Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for an executive director of operations
Quoted expert
Karen Kus
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for executive directors of operations? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for executive director of operations jobs.As executive directors of operations are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for executive directors of operations. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an executive director of operations, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for executive directors of operations, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.New Jersey is the best state, and Mansfield is the city with the highest pay for executive directors of operations.
10 best states for executive directors of operations in 2026
1. New Jersey
Total executive director of operations jobs: 2,772 Average annual salary: $164,650 Lowest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $238,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. Massachusetts
Total executive director of operations jobs: 3,249 Average annual salary: $155,354 Lowest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $225,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
3. Connecticut
Total executive director of operations jobs: 822 Average annual salary: $176,615 Lowest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $250,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
4. Pennsylvania
Total executive director of operations jobs: 3,076 Average annual salary: $138,073 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
5. District of Columbia
Total executive director of operations jobs: 489 Average annual salary: $151,777 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $224,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
6. Washington
Total executive director of operations jobs: 2,351 Average annual salary: $130,837 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
7. Maine
Total executive director of operations jobs: 348 Average annual salary: $134,596 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
8. New York
Total executive director of operations jobs: 2,596 Average annual salary: $163,900 Lowest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $237,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
9. Wisconsin
Total executive director of operations jobs: 1,364 Average annual salary: $134,541 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
10. Rhode Island
Total executive director of operations jobs: 245 Average annual salary: $149,748 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $219,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
Executive director of operations jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an executive director of operations
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an executive director of operations
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $164,650 | $113,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,772 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $155,354 | $106,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,249 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $176,615 | $124,000 | 3,588,184 | 822 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $138,073 | $92,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,076 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $151,777 | $102,000 | 693,972 | 489 |
| 6 | Washington | $130,837 | $86,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,351 |
| 7 | Maine | $134,596 | $91,000 | 1,335,907 | 348 |
| 8 | New York | $163,900 | $113,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,596 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $134,541 | $89,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,364 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $149,748 | $102,000 | 1,059,639 | 245 |
| 11 | Texas | $119,567 | $76,000 | 28,304,596 | 6,130 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $118,487 | $78,000 | 869,666 | 346 |
| 13 | Michigan | $130,615 | $86,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,828 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $121,721 | $80,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,000 |
| 15 | Delaware | $129,011 | $85,000 | 961,939 | 323 |
| 16 | Indiana | $125,011 | $81,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,666 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $116,830 | $75,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,971 |
| 18 | Maryland | $141,050 | $94,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,376 |
| 19 | Illinois | $120,804 | $78,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,400 |
| 20 | Alabama | $115,843 | $74,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,292 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $117,432 | $75,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,347 |
| 22 | Ohio | $116,537 | $75,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,454 |
| 23 | Colorado | $126,269 | $83,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,277 |
| 24 | Virginia | $125,639 | $82,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,092 |
| 25 | Florida | $114,890 | $73,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,551 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $114,197 | $76,000 | 1,342,795 | 470 |
| 27 | Nevada | $110,614 | $70,000 | 2,998,039 | 626 |
| 28 | Georgia | $111,276 | $71,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,042 |
| 29 | California | $128,877 | $83,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,491 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $101,224 | $63,000 | 4,684,333 | 1,136 |
| 31 | Arizona | $114,075 | $72,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,362 |
| 32 | Oregon | $117,574 | $75,000 | 4,142,776 | 631 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $91,211 | $57,000 | 2,984,100 | 759 |
| 34 | Alaska | $110,191 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 198 |
| 35 | Kansas | $101,726 | $65,000 | 2,913,123 | 777 |
| 36 | Vermont | $110,345 | $73,000 | 623,657 | 169 |
| 37 | Utah | $92,600 | $60,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,052 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $98,924 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 582 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $95,271 | $61,000 | 3,004,279 | 690 |
| 40 | Iowa | $99,648 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 809 |
| 41 | Montana | $83,160 | $55,000 | 1,050,493 | 384 |
| 42 | Idaho | $92,158 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 473 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $110,213 | $72,000 | 1,427,538 | 175 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $84,211 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 916 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $101,683 | $68,000 | 755,393 | 164 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $101,984 | $65,000 | 5,024,369 | 896 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $97,691 | $63,000 | 1,815,857 | 284 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $83,167 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 173 |
| 49 | Missouri | $82,211 | $53,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,600 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $93,198 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 396 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $77,892 | $50,000 | 4,454,189 | 924 |
Highest paying states for executive directors of operations
| Rank | State | Avg. Executive Director Of Operations Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $164,650 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $155,354 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $176,615 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $138,073 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $151,777 |
| 6 | Washington | $130,837 |
| 7 | Maine | $134,596 |
| 8 | New York | $163,900 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $134,541 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $149,748 |
| 11 | Texas | $119,567 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $118,487 |
| 13 | Michigan | $130,615 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $121,721 |
| 15 | Delaware | $129,011 |
| 16 | Indiana | $125,011 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $116,830 |
| 18 | Maryland | $141,050 |
| 19 | Illinois | $120,804 |
| 20 | Alabama | $115,843 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $117,432 |
| 22 | Ohio | $116,537 |
| 23 | Colorado | $126,269 |
| 24 | Virginia | $125,639 |
| 25 | Florida | $114,890 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $114,197 |
| 27 | Nevada | $110,614 |
| 28 | Georgia | $111,276 |
| 29 | California | $128,877 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $101,224 |
| 31 | Arizona | $114,075 |
| 32 | Oregon | $117,574 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $91,211 |
| 34 | Alaska | $110,191 |
| 35 | Kansas | $101,726 |
| 36 | Vermont | $110,345 |
| 37 | Utah | $92,600 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $98,924 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $95,271 |
| 40 | Iowa | $99,648 |
| 41 | Montana | $83,160 |
| 42 | Idaho | $92,158 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $110,213 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $84,211 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $101,683 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $101,984 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $97,691 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $83,167 |
| 49 | Missouri | $82,211 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $93,198 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $77,892 |
Expert opinions on the best states for executive directors of operations
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Executive directors of operations 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.
Executive director of operations best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for executive director of operations jobs
Updated January 8, 2025