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Best states for a co-owner/operator
Quoted expert
Randy Myer
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It seems like co-owner/operators are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for co-owner/operators aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. As co-owner/operators are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for co-owner/operators. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a co-owner/operator, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for co-owner/operators. South Dakota is the best state for co-owner/operators, where the median salary is $29,746.If you are currently seeking employment as a co-owner/operator, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for co-owner/operators in 2026
1. South Dakota
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 1,060 Average annual salary: $29,746 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 2.96
2. Virginia
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 2,936 Average annual salary: $37,030 Lowest 10 percent earn: $22,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
3. New York
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 2,548 Average annual salary: $38,835 Lowest 10 percent earn: $22,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 0.59
4. Wisconsin
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 1,982 Average annual salary: $33,259 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. Louisiana
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 2,229 Average annual salary: $29,268 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Location Quotient: 2.09
6. New Jersey
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 1,220 Average annual salary: $36,621 Lowest 10 percent earn: $21,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 0.46
7. Washington
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 1,724 Average annual salary: $33,526 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
8. Alabama
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 3,018 Average annual salary: $28,300 Lowest 10 percent earn: $17,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Location Quotient: 2.05
9. Rhode Island
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 190 Average annual salary: $31,629 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 0.47
10. Delaware
Total co-owner/operator jobs: 252 Average annual salary: $31,194 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 0.6
Co-owner/operator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a co-owner/operator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a co-owner/operator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $29,746 | $18,000 | 869,666 | 1,060 |
| 2 | Virginia | $37,030 | $22,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,936 |
| 3 | New York | $38,835 | $22,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,548 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $33,259 | $20,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,982 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $29,268 | $18,000 | 4,684,333 | 2,229 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $36,621 | $21,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,220 |
| 7 | Washington | $33,526 | $18,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,724 |
| 8 | Alabama | $28,300 | $17,000 | 4,874,747 | 3,018 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $31,629 | $18,000 | 1,059,639 | 190 |
| 10 | Delaware | $31,194 | $18,000 | 961,939 | 252 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $28,116 | $17,000 | 6,715,984 | 2,639 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $33,249 | $19,000 | 3,588,184 | 302 |
| 13 | Maryland | $32,528 | $19,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,250 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $31,565 | $18,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,749 |
| 15 | Illinois | $29,078 | $17,000 | 12,802,023 | 4,456 |
| 16 | California | $33,665 | $20,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,309 |
| 17 | Nevada | $29,286 | $18,000 | 2,998,039 | 275 |
| 18 | Michigan | $26,919 | $16,000 | 9,962,311 | 3,147 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $33,584 | $20,000 | 693,972 | 244 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $27,535 | $16,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,475 |
| 21 | Colorado | $28,898 | $18,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,318 |
| 22 | Arizona | $28,646 | $18,000 | 7,016,270 | 883 |
| 23 | Maine | $28,985 | $17,000 | 1,335,907 | 141 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $27,479 | $16,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,444 |
| 25 | Kansas | $24,912 | $16,000 | 2,913,123 | 2,781 |
| 26 | Indiana | $26,494 | $16,000 | 6,666,818 | 2,396 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $24,625 | $14,000 | 755,393 | 1,189 |
| 28 | Ohio | $25,065 | $15,000 | 11,658,609 | 3,975 |
| 29 | Iowa | $25,185 | $15,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,713 |
| 30 | Oregon | $26,892 | $15,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,291 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $23,505 | $15,000 | 3,004,279 | 2,988 |
| 32 | Florida | $28,122 | $17,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,694 |
| 33 | Missouri | $24,513 | $15,000 | 6,113,532 | 4,205 |
| 34 | Georgia | $25,232 | $16,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,956 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $24,838 | $15,000 | 10,273,419 | 3,550 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $24,224 | $15,000 | 5,024,369 | 2,248 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $23,176 | $14,000 | 4,454,189 | 2,613 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $22,619 | $13,000 | 1,815,857 | 1,199 |
| 39 | Texas | $24,590 | $15,000 | 28,304,596 | 7,402 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $22,015 | $14,000 | 3,930,864 | 2,649 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $22,961 | $14,000 | 2,088,070 | 936 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $25,917 | $15,000 | 1,342,795 | 103 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $21,891 | $13,000 | 1,920,076 | 1,466 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $25,415 | $18,000 | 1,427,538 | 134 |
| 45 | Idaho | $21,367 | $12,000 | 1,716,943 | 864 |
| 46 | Vermont | $24,394 | $14,000 | 623,657 | 69 |
| 47 | Alaska | $22,519 | $11,000 | 739,795 | 151 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $20,300 | $12,000 | 579,315 | 251 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $18,954 | $12,000 | 2,984,100 | 961 |
| 50 | Utah | $22,037 | $13,000 | 3,101,833 | 750 |
| 51 | Montana | $20,871 | $12,000 | 1,050,493 | 116 |
Highest paying states for co-owner/operators
| Rank | State | Avg. Co-Owner/Operator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $29,746 |
| 2 | Virginia | $37,030 |
| 3 | New York | $38,835 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $33,259 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $29,268 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $36,621 |
| 7 | Washington | $33,526 |
| 8 | Alabama | $28,300 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $31,629 |
| 10 | Delaware | $31,194 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $28,116 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $33,249 |
| 13 | Maryland | $32,528 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $31,565 |
| 15 | Illinois | $29,078 |
| 16 | California | $33,665 |
| 17 | Nevada | $29,286 |
| 18 | Michigan | $26,919 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $33,584 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $27,535 |
| 21 | Colorado | $28,898 |
| 22 | Arizona | $28,646 |
| 23 | Maine | $28,985 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $27,479 |
| 25 | Kansas | $24,912 |
| 26 | Indiana | $26,494 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $24,625 |
| 28 | Ohio | $25,065 |
| 29 | Iowa | $25,185 |
| 30 | Oregon | $26,892 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $23,505 |
| 32 | Florida | $28,122 |
| 33 | Missouri | $24,513 |
| 34 | Georgia | $25,232 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $24,838 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $24,224 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $23,176 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $22,619 |
| 39 | Texas | $24,590 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $22,015 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $22,961 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $25,917 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $21,891 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $25,415 |
| 45 | Idaho | $21,367 |
| 46 | Vermont | $24,394 |
| 47 | Alaska | $22,519 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $20,300 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $18,954 |
| 50 | Utah | $22,037 |
| 51 | Montana | $20,871 |
Expert opinions on the best states for co-owner/operators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for co-owner/operators to find work opportunities?
Randy Myer
Professor of the Practice, University of North Carolina
The major technology centers in the country are driving innovation and new companies. Job growth is most prevalent in young companies, and most of those start in hubs like Austin, TX or Raleigh Durham, NC. Yes, Silicon Valley is a major hub but so expensive, and CA is in trouble at so many levels, pick a hub that still knows how to manage growth
Co-owner/operator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025