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Best states for a director/operations manager
Quoted expert
Karen Kus
- 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 director/operations managers in the United States. Director/operations manager 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 director/operations managers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for director/operations managers. We found that Nevada is the best state in the nation for director/operations managers, and people in South Kingstown earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for director/operations managers.If you are currently seeking employment as a director/operations manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for director/operations managers in 2026
1. Nevada
Total director/operations manager jobs: 410 Average annual salary: $104,990 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
2. New York
Total director/operations manager jobs: 1,997 Average annual salary: $125,772 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
3. District of Columbia
Total director/operations manager jobs: 364 Average annual salary: $113,447 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
4. Rhode Island
Total director/operations manager jobs: 153 Average annual salary: $133,191 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
5. Connecticut
Total director/operations manager jobs: 443 Average annual salary: $131,036 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
6. Washington
Total director/operations manager jobs: 1,048 Average annual salary: $122,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
7. Indiana
Total director/operations manager jobs: 1,297 Average annual salary: $100,844 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
8. Wisconsin
Total director/operations manager jobs: 966 Average annual salary: $102,821 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
9. New Mexico
Total director/operations manager jobs: 278 Average annual salary: $110,620 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
10. California
Total director/operations manager jobs: 4,949 Average annual salary: $117,859 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
Director/operations manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a director/operations manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a director/operations manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $104,990 | $66,000 | 2,998,039 | 410 |
| 2 | New York | $125,772 | $83,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,997 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $113,447 | $74,000 | 693,972 | 364 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $133,191 | $89,000 | 1,059,639 | 153 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $131,036 | $87,000 | 3,588,184 | 443 |
| 6 | Washington | $122,995 | $80,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,048 |
| 7 | Indiana | $100,844 | $64,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,297 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $102,821 | $66,000 | 5,795,483 | 966 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $110,620 | $70,000 | 2,088,070 | 278 |
| 10 | California | $117,859 | $75,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,949 |
| 11 | Ohio | $99,000 | $64,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,978 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $102,403 | $65,000 | 869,666 | 181 |
| 13 | Alabama | $95,353 | $59,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,088 |
| 14 | Delaware | $107,631 | $70,000 | 961,939 | 190 |
| 15 | Texas | $95,695 | $60,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,671 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $96,142 | $61,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,985 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $109,757 | $72,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,212 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $105,083 | $69,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,442 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $88,477 | $55,000 | 4,684,333 | 959 |
| 20 | Arizona | $104,344 | $66,000 | 7,016,270 | 731 |
| 21 | Illinois | $102,148 | $65,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,745 |
| 22 | Michigan | $93,078 | $60,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,338 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $88,977 | $56,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,020 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $84,424 | $55,000 | 755,393 | 218 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $85,235 | $55,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,426 |
| 26 | Virginia | $101,022 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,323 |
| 27 | Colorado | $103,032 | $65,000 | 5,607,154 | 707 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $86,396 | $56,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,342 |
| 29 | Iowa | $80,827 | $51,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,071 |
| 30 | Maryland | $99,745 | $65,000 | 6,052,177 | 924 |
| 31 | Georgia | $83,145 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,017 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $75,632 | $47,000 | 2,984,100 | 705 |
| 33 | Kansas | $81,680 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 513 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $80,923 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 328 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $80,548 | $51,000 | 1,920,076 | 386 |
| 36 | Oregon | $88,985 | $57,000 | 4,142,776 | 573 |
| 37 | Maine | $78,312 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 242 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $88,509 | $64,000 | 1,427,538 | 128 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $68,396 | $43,000 | 3,004,279 | 928 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,131 | $49,000 | 1,050,493 | 212 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $71,279 | $45,000 | 3,930,864 | 849 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $72,869 | $46,000 | 4,454,189 | 699 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $73,509 | $47,000 | 579,315 | 111 |
| 44 | Alaska | $80,605 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 137 |
| 45 | Florida | $71,421 | $43,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,280 |
| 46 | Utah | $80,394 | $51,000 | 3,101,833 | 386 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $76,390 | $49,000 | 1,815,857 | 197 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $74,646 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 717 |
| 49 | Idaho | $73,287 | $46,000 | 1,716,943 | 278 |
| 50 | Missouri | $72,751 | $46,000 | 6,113,532 | 998 |
| 51 | Vermont | $76,129 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 69 |
Highest paying states for director/operations managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Director/Operations Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $104,990 |
| 2 | New York | $125,772 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $113,447 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $133,191 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $131,036 |
| 6 | Washington | $122,995 |
| 7 | Indiana | $100,844 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $102,821 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $110,620 |
| 10 | California | $117,859 |
| 11 | Ohio | $99,000 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $102,403 |
| 13 | Alabama | $95,353 |
| 14 | Delaware | $107,631 |
| 15 | Texas | $95,695 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $96,142 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $109,757 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $105,083 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $88,477 |
| 20 | Arizona | $104,344 |
| 21 | Illinois | $102,148 |
| 22 | Michigan | $93,078 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $88,977 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $84,424 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $85,235 |
| 26 | Virginia | $101,022 |
| 27 | Colorado | $103,032 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $86,396 |
| 29 | Iowa | $80,827 |
| 30 | Maryland | $99,745 |
| 31 | Georgia | $83,145 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $75,632 |
| 33 | Kansas | $81,680 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $80,923 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $80,548 |
| 36 | Oregon | $88,985 |
| 37 | Maine | $78,312 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $88,509 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $68,396 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,131 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $71,279 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $72,869 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $73,509 |
| 44 | Alaska | $80,605 |
| 45 | Florida | $71,421 |
| 46 | Utah | $80,394 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $76,390 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $74,646 |
| 49 | Idaho | $73,287 |
| 50 | Missouri | $72,751 |
| 51 | Vermont | $76,129 |
Expert opinions on the best states for director/operations managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for director/operations managers to find work opportunities?
Karen Kus
Assistant Director of Career Services, SUNY Potsdam
Our graduates mostly stay within New York state, so it is a bit challenging for me to identify specific geographic areas that hire graduates with a degree in history. Larger metropolitan cities usually have more opportunities available, but candidate competition is likely higher. Since one can do so much with a degree in history, like work as a teacher, curator, researcher, etc., it's challenging to pinpoint a geographic area since the field of history can be open-ended. For instance, one might have luck landing a teaching position in New York or work as a researcher in Boston. I find if one is looking to find work that directly engages with history, it may be a good idea to explore opportunities in geographic areas that are known for or frequently celebrate history, like Washington, D.C. for instance.
Director/operations manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025