711	330
47	Kentucky	$86,372	$55,000	4,454,189	299
48	Kansas	$82,563	$54,000	2,913,123	283
49	South Dakota	$86,449	$58,000	869,666	56
50	Oklahoma	$83,524	$54,000	3,930,864	239
51	Mississippi	$72,894	$45,000	2,984,100	113

Highest paying states for chiefs of staff

Rank	State	Avg. Chief Of Staff Salary
1	Washington	$143,397
2	Texas	$138,576
3	New York	$136,401
4	Nevada	$136,446
5	Delaware	$133,942
6	District of Columbia	$138,361
7	California	$152,447
8	Arizona	$127,817
9	New Jersey	$137,092
10	Massachusetts	$128,874
11	Virginia	$136,488
12	Florida	$127,307
13	Illinois	$119,635
14	Oregon	$121,176
15	New Mexico	$131,949
16	Louisiana	$123,024
17	Georgia	$120,541
18	Rhode Island	$115,799
19	Connecticut	$116,371
20	Maryland	$126,450
21	Hawaii	$131,380
22	Ohio	$114,710
23	Colorado	$115,637
24	Pennsylvania	$102,348
25	Alabama	$109,386
26	Tennessee	$108,606
27	Michigan	$115,079
28	North Carolina	$104,680
29	Utah	$100,718
30	Minnesota	$104,780
31	West Virginia	$102,029
32	Missouri	$100,921
33	Vermont	$96,959
34	Wyoming	$93,134
35	Nebraska	$100,336
36	Arkansas	$93,406
37	South Carolina	$102,015
38	Alaska	$107,194
39	New Hampshire	$101,339
40	Wisconsin	$93,604
41	Idaho	$90,558
42	North Dakota	$91,576
43	Montana	$89,369
44	Indiana	$87,122
45	Maine	$77,542
46	Iowa	$85,272
47	Kentucky	$86,372
48	Kansas	$82,563
49	South Dakota	$86,449
50	Oklahoma	$83,524
51	Mississippi	$72,894

Best states for a chief of staff

10 best states for chiefs of staff in 2026

1. Washington

2. Texas

3. New York

4. Nevada

5. Delaware

6. District of Columbia

7. California

8. Arizona

9. New Jersey

10. Massachusetts

Chief of staff jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief of staff

Detailed list of the best states for a chief of staff

Highest paying states for chiefs of staff

Chief of staff best states FAQs

What is the best state for chiefs of staff?

What is the highest paying state for chiefs of staff?

What is the worst state for chiefs of staff?

Search for chief of staff jobs

Total chief of staff jobs:	1,070
Average annual salary:	$143,397
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$97,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$211,000
Location Quotient:	1.2