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Best states for a corporate executive
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
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 corporate executive jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for corporate executives.Our research found that Washington is the best state for corporate executives, while Washington and California are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Washington has a median salary of $166,792 and Washington has the highest median salary among all 50 states for corporate executives.
Washington is the best state for jobs for corporate executives, and Mississippi is the worst. The most common pay in Washington is $166,792, while the median pay in Mississippi is $66,139.Washington is the best state, and Vancouver is the city with the highest pay for corporate executives.
10 best states for corporate executives in 2026
1. Washington
Total corporate executive jobs: 1,032 Average annual salary: $166,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $243,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
2. Nevada
Total corporate executive jobs: 284 Average annual salary: $158,400 Lowest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $235,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. Illinois
Total corporate executive jobs: 1,814 Average annual salary: $133,130 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
4. New Jersey
Total corporate executive jobs: 1,106 Average annual salary: $136,273 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
5. Florida
Total corporate executive jobs: 1,724 Average annual salary: $135,942 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $210,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
6. Arizona
Total corporate executive jobs: 729 Average annual salary: $125,793 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
7. Massachusetts
Total corporate executive jobs: 1,424 Average annual salary: $125,828 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 1.57
8. Maryland
Total corporate executive jobs: 681 Average annual salary: $137,538 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. Connecticut
Total corporate executive jobs: 390 Average annual salary: $129,544 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
10. California
Total corporate executive jobs: 955 Average annual salary: $162,646 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $239,000 Location Quotient: 0.33
Corporate executive jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a corporate executive
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a corporate executive
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $166,792 | $114,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,032 |
| 2 | Nevada | $158,400 | $106,000 | 2,998,039 | 284 |
| 3 | Illinois | $133,130 | $87,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,814 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $136,273 | $89,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,106 |
| 5 | Florida | $135,942 | $87,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,724 |
| 6 | Arizona | $125,793 | $80,000 | 7,016,270 | 729 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $125,828 | $82,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,424 |
| 8 | Maryland | $137,538 | $90,000 | 6,052,177 | 681 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $129,544 | $84,000 | 3,588,184 | 390 |
| 10 | California | $162,646 | $110,000 | 39,536,653 | 955 |
| 11 | Ohio | $124,323 | $80,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,020 |
| 12 | Oregon | $140,512 | $92,000 | 4,142,776 | 100 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $144,841 | $105,000 | 1,427,538 | 74 |
| 14 | Delaware | $117,564 | $75,000 | 961,939 | 155 |
| 15 | Missouri | $115,795 | $74,000 | 6,113,532 | 676 |
| 16 | Texas | $111,434 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,489 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $113,837 | $73,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,082 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $114,549 | $74,000 | 1,059,639 | 128 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $121,421 | $77,000 | 2,088,070 | 159 |
| 20 | Alaska | $128,574 | $86,000 | 739,795 | 57 |
| 21 | Colorado | $113,026 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 826 |
| 22 | Virginia | $114,666 | $73,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,133 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $137,886 | $90,000 | 693,972 | 72 |
| 24 | New York | $128,229 | $83,000 | 19,849,399 | 518 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $108,978 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 298 |
| 26 | Utah | $99,146 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 406 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $103,302 | $66,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,137 |
| 28 | Michigan | $104,227 | $67,000 | 9,962,311 | 696 |
| 29 | Georgia | $100,037 | $63,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,202 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $103,720 | $66,000 | 1,920,076 | 205 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $98,329 | $63,000 | 5,576,606 | 794 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $101,062 | $64,000 | 1,342,795 | 159 |
| 33 | Vermont | $96,952 | $61,000 | 623,657 | 87 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $94,590 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 97 |
| 35 | Montana | $93,184 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 157 |
| 36 | Alabama | $99,847 | $62,000 | 4,874,747 | 351 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $98,445 | $63,000 | 1,815,857 | 102 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $95,429 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 54 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $95,513 | $61,000 | 5,795,483 | 510 |
| 40 | Kansas | $92,731 | $59,000 | 2,913,123 | 305 |
| 41 | Idaho | $91,934 | $58,000 | 1,716,943 | 184 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $88,732 | $56,000 | 3,004,279 | 253 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $90,968 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 357 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $90,756 | $58,000 | 869,666 | 67 |
| 45 | Iowa | $87,904 | $56,000 | 3,145,711 | 285 |
| 46 | Indiana | $86,514 | $55,000 | 6,666,818 | 575 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $82,013 | $52,000 | 6,715,984 | 517 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $87,104 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 233 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $83,636 | $53,000 | 4,454,189 | 311 |
| 50 | Maine | $77,026 | $49,000 | 1,335,907 | 111 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $66,139 | $41,000 | 2,984,100 | 144 |
Highest paying states for corporate executives
| Rank | State | Avg. Corporate Executive Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $166,792 |
| 2 | Nevada | $158,400 |
| 3 | Illinois | $133,130 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $136,273 |
| 5 | Florida | $135,942 |
| 6 | Arizona | $125,793 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $125,828 |
| 8 | Maryland | $137,538 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $129,544 |
| 10 | California | $162,646 |
| 11 | Ohio | $124,323 |
| 12 | Oregon | $140,512 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $144,841 |
| 14 | Delaware | $117,564 |
| 15 | Missouri | $115,795 |
| 16 | Texas | $111,434 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $113,837 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $114,549 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $121,421 |
| 20 | Alaska | $128,574 |
| 21 | Colorado | $113,026 |
| 22 | Virginia | $114,666 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $137,886 |
| 24 | New York | $128,229 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $108,978 |
| 26 | Utah | $99,146 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $103,302 |
| 28 | Michigan | $104,227 |
| 29 | Georgia | $100,037 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $103,720 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $98,329 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $101,062 |
| 33 | Vermont | $96,952 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $94,590 |
| 35 | Montana | $93,184 |
| 36 | Alabama | $99,847 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $98,445 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $95,429 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $95,513 |
| 40 | Kansas | $92,731 |
| 41 | Idaho | $91,934 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $88,732 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $90,968 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $90,756 |
| 45 | Iowa | $87,904 |
| 46 | Indiana | $86,514 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $82,013 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $87,104 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $83,636 |
| 50 | Maine | $77,026 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $66,139 |
Corporate executive best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025