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Best states for a director of economic development
- 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 directors of economic development in the United States. Director of economic development 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 directors of economic development.Our research found that South Dakota is the best state for directors of economic development, while Massachusetts and Connecticut are ranked highest in terms of median salary. South Dakota has a median salary of $117,805 and Massachusetts has the highest median salary among all 50 states for directors of economic development.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for directors of economic development. South Dakota is the best state for directors of economic development, where the median salary is $117,805.We found that the West is best for directors of economic development, and the Northeast is the worst. Boston, MA is the best city in the country for director of economic development jobs, where as South Dakota is the best state in the country.
10 best states for directors of economic development in 2025
1. South Dakota
Total director of economic development jobs: 293 Average annual salary: $117,805 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 3.39
2. North Dakota
Total director of economic development jobs: 116 Average annual salary: $121,681 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
3. Michigan
Total director of economic development jobs: 850 Average annual salary: $124,816 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
4. Massachusetts
Total director of economic development jobs: 397 Average annual salary: $138,607 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $213,000 Location Quotient: 0.54
5. New Mexico
Total director of economic development jobs: 258 Average annual salary: $119,093 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
6. Connecticut
Total director of economic development jobs: 94 Average annual salary: $136,577 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 0.35
7. Nevada
Total director of economic development jobs: 213 Average annual salary: $120,565 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
8. New York
Total director of economic development jobs: 525 Average annual salary: $136,401 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 0.51
9. New Jersey
Total director of economic development jobs: 243 Average annual salary: $135,949 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $210,000 Location Quotient: 0.38
10. Arkansas
Total director of economic development jobs: 351 Average annual salary: $113,907 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
Director of economic development jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a director of economic development
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a director of economic development
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $117,805 | $73,000 | 869,666 | 293 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $121,681 | $76,000 | 755,393 | 116 |
| 3 | Michigan | $124,816 | $78,000 | 9,962,311 | 850 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $138,607 | $89,000 | 6,859,819 | 397 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $119,093 | $72,000 | 2,088,070 | 258 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $136,577 | $88,000 | 3,588,184 | 94 |
| 7 | Nevada | $120,565 | $73,000 | 2,998,039 | 213 |
| 8 | New York | $136,401 | $88,000 | 19,849,399 | 525 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $135,949 | $87,000 | 9,005,644 | 243 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $113,907 | $69,000 | 3,004,279 | 351 |
| 11 | Georgia | $117,066 | $71,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,318 |
| 12 | Vermont | $130,155 | $83,000 | 623,657 | 20 |
| 13 | Delaware | $134,097 | $86,000 | 961,939 | 18 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $113,640 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,198 |
| 15 | Kansas | $115,144 | $70,000 | 2,913,123 | 314 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $114,141 | $71,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,341 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $132,349 | $84,000 | 693,972 | 154 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $108,448 | $67,000 | 5,795,483 | 652 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $115,255 | $72,000 | 1,059,639 | 32 |
| 20 | Washington | $117,851 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 162 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $104,808 | $65,000 | 1,342,795 | 254 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $97,974 | $60,000 | 1,815,857 | 394 |
| 23 | Indiana | $107,687 | $66,000 | 6,666,818 | 631 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $100,588 | $59,000 | 4,684,333 | 667 |
| 25 | Alaska | $103,815 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 127 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $99,497 | $60,000 | 6,715,984 | 574 |
| 27 | California | $114,116 | $69,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,219 |
| 28 | Texas | $107,184 | $63,000 | 28,304,596 | 441 |
| 29 | Oregon | $107,382 | $65,000 | 4,142,776 | 111 |
| 30 | Virginia | $108,985 | $67,000 | 8,470,020 | 247 |
| 31 | Illinois | $106,200 | $65,000 | 12,802,023 | 346 |
| 32 | Iowa | $98,990 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 327 |
| 33 | Maryland | $104,031 | $64,000 | 6,052,177 | 833 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $97,732 | $59,000 | 4,454,189 | 355 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $98,000 | $59,000 | 1,920,076 | 255 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $93,823 | $55,000 | 3,930,864 | 627 |
| 37 | Alabama | $92,399 | $54,000 | 4,874,747 | 882 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $90,470 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 957 |
| 39 | Maine | $102,635 | $63,000 | 1,335,907 | 13 |
| 40 | Arizona | $93,253 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 874 |
| 41 | Ohio | $96,126 | $58,000 | 11,658,609 | 897 |
| 42 | Montana | $91,488 | $56,000 | 1,050,493 | 172 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $85,574 | $50,000 | 2,984,100 | 429 |
| 44 | Colorado | $99,997 | $60,000 | 5,607,154 | 125 |
| 45 | Missouri | $93,828 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 537 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $97,650 | $59,000 | 5,576,606 | 133 |
| 47 | Utah | $95,387 | $57,000 | 3,101,833 | 75 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $70,534 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 113 |
| 49 | Idaho | $94,744 | $56,000 | 1,716,943 | 20 |
| 50 | Florida | $79,966 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,862 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $87,758 | $52,000 | 579,315 | 4 |
Highest paying states for directors of economic development
| Rank | State | Avg. Director Of Economic Development Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $117,805 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $121,681 |
| 3 | Michigan | $124,816 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $138,607 |
| 5 | New Mexico | $119,093 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $136,577 |
| 7 | Nevada | $120,565 |
| 8 | New York | $136,401 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $135,949 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $113,907 |
| 11 | Georgia | $117,066 |
| 12 | Vermont | $130,155 |
| 13 | Delaware | $134,097 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $113,640 |
| 15 | Kansas | $115,144 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $114,141 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $132,349 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $108,448 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $115,255 |
| 20 | Washington | $117,851 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $104,808 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $97,974 |
| 23 | Indiana | $107,687 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $100,588 |
| 25 | Alaska | $103,815 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $99,497 |
| 27 | California | $114,116 |
| 28 | Texas | $107,184 |
| 29 | Oregon | $107,382 |
| 30 | Virginia | $108,985 |
| 31 | Illinois | $106,200 |
| 32 | Iowa | $98,990 |
| 33 | Maryland | $104,031 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $97,732 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $98,000 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $93,823 |
| 37 | Alabama | $92,399 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $90,470 |
| 39 | Maine | $102,635 |
| 40 | Arizona | $93,253 |
| 41 | Ohio | $96,126 |
| 42 | Montana | $91,488 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $85,574 |
| 44 | Colorado | $99,997 |
| 45 | Missouri | $93,828 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $97,650 |
| 47 | Utah | $95,387 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $70,534 |
| 49 | Idaho | $94,744 |
| 50 | Florida | $79,966 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $87,758 |
Director of economic development best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025