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Best states for an executive
Quoted expert
Jonathan Byers
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you want to become an executive at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for executives that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for executives. We found that Rhode Island is the best state in the nation for executives, and people in Cumberland earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for executives, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.Rhode Island is the best state, and Cumberland is the city with the highest pay for executives.
10 best states for executives in 2026
1. Rhode Island
Total executive jobs: 180 Average annual salary: $149,785 Lowest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $224,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
2. Massachusetts
Total executive jobs: 1,462 Average annual salary: $138,089 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $210,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
3. Washington
Total executive jobs: 1,063 Average annual salary: $135,630 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
4. New York
Total executive jobs: 2,774 Average annual salary: $130,434 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
5. Connecticut
Total executive jobs: 439 Average annual salary: $137,061 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
6. New Jersey
Total executive jobs: 1,170 Average annual salary: $128,987 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
7. District of Columbia
Total executive jobs: 643 Average annual salary: $128,443 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $203,000 Location Quotient: 2.82
8. Virginia
Total executive jobs: 1,294 Average annual salary: $126,604 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $203,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
9. Nevada
Total executive jobs: 290 Average annual salary: $120,731 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
10. Pennsylvania
Total executive jobs: 1,326 Average annual salary: $124,754 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
Executive jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an executive
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an executive
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $149,785 | $99,000 | 1,059,639 | 180 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $138,089 | $90,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,462 |
| 3 | Washington | $135,630 | $86,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,063 |
| 4 | New York | $130,434 | $84,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,774 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $137,061 | $89,000 | 3,588,184 | 439 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $128,987 | $82,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,170 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $128,443 | $81,000 | 693,972 | 643 |
| 8 | Virginia | $126,604 | $78,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,294 |
| 9 | Nevada | $120,731 | $73,000 | 2,998,039 | 290 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $124,754 | $79,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,326 |
| 11 | California | $116,836 | $71,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,260 |
| 12 | Delaware | $114,925 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 162 |
| 13 | Michigan | $118,554 | $74,000 | 9,962,311 | 765 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $114,146 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 237 |
| 15 | Arizona | $106,484 | $63,000 | 7,016,270 | 802 |
| 16 | Ohio | $108,360 | $66,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,104 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $109,792 | $67,000 | 5,795,483 | 570 |
| 18 | Texas | $100,859 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,945 |
| 19 | Maryland | $115,265 | $71,000 | 6,052,177 | 769 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $111,216 | $71,000 | 1,342,795 | 179 |
| 21 | Alaska | $114,576 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 75 |
| 22 | Illinois | $97,941 | $59,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,915 |
| 23 | Georgia | $101,449 | $58,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,293 |
| 24 | Vermont | $101,960 | $65,000 | 623,657 | 107 |
| 25 | Oregon | $96,781 | $58,000 | 4,142,776 | 980 |
| 26 | Utah | $96,217 | $57,000 | 3,101,833 | 474 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $105,293 | $62,000 | 2,088,070 | 180 |
| 28 | Maine | $103,215 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 122 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $97,904 | $57,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,103 |
| 30 | Alabama | $100,551 | $58,000 | 4,874,747 | 362 |
| 31 | Iowa | $101,283 | $61,000 | 3,145,711 | 305 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $92,681 | $58,000 | 755,393 | 119 |
| 33 | Idaho | $93,904 | $57,000 | 1,716,943 | 201 |
| 34 | Colorado | $93,623 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 874 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $93,888 | $57,000 | 5,576,606 | 886 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $98,338 | $56,000 | 4,684,333 | 316 |
| 37 | Montana | $88,745 | $54,000 | 1,050,493 | 175 |
| 38 | Indiana | $95,400 | $56,000 | 6,666,818 | 580 |
| 39 | Florida | $89,628 | $50,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,791 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $92,075 | $55,000 | 1,815,857 | 122 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $84,922 | $50,000 | 579,315 | 69 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $82,024 | $46,000 | 6,715,984 | 647 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $86,314 | $50,000 | 4,454,189 | 316 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $87,464 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 424 |
| 45 | Missouri | $82,204 | $48,000 | 6,113,532 | 711 |
| 46 | Kansas | $79,199 | $46,000 | 2,913,123 | 337 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $76,353 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 92 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $77,935 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 256 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $82,387 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 85 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $62,546 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 279 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $71,149 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 159 |
Highest paying states for executives
| Rank | State | Avg. Executive Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $149,785 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $138,089 |
| 3 | Washington | $135,630 |
| 4 | New York | $130,434 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $137,061 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $128,987 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $128,443 |
| 8 | Virginia | $126,604 |
| 9 | Nevada | $120,731 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $124,754 |
| 11 | California | $116,836 |
| 12 | Delaware | $114,925 |
| 13 | Michigan | $118,554 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $114,146 |
| 15 | Arizona | $106,484 |
| 16 | Ohio | $108,360 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $109,792 |
| 18 | Texas | $100,859 |
| 19 | Maryland | $115,265 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $111,216 |
| 21 | Alaska | $114,576 |
| 22 | Illinois | $97,941 |
| 23 | Georgia | $101,449 |
| 24 | Vermont | $101,960 |
| 25 | Oregon | $96,781 |
| 26 | Utah | $96,217 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $105,293 |
| 28 | Maine | $103,215 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $97,904 |
| 30 | Alabama | $100,551 |
| 31 | Iowa | $101,283 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $92,681 |
| 33 | Idaho | $93,904 |
| 34 | Colorado | $93,623 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $93,888 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $98,338 |
| 37 | Montana | $88,745 |
| 38 | Indiana | $95,400 |
| 39 | Florida | $89,628 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $92,075 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $84,922 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $82,024 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $86,314 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $87,464 |
| 45 | Missouri | $82,204 |
| 46 | Kansas | $79,199 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $76,353 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $77,935 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $82,387 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $62,546 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $71,149 |
Expert opinions on the best states for executives
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for executives to find work opportunities?
Jonathan Byers
Assistant Director, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Like most Liberal Arts graduates, people with History degrees will most likely develop a number of the professional skills mentioned above that can be applicable in many different industry areas. In today's job market, college graduates are not bound to one type of job opportunity. History majors from Virginia Tech have found employment in Higher Education, Law, Politics, Public Policy, Business, Marketing, Information Technology, Information Management, International Affairs, Local & State Government, and the Federal Government. They have found opportunities in many different locations across the United Students. A person who finds a job depends on how much they are willing to network with other professionals and be strategic and intentional with their job search strategies.
Executive best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025