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Best states for a director, program manager
Quoted expert
Jann Pataray-Ching, Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to director, program manager 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 Connecticut is the best state for director, program managers in America. The best city in America for director, program managers with the highest pay is Jersey City, NJ.
We figured that the best places for director, program manager jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that Connecticut is the best state for director, program manager jobs, whereas Utah is the worst.
10 best states for director, program managers in 2026
1. Connecticut
Total director, program manager jobs: 930 Average annual salary: $129,566 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
2. Rhode Island
Total director, program manager jobs: 323 Average annual salary: $130,984 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
3. New York
Total director, program manager jobs: 3,578 Average annual salary: $129,829 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
4. New Jersey
Total director, program manager jobs: 2,044 Average annual salary: $130,633 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
5. District of Columbia
Total director, program manager jobs: 956 Average annual salary: $128,498 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 2.48
6. Delaware
Total director, program manager jobs: 337 Average annual salary: $119,782 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
7. West Virginia
Total director, program manager jobs: 472 Average annual salary: $106,215 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
8. Maine
Total director, program manager jobs: 254 Average annual salary: $121,862 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
9. Montana
Total director, program manager jobs: 292 Average annual salary: $113,430 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. California
Total director, program manager jobs: 8,814 Average annual salary: $118,067 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
Director, program manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a director, program manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a director, program manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $129,566 | $85,000 | 3,588,184 | 930 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $130,984 | $86,000 | 1,059,639 | 323 |
| 3 | New York | $129,829 | $85,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,578 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $130,633 | $86,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,044 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $128,498 | $84,000 | 693,972 | 956 |
| 6 | Delaware | $119,782 | $78,000 | 961,939 | 337 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $106,215 | $68,000 | 1,815,857 | 472 |
| 8 | Maine | $121,862 | $80,000 | 1,335,907 | 254 |
| 9 | Montana | $113,430 | $73,000 | 1,050,493 | 292 |
| 10 | California | $118,067 | $74,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,814 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $112,047 | $73,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,527 |
| 12 | Maryland | $123,752 | $81,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,444 |
| 13 | Ohio | $125,198 | $81,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,575 |
| 14 | Texas | $111,698 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,085 |
| 15 | Michigan | $113,018 | $73,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,266 |
| 16 | Iowa | $113,925 | $73,000 | 3,145,711 | 520 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $98,426 | $62,000 | 869,666 | 319 |
| 18 | Oregon | $104,626 | $65,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,112 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $105,304 | $68,000 | 1,342,795 | 373 |
| 20 | Illinois | $104,893 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,837 |
| 21 | Virginia | $105,527 | $67,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,575 |
| 22 | Washington | $101,682 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,334 |
| 23 | Kansas | $106,578 | $67,000 | 2,913,123 | 502 |
| 24 | Alabama | $98,312 | $60,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,108 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $96,727 | $58,000 | 4,684,333 | 854 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $100,821 | $64,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,002 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $101,921 | $64,000 | 6,715,984 | 826 |
| 28 | Idaho | $98,221 | $61,000 | 1,716,943 | 363 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $99,211 | $63,000 | 4,454,189 | 540 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $96,681 | $60,000 | 3,004,279 | 475 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $94,013 | $57,000 | 2,984,100 | 526 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $96,339 | $62,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,172 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $91,881 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 754 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $98,149 | $63,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,207 |
| 35 | Colorado | $97,086 | $60,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,346 |
| 36 | Georgia | $95,965 | $59,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,084 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $94,389 | $58,000 | 2,088,070 | 371 |
| 38 | Missouri | $97,734 | $61,000 | 6,113,532 | 790 |
| 39 | Alaska | $96,044 | $67,000 | 739,795 | 155 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $90,001 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,196 |
| 41 | Florida | $94,633 | $56,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,904 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $92,830 | $58,000 | 1,920,076 | 393 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $92,339 | $58,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,765 |
| 44 | Nevada | $93,776 | $57,000 | 2,998,039 | 365 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $82,284 | $55,000 | 1,427,538 | 230 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $85,260 | $55,000 | 755,393 | 246 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $91,551 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 92 |
| 48 | Vermont | $93,308 | $60,000 | 623,657 | 135 |
| 49 | Indiana | $90,720 | $57,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,003 |
| 50 | Arizona | $88,939 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,368 |
| 51 | Utah | $85,740 | $53,000 | 3,101,833 | 774 |
Highest paying states for director, program managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Director, Program Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $129,566 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $130,984 |
| 3 | New York | $129,829 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $130,633 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $128,498 |
| 6 | Delaware | $119,782 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $106,215 |
| 8 | Maine | $121,862 |
| 9 | Montana | $113,430 |
| 10 | California | $118,067 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $112,047 |
| 12 | Maryland | $123,752 |
| 13 | Ohio | $125,198 |
| 14 | Texas | $111,698 |
| 15 | Michigan | $113,018 |
| 16 | Iowa | $113,925 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $98,426 |
| 18 | Oregon | $104,626 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $105,304 |
| 20 | Illinois | $104,893 |
| 21 | Virginia | $105,527 |
| 22 | Washington | $101,682 |
| 23 | Kansas | $106,578 |
| 24 | Alabama | $98,312 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $96,727 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $100,821 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $101,921 |
| 28 | Idaho | $98,221 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $99,211 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $96,681 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $94,013 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $96,339 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $91,881 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $98,149 |
| 35 | Colorado | $97,086 |
| 36 | Georgia | $95,965 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $94,389 |
| 38 | Missouri | $97,734 |
| 39 | Alaska | $96,044 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $90,001 |
| 41 | Florida | $94,633 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $92,830 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $92,339 |
| 44 | Nevada | $93,776 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $82,284 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $85,260 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $91,551 |
| 48 | Vermont | $93,308 |
| 49 | Indiana | $90,720 |
| 50 | Arizona | $88,939 |
| 51 | Utah | $85,740 |
Expert opinions on the best states for director, program managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for director, program managers to find work opportunities?
Jann Pataray-Ching, Ph.D.
Professor and Department Chair, Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction, Cal Poly Pomona
There are jobs available in pockets throughout the nation. In California, due to the post-recession teacher layoffs, many districts are in need of STEM, Special Education, and bilingual education teachers, especially in rural and low-income areas. The state has budgeted $70 million to get more qualified STEM teachers in the classroom.
Director, program manager best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025