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Best states for a director of programs and operations
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to director of programs and operations jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. In fact, our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state for directors of programs and operations in America. The best city in America for directors of programs and operations with the highest pay is Washington, DC.
In order to get you the best states for directors of programs and operations, 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 District of Columbia is the best state for director of programs and operations jobs, whereas Hawaii is the worst.
10 best states for directors of programs and operations in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 411 Average annual salary: $127,658 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
2. Pennsylvania
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 2,398 Average annual salary: $99,626 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. New York
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 2,241 Average annual salary: $121,470 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
4. New Jersey
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 1,549 Average annual salary: $96,019 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
5. New Hampshire
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 305 Average annual salary: $89,218 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
6. Rhode Island
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 129 Average annual salary: $99,038 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
7. Connecticut
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 398 Average annual salary: $97,026 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
8. South Dakota
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 336 Average annual salary: $78,304 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.83
9. Tennessee
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 976 Average annual salary: $84,517 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
10. Indiana
Total director of programs and operations jobs: 1,158 Average annual salary: $82,236 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
Director of programs and operations jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a director of programs and operations
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a director of programs and operations
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $127,658 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 411 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $99,626 | $60,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,398 |
| 3 | New York | $121,470 | $76,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,241 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $96,019 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,549 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $89,218 | $55,000 | 1,342,795 | 305 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $99,038 | $61,000 | 1,059,639 | 129 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $97,026 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 398 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $78,304 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 336 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $84,517 | $48,000 | 6,715,984 | 976 |
| 10 | Indiana | $82,236 | $48,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,158 |
| 11 | Delaware | $90,051 | $54,000 | 961,939 | 181 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $87,497 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,649 |
| 13 | Georgia | $82,877 | $47,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,942 |
| 14 | Iowa | $77,441 | $46,000 | 3,145,711 | 944 |
| 15 | Colorado | $95,047 | $56,000 | 5,607,154 | 545 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $82,359 | $49,000 | 5,795,483 | 946 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $81,270 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 392 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $78,412 | $45,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,882 |
| 19 | Virginia | $89,231 | $53,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,052 |
| 20 | Maine | $78,804 | $49,000 | 1,335,907 | 237 |
| 21 | Michigan | $79,355 | $48,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,165 |
| 22 | Texas | $73,656 | $41,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,279 |
| 23 | Alabama | $71,429 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 967 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $71,195 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 221 |
| 25 | Illinois | $82,278 | $49,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,469 |
| 26 | California | $83,754 | $48,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,102 |
| 27 | Maryland | $85,330 | $51,000 | 6,052,177 | 654 |
| 28 | Missouri | $75,578 | $44,000 | 6,113,532 | 962 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $72,061 | $44,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,236 |
| 30 | Ohio | $70,202 | $41,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,738 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $62,891 | $35,000 | 4,684,333 | 871 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $58,447 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 825 |
| 33 | Nevada | $65,531 | $38,000 | 2,998,039 | 400 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $59,372 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 621 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $68,544 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 688 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $66,523 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 641 |
| 37 | Kansas | $66,820 | $39,000 | 2,913,123 | 483 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $66,654 | $39,000 | 1,815,857 | 207 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $68,409 | $39,000 | 2,088,070 | 263 |
| 40 | Washington | $61,788 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,541 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $54,677 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 783 |
| 42 | Vermont | $68,397 | $42,000 | 623,657 | 81 |
| 43 | Oregon | $66,650 | $39,000 | 4,142,776 | 517 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $52,662 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 133 |
| 45 | Alaska | $56,122 | $40,000 | 739,795 | 146 |
| 46 | Idaho | $55,051 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 294 |
| 47 | Florida | $54,852 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,929 |
| 48 | Montana | $49,854 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 238 |
| 49 | Arizona | $63,035 | $36,000 | 7,016,270 | 594 |
| 50 | Utah | $56,025 | $33,000 | 3,101,833 | 314 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $39,927 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 76 |
Highest paying states for directors of programs and operations
| Rank | State | Avg. Director Of Programs And Operations Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $127,658 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $99,626 |
| 3 | New York | $121,470 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $96,019 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $89,218 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $99,038 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $97,026 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $78,304 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $84,517 |
| 10 | Indiana | $82,236 |
| 11 | Delaware | $90,051 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $87,497 |
| 13 | Georgia | $82,877 |
| 14 | Iowa | $77,441 |
| 15 | Colorado | $95,047 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $82,359 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $81,270 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $78,412 |
| 19 | Virginia | $89,231 |
| 20 | Maine | $78,804 |
| 21 | Michigan | $79,355 |
| 22 | Texas | $73,656 |
| 23 | Alabama | $71,429 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $71,195 |
| 25 | Illinois | $82,278 |
| 26 | California | $83,754 |
| 27 | Maryland | $85,330 |
| 28 | Missouri | $75,578 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $72,061 |
| 30 | Ohio | $70,202 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $62,891 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $58,447 |
| 33 | Nevada | $65,531 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $59,372 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $68,544 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $66,523 |
| 37 | Kansas | $66,820 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $66,654 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $68,409 |
| 40 | Washington | $61,788 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $54,677 |
| 42 | Vermont | $68,397 |
| 43 | Oregon | $66,650 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $52,662 |
| 45 | Alaska | $56,122 |
| 46 | Idaho | $55,051 |
| 47 | Florida | $54,852 |
| 48 | Montana | $49,854 |
| 49 | Arizona | $63,035 |
| 50 | Utah | $56,025 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $39,927 |
Director of programs and operations best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025