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Best states for a finance executive
Quoted expert
Dr. Reid Cummings
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Do you want to become a finance executive at Citigroup, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for finance executives that you can check out, before you begin your journey. In fact, our research shows that Illinois is the best state for finance executives in America. The best city in America for finance executives with the highest pay is West Babylon, NY.
We figured that the best places for finance executive 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 the West is best for finance executives, and the Northeast is the worst. West Babylon, NY is the best city in the country for finance executive jobs, where as Illinois is the best state in the country.
10 best states for finance executives in 2025
1. Illinois
Total finance executive jobs: 3,123 Average annual salary: $128,640 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $213,000 Location Quotient: 2.66
2. North Carolina
Total finance executive jobs: 2,005 Average annual salary: $123,723 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 2.12
3. New York
Total finance executive jobs: 2,002 Average annual salary: $136,468 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
4. Connecticut
Total finance executive jobs: 810 Average annual salary: $123,793 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 2.48
5. District of Columbia
Total finance executive jobs: 335 Average annual salary: $137,035 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $220,000 Location Quotient: 2.02
6. Ohio
Total finance executive jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $122,961 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 0
7. Nevada
Total finance executive jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $119,331 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 0
8. Pennsylvania
Total finance executive jobs: 2,202 Average annual salary: $111,420 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.92
9. Georgia
Total finance executive jobs: 2,149 Average annual salary: $117,197 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 2.11
10. Maryland
Total finance executive jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $123,256 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $203,000 Location Quotient: 0
Finance executive jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a finance executive
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a finance executive
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $128,640 | $77,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,123 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $123,723 | $77,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,005 |
| 3 | New York | $136,468 | $83,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,002 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $123,793 | $73,000 | 3,588,184 | 810 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $137,035 | $85,000 | 693,972 | 335 |
| 6 | Ohio | $122,961 | $73,000 | 11,658,609 | 0 |
| 7 | Nevada | $119,331 | $72,000 | 2,998,039 | 0 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $111,420 | $65,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,202 |
| 9 | Georgia | $117,197 | $75,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,149 |
| 10 | Maryland | $123,256 | $74,000 | 6,052,177 | 0 |
| 11 | California | $123,667 | $76,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,923 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $106,603 | $65,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,084 |
| 13 | Indiana | $109,261 | $64,000 | 6,666,818 | 0 |
| 14 | Michigan | $108,511 | $62,000 | 9,962,311 | 0 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $108,576 | $61,000 | 755,393 | 0 |
| 16 | Maine | $109,057 | $61,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
| 17 | Delaware | $107,161 | $62,000 | 961,939 | 297 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $108,028 | $61,000 | 5,795,483 | 0 |
| 19 | Vermont | $110,162 | $61,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $113,157 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 0 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $107,385 | $68,000 | 5,024,369 | 0 |
| 22 | Texas | $107,022 | $68,000 | 28,304,596 | 0 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $107,950 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 0 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $101,980 | $60,000 | 1,815,857 | 185 |
| 25 | Florida | $104,142 | $83,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,351 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $106,409 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 0 |
| 27 | Alabama | $99,878 | $64,000 | 4,874,747 | 752 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $104,822 | $59,000 | 5,576,606 | 0 |
| 29 | Kansas | $94,837 | $56,000 | 2,913,123 | 916 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $95,667 | $85,000 | 1,427,538 | 183 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $104,358 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 0 |
| 32 | Virginia | $102,223 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 0 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $95,673 | $56,000 | 4,454,189 | 0 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $94,566 | $62,000 | 4,684,333 | 522 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $98,089 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 0 |
| 36 | Iowa | $95,554 | $54,000 | 3,145,711 | 542 |
| 37 | Arizona | $94,648 | $57,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,251 |
| 38 | Missouri | $95,964 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 0 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $88,132 | $54,000 | 3,004,279 | 615 |
| 40 | Washington | $99,564 | $55,000 | 7,405,743 | 0 |
| 41 | Utah | $92,765 | $54,000 | 3,101,833 | 0 |
| 42 | Colorado | $85,732 | $50,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,448 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $89,141 | $57,000 | 2,984,100 | 0 |
| 44 | Idaho | $86,219 | $48,000 | 1,716,943 | 321 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $86,634 | $48,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 46 | Oregon | $89,222 | $50,000 | 4,142,776 | 0 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $87,123 | $50,000 | 1,920,076 | 0 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $88,190 | $53,000 | 3,930,864 | 0 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $84,554 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 50 | Montana | $80,265 | $44,000 | 1,050,493 | 0 |
| 51 | Alaska | $62,930 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 136 |
Highest paying states for finance executives
| Rank | State | Avg. Finance Executive Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | $128,640 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $123,723 |
| 3 | New York | $136,468 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $123,793 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $137,035 |
| 6 | Ohio | $122,961 |
| 7 | Nevada | $119,331 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $111,420 |
| 9 | Georgia | $117,197 |
| 10 | Maryland | $123,256 |
| 11 | California | $123,667 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $106,603 |
| 13 | Indiana | $109,261 |
| 14 | Michigan | $108,511 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $108,576 |
| 16 | Maine | $109,057 |
| 17 | Delaware | $107,161 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $108,028 |
| 19 | Vermont | $110,162 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $113,157 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $107,385 |
| 22 | Texas | $107,022 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $107,950 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $101,980 |
| 25 | Florida | $104,142 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $106,409 |
| 27 | Alabama | $99,878 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $104,822 |
| 29 | Kansas | $94,837 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $95,667 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | $104,358 |
| 32 | Virginia | $102,223 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $95,673 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $94,566 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $98,089 |
| 36 | Iowa | $95,554 |
| 37 | Arizona | $94,648 |
| 38 | Missouri | $95,964 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $88,132 |
| 40 | Washington | $99,564 |
| 41 | Utah | $92,765 |
| 42 | Colorado | $85,732 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $89,141 |
| 44 | Idaho | $86,219 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $86,634 |
| 46 | Oregon | $89,222 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $87,123 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $88,190 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $84,554 |
| 50 | Montana | $80,265 |
| 51 | Alaska | $62,930 |
Expert opinions on the best states for finance executives
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for finance executives to find work opportunities?
Dr. Reid Cummings
Associate Professor of Finance & Real Estate, University of South Alabama
The South and Southwest will continue to attract companies looking to follow workers out of states with high state and local taxes and increasingly restrictive regulatory environments.
Finance executive best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025