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Best states for a city administrator
Quoted expert
Veronica Cochran
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
City administrator opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for city administrators, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for city administrators.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of city administrators in America is $125,000.
In order to get you the best states for city administrators, 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 South is best for city administrators, and the Northeast is the worst. New York, NY is the best city in the country for city administrator jobs, where as Nevada is the best state in the country.
10 best states for city administrators in 2026
1. Nevada
Total city administrator jobs: 180 Average annual salary: $84,412 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
2. Washington
Total city administrator jobs: 680 Average annual salary: $78,331 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
3. New York
Total city administrator jobs: 976 Average annual salary: $86,162 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
4. Alaska
Total city administrator jobs: 99 Average annual salary: $71,235 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
5. Massachusetts
Total city administrator jobs: 881 Average annual salary: $75,489 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
6. Arizona
Total city administrator jobs: 662 Average annual salary: $69,426 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
7. Connecticut
Total city administrator jobs: 256 Average annual salary: $79,901 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
8. California
Total city administrator jobs: 2,555 Average annual salary: $78,758 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
9. Rhode Island
Total city administrator jobs: 114 Average annual salary: $69,013 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
10. New Jersey
Total city administrator jobs: 552 Average annual salary: $83,633 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
City administrator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a city administrator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a city administrator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $84,412 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 180 |
| 2 | Washington | $78,331 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 680 |
| 3 | New York | $86,162 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 976 |
| 4 | Alaska | $71,235 | $47,000 | 739,795 | 99 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $75,489 | $41,000 | 6,859,819 | 881 |
| 6 | Arizona | $69,426 | $38,000 | 7,016,270 | 662 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $79,901 | $44,000 | 3,588,184 | 256 |
| 8 | California | $78,758 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,555 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $69,013 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 114 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $83,633 | $46,000 | 9,005,644 | 552 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $103,421 | $59,000 | 693,972 | 27 |
| 12 | Oregon | $67,365 | $38,000 | 4,142,776 | 397 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $64,981 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 178 |
| 14 | Maryland | $83,297 | $46,000 | 6,052,177 | 122 |
| 15 | Ohio | $70,549 | $40,000 | 11,658,609 | 680 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $66,233 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 90 |
| 17 | Delaware | $71,398 | $39,000 | 961,939 | 89 |
| 18 | Colorado | $59,379 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 774 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $63,715 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 520 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $59,983 | $33,000 | 1,342,795 | 146 |
| 21 | Vermont | $57,039 | $31,000 | 623,657 | 77 |
| 22 | Virginia | $73,603 | $40,000 | 8,470,020 | 145 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $60,176 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 875 |
| 24 | Florida | $55,486 | $30,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,536 |
| 25 | Texas | $57,263 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,683 |
| 26 | Michigan | $60,440 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 538 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $60,990 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 371 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $52,060 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 82 |
| 29 | Missouri | $57,322 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 422 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $55,413 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 109 |
| 31 | Utah | $49,553 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 355 |
| 32 | Illinois | $54,099 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 954 |
| 33 | Alabama | $49,499 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 396 |
| 34 | Iowa | $52,300 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 264 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $56,457 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 191 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $51,335 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 168 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $51,917 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 706 |
| 38 | Georgia | $49,429 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 822 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $47,268 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 50 |
| 40 | Idaho | $46,757 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 144 |
| 41 | Montana | $48,983 | $30,000 | 1,050,493 | 92 |
| 42 | Indiana | $46,711 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 454 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $45,600 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 318 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $46,911 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 69 |
| 45 | Kansas | $39,120 | $23,000 | 2,913,123 | 254 |
| 46 | Maine | $45,001 | $24,000 | 1,335,907 | 92 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $43,786 | $25,000 | 4,454,189 | 243 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $44,019 | $25,000 | 3,004,279 | 157 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $43,503 | $25,000 | 3,930,864 | 195 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $40,815 | $23,000 | 6,715,984 | 380 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $33,130 | $18,000 | 2,984,100 | 140 |
Highest paying states for city administrators
| Rank | State | Avg. City Administrator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $84,412 |
| 2 | Washington | $78,331 |
| 3 | New York | $86,162 |
| 4 | Alaska | $71,235 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $75,489 |
| 6 | Arizona | $69,426 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $79,901 |
| 8 | California | $78,758 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $69,013 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $83,633 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $103,421 |
| 12 | Oregon | $67,365 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $64,981 |
| 14 | Maryland | $83,297 |
| 15 | Ohio | $70,549 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $66,233 |
| 17 | Delaware | $71,398 |
| 18 | Colorado | $59,379 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $63,715 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $59,983 |
| 21 | Vermont | $57,039 |
| 22 | Virginia | $73,603 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $60,176 |
| 24 | Florida | $55,486 |
| 25 | Texas | $57,263 |
| 26 | Michigan | $60,440 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $60,990 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $52,060 |
| 29 | Missouri | $57,322 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $55,413 |
| 31 | Utah | $49,553 |
| 32 | Illinois | $54,099 |
| 33 | Alabama | $49,499 |
| 34 | Iowa | $52,300 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $56,457 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $51,335 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $51,917 |
| 38 | Georgia | $49,429 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $47,268 |
| 40 | Idaho | $46,757 |
| 41 | Montana | $48,983 |
| 42 | Indiana | $46,711 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $45,600 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $46,911 |
| 45 | Kansas | $39,120 |
| 46 | Maine | $45,001 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $43,786 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $44,019 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $43,503 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $40,815 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $33,130 |
Expert opinions on the best states for city administrators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for city administrators to find work opportunities?
Veronica Cochran
CEO, International Association of Administrative Professionals
I would urge graduates to not simply focus on locations or organizations with the highest salary or most job or promotion opportunities. The key to remaining engaged and creating value is finding an organization that supports your core beliefs and values.
Second to that, I believe a support network is vital to one's professional development and success. That being said, I have had the opportunity to engage administrative professionals throughout the United States and across the globe. In particular, I came across larger networks in New York, D.C., Alabama, California, and Texas.
If they are looking for a place to start, I believe Zippia's list of Best States for an Administrative Assistant is a great starting point.
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Updated January 8, 2025