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Best states for a director of health services
Quoted expert
Dr. Cara Young Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for directors of health services? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for director of health services jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.In order to help you decide which state is the best for directors of health services, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for director of health services jobs.
In order to get you the best states for directors of health services, 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 directors of health services, and the Northeast is the worst. Santa Rosa, CA is the best city in the country for director of health services jobs, where as West Virginia is the best state in the country.
10 best states for directors of health services in 2025
1. West Virginia
Total director of health services jobs: 431 Average annual salary: $96,638 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. Washington
Total director of health services jobs: 2,079 Average annual salary: $98,948 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
3. Delaware
Total director of health services jobs: 261 Average annual salary: $101,605 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
4. Connecticut
Total director of health services jobs: 586 Average annual salary: $102,036 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
5. California
Total director of health services jobs: 7,333 Average annual salary: $102,052 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
6. Massachusetts
Total director of health services jobs: 1,803 Average annual salary: $100,483 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
7. Rhode Island
Total director of health services jobs: 257 Average annual salary: $93,155 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. South Dakota
Total director of health services jobs: 336 Average annual salary: $84,720 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.49
9. New Jersey
Total director of health services jobs: 1,269 Average annual salary: $102,210 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
10. District of Columbia
Total director of health services jobs: 430 Average annual salary: $100,199 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
Director of health services jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a director of health services
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a director of health services
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $96,638 | $67,000 | 1,815,857 | 431 |
| 2 | Washington | $98,948 | $65,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,079 |
| 3 | Delaware | $101,605 | $71,000 | 961,939 | 261 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $102,036 | $71,000 | 3,588,184 | 586 |
| 5 | California | $102,052 | $67,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,333 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $100,483 | $70,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,803 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $93,155 | $65,000 | 1,059,639 | 257 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $84,720 | $60,000 | 869,666 | 336 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $102,210 | $71,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,269 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $100,199 | $70,000 | 693,972 | 430 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $86,940 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 144 |
| 12 | Maine | $92,065 | $64,000 | 1,335,907 | 239 |
| 13 | Nevada | $92,008 | $60,000 | 2,998,039 | 390 |
| 14 | Indiana | $84,937 | $59,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,753 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $84,076 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 969 |
| 16 | Idaho | $87,811 | $58,000 | 1,716,943 | 433 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $83,295 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,618 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $87,649 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 396 |
| 19 | Oregon | $96,168 | $63,000 | 4,142,776 | 629 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $85,994 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 938 |
| 21 | Michigan | $80,893 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,911 |
| 22 | Alaska | $91,191 | $61,000 | 739,795 | 115 |
| 23 | New York | $91,859 | $64,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,104 |
| 24 | Ohio | $79,648 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,309 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $76,837 | $50,000 | 4,684,333 | 1,095 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $83,358 | $58,000 | 1,342,795 | 305 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $80,272 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 185 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $82,439 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,748 |
| 29 | Alabama | $75,563 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,214 |
| 30 | Arizona | $77,794 | $53,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,488 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $78,410 | $52,000 | 2,984,100 | 404 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $74,168 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 665 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $74,004 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,126 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $73,475 | $62,000 | 1,427,538 | 216 |
| 35 | Kansas | $75,204 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 633 |
| 36 | Maryland | $78,986 | $55,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,460 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $74,445 | $51,000 | 4,454,189 | 853 |
| 38 | Vermont | $80,955 | $56,000 | 623,657 | 106 |
| 39 | Illinois | $80,603 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,799 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $73,834 | $51,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,296 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $77,316 | $53,000 | 6,715,984 | 711 |
| 42 | Iowa | $67,402 | $47,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,009 |
| 43 | Virginia | $74,845 | $52,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,941 |
| 44 | Colorado | $72,543 | $50,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,332 |
| 45 | Missouri | $75,345 | $52,000 | 6,113,532 | 770 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $74,105 | $50,000 | 2,088,070 | 263 |
| 47 | Texas | $66,361 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,321 |
| 48 | Florida | $71,501 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,485 |
| 49 | Utah | $70,101 | $47,000 | 3,101,833 | 561 |
| 50 | Montana | $72,049 | $50,000 | 1,050,493 | 154 |
| 51 | Georgia | $64,609 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,420 |
Highest paying states for directors of health services
| Rank | State | Avg. Director Of Health Services Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | $96,638 |
| 2 | Washington | $98,948 |
| 3 | Delaware | $101,605 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $102,036 |
| 5 | California | $102,052 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $100,483 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $93,155 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $84,720 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $102,210 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $100,199 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $86,940 |
| 12 | Maine | $92,065 |
| 13 | Nevada | $92,008 |
| 14 | Indiana | $84,937 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $84,076 |
| 16 | Idaho | $87,811 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $83,295 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $87,649 |
| 19 | Oregon | $96,168 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $85,994 |
| 21 | Michigan | $80,893 |
| 22 | Alaska | $91,191 |
| 23 | New York | $91,859 |
| 24 | Ohio | $79,648 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $76,837 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $83,358 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $80,272 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $82,439 |
| 29 | Alabama | $75,563 |
| 30 | Arizona | $77,794 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $78,410 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $74,168 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $74,004 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $73,475 |
| 35 | Kansas | $75,204 |
| 36 | Maryland | $78,986 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $74,445 |
| 38 | Vermont | $80,955 |
| 39 | Illinois | $80,603 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $73,834 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $77,316 |
| 42 | Iowa | $67,402 |
| 43 | Virginia | $74,845 |
| 44 | Colorado | $72,543 |
| 45 | Missouri | $75,345 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $74,105 |
| 47 | Texas | $66,361 |
| 48 | Florida | $71,501 |
| 49 | Utah | $70,101 |
| 50 | Montana | $72,049 |
| 51 | Georgia | $64,609 |
Expert opinions on the best states for directors of health services
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Directors of health services to find work opportunities?
Dr. Cara Young Ph.D.
Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
Family nurse practitioners are highly qualified primary care providers. States where NPs have full practice authority afford much more opportunities than states (such as Texas) where NP practice is restricted. The WHO designated 2020 as 'the International Year of the Nurse," and they have recently announced extending this into 2021. The WHO Director-General stated, "Nurses and midwives are the backbones of every health system: in 2020, we're calling on all counties to invest in nurses and midwives ". Nurses can always find a job; I think the major issue impacting the public's access to quality primary health care services is the unhelpful NP practice restrictions in many states across the nation.
Director of health services best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025