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Best states for a director of human resources
Quoted expert
Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for directors of human resources? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for director of human resources 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.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of directors of human resources in America is $147,000.
In order to get you the best states for directors of human resources, 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 Vermont is the best state for director of human resources jobs, whereas New Mexico is the worst.
10 best states for directors of human resources in 2025
1. Vermont
Total director of human resources jobs: 64 Average annual salary: $116,592 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
2. New York
Total director of human resources jobs: 1,098 Average annual salary: $120,477 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
3. California
Total director of human resources jobs: 2,558 Average annual salary: $120,592 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
4. Connecticut
Total director of human resources jobs: 240 Average annual salary: $117,406 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
5. Massachusetts
Total director of human resources jobs: 766 Average annual salary: $113,994 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
6. Nevada
Total director of human resources jobs: 133 Average annual salary: $112,683 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
7. New Hampshire
Total director of human resources jobs: 118 Average annual salary: $109,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
8. New Jersey
Total director of human resources jobs: 474 Average annual salary: $119,895 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
9. District of Columbia
Total director of human resources jobs: 243 Average annual salary: $111,659 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.86
10. Pennsylvania
Total director of human resources jobs: 741 Average annual salary: $108,175 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Director of human resources jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a director of human resources
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a director of human resources
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $116,592 | $78,000 | 623,657 | 64 |
| 2 | New York | $120,477 | $81,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,098 |
| 3 | California | $120,592 | $78,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,558 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $117,406 | $79,000 | 3,588,184 | 240 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $113,994 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 766 |
| 6 | Nevada | $112,683 | $73,000 | 2,998,039 | 133 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $109,379 | $73,000 | 1,342,795 | 118 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $119,895 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 474 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $111,659 | $75,000 | 693,972 | 243 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $108,175 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 741 |
| 11 | Delaware | $106,717 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 103 |
| 12 | Alaska | $108,697 | $74,000 | 739,795 | 58 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $92,155 | $63,000 | 1,815,857 | 349 |
| 14 | Washington | $104,001 | $69,000 | 7,405,743 | 571 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $110,617 | $75,000 | 1,059,639 | 69 |
| 16 | Oregon | $99,387 | $66,000 | 4,142,776 | 318 |
| 17 | Michigan | $100,315 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 483 |
| 18 | Maine | $104,119 | $70,000 | 1,335,907 | 80 |
| 19 | Virginia | $100,275 | $68,000 | 8,470,020 | 652 |
| 20 | Illinois | $91,713 | $64,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,020 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $84,597 | $60,000 | 869,666 | 213 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $85,010 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 887 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $87,600 | $61,000 | 4,454,189 | 239 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $86,337 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 402 |
| 25 | Ohio | $90,453 | $62,000 | 11,658,609 | 602 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $88,207 | $60,000 | 10,273,419 | 615 |
| 27 | Texas | $89,968 | $59,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,246 |
| 28 | Arizona | $85,194 | $56,000 | 7,016,270 | 458 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $88,320 | $64,000 | 755,393 | 54 |
| 30 | Montana | $85,968 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 73 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $79,849 | $52,000 | 4,684,333 | 629 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $85,773 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 427 |
| 33 | Maryland | $95,511 | $64,000 | 6,052,177 | 369 |
| 34 | Idaho | $89,281 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 87 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $86,538 | $66,000 | 1,427,538 | 67 |
| 36 | Georgia | $81,621 | $55,000 | 10,429,379 | 776 |
| 37 | Alabama | $76,675 | $52,000 | 4,874,747 | 686 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $76,785 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 535 |
| 39 | Colorado | $82,648 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 432 |
| 40 | Utah | $84,422 | $57,000 | 3,101,833 | 181 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $75,610 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 372 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $80,430 | $56,000 | 6,715,984 | 346 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $80,171 | $56,000 | 579,315 | 37 |
| 44 | Missouri | $83,514 | $59,000 | 6,113,532 | 316 |
| 45 | Iowa | $77,398 | $55,000 | 3,145,711 | 220 |
| 46 | Indiana | $79,487 | $55,000 | 6,666,818 | 371 |
| 47 | Kansas | $71,909 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 200 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $73,620 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 159 |
| 49 | Florida | $77,783 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 905 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $76,733 | $54,000 | 1,920,076 | 131 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $78,131 | $52,000 | 2,088,070 | 81 |
Highest paying states for directors of human resources
| Rank | State | Avg. Director Of Human Resources Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $116,592 |
| 2 | New York | $120,477 |
| 3 | California | $120,592 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $117,406 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $113,994 |
| 6 | Nevada | $112,683 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $109,379 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $119,895 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $111,659 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $108,175 |
| 11 | Delaware | $106,717 |
| 12 | Alaska | $108,697 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $92,155 |
| 14 | Washington | $104,001 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $110,617 |
| 16 | Oregon | $99,387 |
| 17 | Michigan | $100,315 |
| 18 | Maine | $104,119 |
| 19 | Virginia | $100,275 |
| 20 | Illinois | $91,713 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $84,597 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $85,010 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $87,600 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $86,337 |
| 25 | Ohio | $90,453 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $88,207 |
| 27 | Texas | $89,968 |
| 28 | Arizona | $85,194 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $88,320 |
| 30 | Montana | $85,968 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $79,849 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $85,773 |
| 33 | Maryland | $95,511 |
| 34 | Idaho | $89,281 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $86,538 |
| 36 | Georgia | $81,621 |
| 37 | Alabama | $76,675 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $76,785 |
| 39 | Colorado | $82,648 |
| 40 | Utah | $84,422 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $75,610 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $80,430 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $80,171 |
| 44 | Missouri | $83,514 |
| 45 | Iowa | $77,398 |
| 46 | Indiana | $79,487 |
| 47 | Kansas | $71,909 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $73,620 |
| 49 | Florida | $77,783 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $76,733 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $78,131 |
Expert opinions on the best states for directors of human resources
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Directors of human resources to find work opportunities?
Dr. Vinh Nguyen Ph.D.
Professor of Business Administration, Coe College
HRM graduates can find jobs in a variety of organizations - small and large, for-profit or non-profit - and for the government. Of course, big cities will offer many more opportunities for new graduates than in smaller cities. However, big cities come with much higher competition for candidates to find jobs. Thus, there will be good opportunities across the U.S., especially when Covid-19 is gone!
Director of human resources best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025