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Best states for a finance director
Quoted expert
Karyl Leggio Ph.D.
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It seems like finance directors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for finance directors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Our research shows that Delaware is the best state in the country for finance directors.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for finance directors. Delaware is the best state for finance directors, where the median salary is $131,884.Delaware is the best state, and Monterey is the city with the highest pay for finance directors.
10 best states for finance directors in 2025
1. Delaware
Total finance director jobs: 213 Average annual salary: $131,884 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.152. California
Total finance director jobs: 5,152 Average annual salary: $137,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 1.193. New York
Total finance director jobs: 2,636 Average annual salary: $129,953 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 1.394. Massachusetts
Total finance director jobs: 1,524 Average annual salary: $125,762 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.125. Connecticut
Total finance director jobs: 560 Average annual salary: $118,828 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.146. New Jersey
Total finance director jobs: 1,218 Average annual salary: $123,313 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.047. Pennsylvania
Total finance director jobs: 1,437 Average annual salary: $117,611 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 0.848. Michigan
Total finance director jobs: 974 Average annual salary: $114,064 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 0.859. Texas
Total finance director jobs: 2,881 Average annual salary: $107,090 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 0.9610. Utah
Total finance director jobs: 569 Average annual salary: $103,510 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
Finance director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a finance director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a finance director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $131,884 | $86,000 | 961,939 | 213 |
| 2 | California | $137,128 | $91,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,152 |
| 3 | New York | $129,953 | $84,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,636 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $125,762 | $81,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,524 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $118,828 | $76,000 | 3,588,184 | 560 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $123,313 | $79,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,218 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $117,611 | $75,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,437 |
| 8 | Michigan | $114,064 | $73,000 | 9,962,311 | 974 |
| 9 | Texas | $107,090 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,881 |
| 10 | Utah | $103,510 | $68,000 | 3,101,833 | 569 |
| 11 | Nevada | $108,374 | $70,000 | 2,998,039 | 265 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $104,697 | $72,000 | 755,393 | 129 |
| 13 | Virginia | $109,941 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,442 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $112,726 | $72,000 | 693,972 | 379 |
| 15 | Washington | $106,532 | $70,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,258 |
| 16 | Oregon | $109,404 | $71,000 | 4,142,776 | 541 |
| 17 | Arizona | $105,372 | $69,000 | 7,016,270 | 736 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $102,326 | $65,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,264 |
| 19 | Illinois | $102,741 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,970 |
| 20 | Maryland | $109,416 | $69,000 | 6,052,177 | 934 |
| 21 | Vermont | $105,556 | $67,000 | 623,657 | 90 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $93,096 | $61,000 | 3,004,279 | 619 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $100,902 | $64,000 | 1,059,639 | 164 |
| 24 | Maine | $102,023 | $65,000 | 1,335,907 | 128 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $100,231 | $67,000 | 5,576,606 | 980 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $102,349 | $65,000 | 1,342,795 | 189 |
| 27 | Indiana | $101,451 | $65,000 | 6,666,818 | 610 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $95,035 | $62,000 | 5,795,483 | 844 |
| 29 | Ohio | $99,164 | $63,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,071 |
| 30 | Colorado | $97,666 | $65,000 | 5,607,154 | 931 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $99,247 | $76,000 | 1,427,538 | 130 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $90,191 | $58,000 | 4,684,333 | 736 |
| 33 | Alabama | $89,407 | $58,000 | 4,874,747 | 932 |
| 34 | Iowa | $88,768 | $59,000 | 3,145,711 | 812 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $95,376 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 239 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $88,968 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 97 |
| 37 | Georgia | $93,487 | $60,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,359 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $93,030 | $59,000 | 1,815,857 | 98 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $93,622 | $60,000 | 4,454,189 | 322 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $84,765 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 483 |
| 41 | Idaho | $94,267 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 174 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $94,500 | $62,000 | 2,088,070 | 160 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $89,727 | $58,000 | 6,715,984 | 703 |
| 44 | Kansas | $93,824 | $63,000 | 2,913,123 | 159 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $84,579 | $56,000 | 3,930,864 | 539 |
| 46 | Missouri | $89,900 | $60,000 | 6,113,532 | 702 |
| 47 | Florida | $83,147 | $52,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,128 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $87,076 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 420 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $84,304 | $57,000 | 869,666 | 102 |
| 50 | Montana | $85,255 | $58,000 | 1,050,493 | 70 |
| 51 | Alaska | $74,182 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 97 |
Highest paying states for finance directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Finance Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $131,884 |
| 2 | California | $137,128 |
| 3 | New York | $129,953 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $125,762 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $118,828 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $123,313 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $117,611 |
| 8 | Michigan | $114,064 |
| 9 | Texas | $107,090 |
| 10 | Utah | $103,510 |
| 11 | Nevada | $108,374 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $104,697 |
| 13 | Virginia | $109,941 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $112,726 |
| 15 | Washington | $106,532 |
| 16 | Oregon | $109,404 |
| 17 | Arizona | $105,372 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $102,326 |
| 19 | Illinois | $102,741 |
| 20 | Maryland | $109,416 |
| 21 | Vermont | $105,556 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $93,096 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $100,902 |
| 24 | Maine | $102,023 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $100,231 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $102,349 |
| 27 | Indiana | $101,451 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $95,035 |
| 29 | Ohio | $99,164 |
| 30 | Colorado | $97,666 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $99,247 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $90,191 |
| 33 | Alabama | $89,407 |
| 34 | Iowa | $88,768 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $95,376 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $88,968 |
| 37 | Georgia | $93,487 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $93,030 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $93,622 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $84,765 |
| 41 | Idaho | $94,267 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $94,500 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $89,727 |
| 44 | Kansas | $93,824 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $84,579 |
| 46 | Missouri | $89,900 |
| 47 | Florida | $83,147 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $87,076 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $84,304 |
| 50 | Montana | $85,255 |
| 51 | Alaska | $74,182 |
Expert opinions on the best states for finance directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for finance directors to find work opportunities?
Karyl Leggio Ph.D.
Professor of Finance, Loyola University Maryland
Many students think of finance and think of Wall Street. There certainly are opportunities in New York and Chicago, but I urge students to broaden their search. In finding your first career opportunity, treat it as if it is a three-credit course, and put that amount of time into job searching each week. I don't think of job hunting as where to search but of how to search. Develop a strong LinkedIn profile, and post articles to your page; look at firms in your area, consider firms in cities that are growing; access your alumni network; network with family and friends. Don't limit your search to a handful of firms. In this economy, you need to cast a broad net and be open to opportunities that present themselves. Apply broadly, and be open-minded.
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Updated January 8, 2025