Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a director of project management
Quoted expert
Lisa Noble
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like directors of project management are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for directors of project management aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for directors of project management. We found that Washington is the best state in the nation for directors of project management, and people in Monterey earn the most in the field.
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 project management. Washington is the best state for directors of project management, where the median salary is $138,764.Washington is the best state, and Monterey is the city with the highest pay for directors of project management.
10 best states for directors of project management in 2025
1. Washington
Total director of project management jobs: 3,179 Average annual salary: $138,764 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $210,000 Location Quotient: 1.482. California
Total director of project management jobs: 10,490 Average annual salary: $154,090 Lowest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $228,000 Location Quotient: 1.223. Texas
Total director of project management jobs: 6,472 Average annual salary: $120,189 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.084. Nevada
Total director of project management jobs: 576 Average annual salary: $122,459 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 0.935. Oregon
Total director of project management jobs: 1,572 Average annual salary: $117,482 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.296. New Jersey
Total director of project management jobs: 2,992 Average annual salary: $116,902 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.287. Iowa
Total director of project management jobs: 1,179 Average annual salary: $108,960 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.18. Virginia
Total director of project management jobs: 3,414 Average annual salary: $114,554 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.239. New York
Total director of project management jobs: 4,537 Average annual salary: $115,428 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.210. Rhode Island
Total director of project management jobs: 298 Average annual salary: $120,581 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
Director of project management jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a director of project management
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a director of project management
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $138,764 | $91,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,179 |
| 2 | California | $154,090 | $104,000 | 39,536,653 | 10,490 |
| 3 | Texas | $120,189 | $78,000 | 28,304,596 | 6,472 |
| 4 | Nevada | $122,459 | $79,000 | 2,998,039 | 576 |
| 5 | Oregon | $117,482 | $75,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,572 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $116,902 | $80,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,992 |
| 7 | Iowa | $108,960 | $75,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,179 |
| 8 | Virginia | $114,554 | $78,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,414 |
| 9 | New York | $115,428 | $79,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,537 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $120,581 | $83,000 | 1,059,639 | 298 |
| 11 | Arizona | $116,822 | $75,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,474 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $130,221 | $92,000 | 1,427,538 | 223 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $108,640 | $70,000 | 2,088,070 | 540 |
| 14 | Alaska | $118,420 | $77,000 | 739,795 | 206 |
| 15 | Montana | $118,804 | $79,000 | 1,050,493 | 220 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $103,211 | $67,000 | 4,684,333 | 1,011 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $107,457 | $75,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,405 |
| 18 | Maine | $111,629 | $79,000 | 1,335,907 | 296 |
| 19 | Vermont | $101,644 | $71,000 | 623,657 | 225 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $101,215 | $69,000 | 693,972 | 812 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $96,331 | $66,000 | 869,666 | 372 |
| 22 | Indiana | $101,793 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,452 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $93,506 | $62,000 | 3,004,279 | 1,007 |
| 24 | Idaho | $105,120 | $67,000 | 1,716,943 | 355 |
| 25 | Maryland | $107,139 | $73,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,787 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $98,031 | $68,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,460 |
| 27 | Illinois | $99,740 | $68,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,431 |
| 28 | Utah | $101,367 | $65,000 | 3,101,833 | 709 |
| 29 | Florida | $104,139 | $69,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,395 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $94,975 | $62,000 | 3,930,864 | 943 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $98,098 | $67,000 | 1,815,857 | 305 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $94,025 | $62,000 | 2,984,100 | 621 |
| 33 | Delaware | $98,121 | $67,000 | 961,939 | 342 |
| 34 | Ohio | $94,676 | $64,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,700 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $99,436 | $68,000 | 3,588,184 | 889 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $96,463 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,887 |
| 37 | Colorado | $101,899 | $67,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,412 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $96,430 | $67,000 | 1,342,795 | 437 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $94,495 | $64,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,563 |
| 40 | Michigan | $94,620 | $65,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,932 |
| 41 | Georgia | $93,956 | $63,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,783 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $92,495 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,411 |
| 43 | Alabama | $89,264 | $59,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,302 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $94,153 | $64,000 | 5,024,369 | 952 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $92,846 | $63,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,851 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $93,761 | $62,000 | 579,315 | 93 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $92,818 | $63,000 | 4,454,189 | 782 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $83,234 | $59,000 | 755,393 | 287 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $90,234 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 572 |
| 50 | Kansas | $89,970 | $60,000 | 2,913,123 | 683 |
| 51 | Missouri | $90,145 | $61,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,450 |
Highest paying states for directors of project management
| Rank | State | Avg. Director Of Project Management Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $138,764 |
| 2 | California | $154,090 |
| 3 | Texas | $120,189 |
| 4 | Nevada | $122,459 |
| 5 | Oregon | $117,482 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $116,902 |
| 7 | Iowa | $108,960 |
| 8 | Virginia | $114,554 |
| 9 | New York | $115,428 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $120,581 |
| 11 | Arizona | $116,822 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $130,221 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $108,640 |
| 14 | Alaska | $118,420 |
| 15 | Montana | $118,804 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $103,211 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $107,457 |
| 18 | Maine | $111,629 |
| 19 | Vermont | $101,644 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $101,215 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $96,331 |
| 22 | Indiana | $101,793 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $93,506 |
| 24 | Idaho | $105,120 |
| 25 | Maryland | $107,139 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $98,031 |
| 27 | Illinois | $99,740 |
| 28 | Utah | $101,367 |
| 29 | Florida | $104,139 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $94,975 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $98,098 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $94,025 |
| 33 | Delaware | $98,121 |
| 34 | Ohio | $94,676 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $99,436 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $96,463 |
| 37 | Colorado | $101,899 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $96,430 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $94,495 |
| 40 | Michigan | $94,620 |
| 41 | Georgia | $93,956 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $92,495 |
| 43 | Alabama | $89,264 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $94,153 |
| 45 | Pennsylvania | $92,846 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $93,761 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $92,818 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $83,234 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $90,234 |
| 50 | Kansas | $89,970 |
| 51 | Missouri | $90,145 |
Expert opinions on the best states for directors of project management
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Directors of project management to find work opportunities?
Lisa Noble
Director of Employer Engagement and Entrepreneurship and DavisConnects Advisor for Consulting, Colby College
With remote work likely to remain a primary way of doing business, and a fraction of the workforce returning to the office, it's expected that geography won't matter as much for new graduates as it has in the past. We are seeing more young alumni heading to less dense geographies, where there are exciting tech hubs and mountains for outdoor recreation. Jackson Hole, Park City, and Denver are beginning to overtake San Francisco and Seattle as attractive destinations for their relative affordability and quality of life. Increasingly, COVID has made everyone crave wide open spaces, after months of confinement in small apartments in big cities.
If the class of 2020 is any indication, the technology industry will likely continue to be a significant employer of graduates of all majors, followed by business, then education. We see many of our alumni in the humanities in non-coding roles in technology like UX Design, social media marketing, Customer Experience, product management, sales, marketing, employee engagement, and recruiting.
In this economic climate, where traditional media (book publishing, broadcast and print journalism, advertising) have frozen hiring, we are seeing our English majors exploring roles in business and corporate communications, investor relations, brand management, learning and development, and more.
Director of project management best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for director of project management jobs
Updated January 8, 2025