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Best states for a chief operating officer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for chief operating officers in the United States. Chief operating officer 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 chief operating officers.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of chief operating officers in America is $229,000.
We figured that the best places for chief operating officer 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.If you are currently seeking employment as a chief operating officer, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for chief operating officers in 2026
1. New Jersey
Total chief operating officer jobs: 1,973 Average annual salary: $170,805 Lowest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $253,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
2. New York
Total chief operating officer jobs: 4,033 Average annual salary: $163,488 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $246,000 Location Quotient: 1.76
3. Massachusetts
Total chief operating officer jobs: 2,338 Average annual salary: $150,774 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $233,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
4. Connecticut
Total chief operating officer jobs: 718 Average annual salary: $162,206 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $245,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
5. Illinois
Total chief operating officer jobs: 2,851 Average annual salary: $141,160 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $225,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
6. District of Columbia
Total chief operating officer jobs: 514 Average annual salary: $151,180 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $233,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
7. Virginia
Total chief operating officer jobs: 2,096 Average annual salary: $145,032 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $226,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
8. Delaware
Total chief operating officer jobs: 276 Average annual salary: $139,163 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $220,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
9. Rhode Island
Total chief operating officer jobs: 255 Average annual salary: $136,414 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $216,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
10. Nevada
Total chief operating officer jobs: 434 Average annual salary: $132,764 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
Chief operating officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief operating officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief operating officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $170,805 | $114,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,973 |
| 2 | New York | $163,488 | $108,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,033 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $150,774 | $97,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,338 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $162,206 | $107,000 | 3,588,184 | 718 |
| 5 | Illinois | $141,160 | $88,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,851 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $151,180 | $97,000 | 693,972 | 514 |
| 7 | Virginia | $145,032 | $92,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,096 |
| 8 | Delaware | $139,163 | $88,000 | 961,939 | 276 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $136,414 | $86,000 | 1,059,639 | 255 |
| 10 | Nevada | $132,764 | $81,000 | 2,998,039 | 434 |
| 11 | Texas | $136,826 | $85,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,602 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $138,436 | $87,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,886 |
| 13 | Maryland | $140,780 | $89,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,135 |
| 14 | Michigan | $138,396 | $86,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,000 |
| 15 | California | $148,076 | $93,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,130 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $127,600 | $77,000 | 2,088,070 | 330 |
| 17 | Maine | $120,022 | $72,000 | 1,335,907 | 258 |
| 18 | Washington | $128,515 | $78,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,346 |
| 19 | Arizona | $117,720 | $70,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,341 |
| 20 | Georgia | $119,472 | $73,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,085 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $120,165 | $73,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,612 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $118,433 | $72,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,140 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $143,746 | $91,000 | 1,427,538 | 66 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $118,328 | $72,000 | 4,684,333 | 462 |
| 25 | Alabama | $117,267 | $71,000 | 4,874,747 | 634 |
| 26 | Ohio | $113,925 | $68,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,480 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $115,442 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 218 |
| 28 | Colorado | $108,930 | $65,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,228 |
| 29 | Vermont | $103,310 | $60,000 | 623,657 | 170 |
| 30 | Oregon | $105,424 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 774 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $106,129 | $63,000 | 1,920,076 | 356 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $104,717 | $61,000 | 5,795,483 | 927 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $111,549 | $68,000 | 5,024,369 | 641 |
| 34 | Iowa | $103,067 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 632 |
| 35 | Idaho | $94,921 | $55,000 | 1,716,943 | 402 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $95,230 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 173 |
| 37 | Missouri | $105,314 | $62,000 | 6,113,532 | 855 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $101,592 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 284 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $92,116 | $54,000 | 3,004,279 | 444 |
| 40 | Florida | $104,718 | $65,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,657 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $95,599 | $56,000 | 4,454,189 | 495 |
| 42 | Indiana | $91,657 | $53,000 | 6,666,818 | 990 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $87,158 | $51,000 | 869,666 | 163 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $89,166 | $52,000 | 6,715,984 | 838 |
| 45 | Alaska | $93,141 | $55,000 | 739,795 | 86 |
| 46 | Kansas | $83,143 | $48,000 | 2,913,123 | 446 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $88,615 | $52,000 | 579,315 | 63 |
| 48 | Utah | $90,328 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 284 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $71,645 | $42,000 | 2,984,100 | 311 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $76,393 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 443 |
| 51 | Montana | $83,818 | $50,000 | 1,050,493 | 103 |
Highest paying states for chief operating officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Operating Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $170,805 |
| 2 | New York | $163,488 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $150,774 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $162,206 |
| 5 | Illinois | $141,160 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $151,180 |
| 7 | Virginia | $145,032 |
| 8 | Delaware | $139,163 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $136,414 |
| 10 | Nevada | $132,764 |
| 11 | Texas | $136,826 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $138,436 |
| 13 | Maryland | $140,780 |
| 14 | Michigan | $138,396 |
| 15 | California | $148,076 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $127,600 |
| 17 | Maine | $120,022 |
| 18 | Washington | $128,515 |
| 19 | Arizona | $117,720 |
| 20 | Georgia | $119,472 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $120,165 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $118,433 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $143,746 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $118,328 |
| 25 | Alabama | $117,267 |
| 26 | Ohio | $113,925 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $115,442 |
| 28 | Colorado | $108,930 |
| 29 | Vermont | $103,310 |
| 30 | Oregon | $105,424 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $106,129 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $104,717 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $111,549 |
| 34 | Iowa | $103,067 |
| 35 | Idaho | $94,921 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $95,230 |
| 37 | Missouri | $105,314 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $101,592 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $92,116 |
| 40 | Florida | $104,718 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $95,599 |
| 42 | Indiana | $91,657 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $87,158 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $89,166 |
| 45 | Alaska | $93,141 |
| 46 | Kansas | $83,143 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $88,615 |
| 48 | Utah | $90,328 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $71,645 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $76,393 |
| 51 | Montana | $83,818 |
Chief operating officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025