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Job outlook for executive directors in the United States
Executive director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected executive director job growth rate is -8% from 2018-2028.
About -286,900 new jobs for executive directors are projected over the next decade.
Executive director salaries have increased 13% for executive directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 50,303 executive directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 97,471 active executive director job openings in the US.
The average executive director salary is $127,956.
Are executive director jobs in demand?
Executive director job and salary trends over time
Executive director jobs over time
Executive director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50,303 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 54,133 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 58,270 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 61,107 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 63,887 | 0.02% |
Average executive director salary over time
Executive director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $127,956 | $61.52 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $123,455 | $59.35 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $120,312 | $57.84 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $116,399 | $55.96 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $113,256 | $54.45 | +4.7% |
Executive director jobs by state
Most common states for executive directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 287 | 41% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,991 | 29% |
| 3 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 225 | 26% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 355 | 20% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 191 | 20% |
| 6 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 976 | 19% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 119 | 19% |
| 8 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,184 | 17% |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 931 | 17% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 841 | 17% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,448 | 16% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,356 | 16% |
| 13 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 745 | 16% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 169 | 16% |
| 15 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,135 | 15% |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 598 | 15% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 539 | 15% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 155 | 15% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 116 | 15% |
| 20 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,445 | 14% |
Most common cities for executive directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foster City | 9 | 26% | $133,167 |
| 2 | Culver City | 10 | 25% | $132,432 |
| 3 | Annapolis | 6 | 15% | $109,036 |
| 4 | Cambridge | 16 | 14% | $105,158 |
| 5 | San Mateo | 15 | 14% | $133,215 |
| 6 | Wilmington | 9 | 13% | $121,477 |
| 7 | Hartford | 8 | 6% | $128,485 |
| 8 | Washington | 25 | 4% | $117,302 |
| 9 | Boston | 22 | 3% | $105,250 |
| 10 | Atlanta | 12 | 3% | $111,465 |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 18 | 2% | $86,134 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 10 | 2% | $108,925 |
| 13 | Miami | 9 | 2% | $111,087 |
| 14 | Houston | 13 | 1% | $120,084 |
| 15 | San Francisco | 11 | 1% | $132,888 |
| 16 | San Antonio | 9 | 1% | $121,065 |
| 17 | Dallas | 7 | 1% | $114,441 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 16 | 0% | $132,449 |
| 19 | Chicago | 13 | 0% | $105,692 |
| 20 | New York | 11 | 0% | $150,937 |
Executive Director job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of executive director experts
Thiel College
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Executive Director job market given the pandemic?
Mary Beth Mason Ph.D.: I think we are going to see teletherapy as a more common service delivery model across settings. I think that that will be what I call a "Pandemic Positive". I think many states will pass legislation post pandemic for teletherapy to be a reimbursable service.