Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a manager, design and production
Quoted expert
Brockett Horne
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for managers, design and production? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for manager, design and production jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Our research shows that California is the best state in the country for managers, design and production.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for managers, design and production. California is the best state for managers, design and production, where the median salary is $99,331.We found that California is the best state for manager, design and production jobs, whereas South Dakota is the worst.
10 best states for managers, design and production in 2026
1. California
Total manager, design and production jobs: 4,743 Average annual salary: $99,331 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
2. Oregon
Total manager, design and production jobs: 625 Average annual salary: $88,101 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. Washington
Total manager, design and production jobs: 933 Average annual salary: $89,879 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
4. Virginia
Total manager, design and production jobs: 892 Average annual salary: $99,657 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
5. Connecticut
Total manager, design and production jobs: 376 Average annual salary: $82,567 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
6. Nevada
Total manager, design and production jobs: 198 Average annual salary: $83,869 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
7. Wisconsin
Total manager, design and production jobs: 960 Average annual salary: $72,424 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
8. Arizona
Total manager, design and production jobs: 758 Average annual salary: $75,926 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
9. Massachusetts
Total manager, design and production jobs: 855 Average annual salary: $89,994 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
10. Ohio
Total manager, design and production jobs: 1,286 Average annual salary: $72,647 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
Manager, design and production jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a manager, design and production
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a manager, design and production
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $99,331 | $65,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,743 |
| 2 | Oregon | $88,101 | $59,000 | 4,142,776 | 625 |
| 3 | Washington | $89,879 | $59,000 | 7,405,743 | 933 |
| 4 | Virginia | $99,657 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 892 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $82,567 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 376 |
| 6 | Nevada | $83,869 | $55,000 | 2,998,039 | 198 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $72,424 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 960 |
| 8 | Arizona | $75,926 | $50,000 | 7,016,270 | 758 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $89,994 | $63,000 | 6,859,819 | 855 |
| 10 | Ohio | $72,647 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,286 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $93,014 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 587 |
| 12 | New York | $85,593 | $59,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,144 |
| 13 | Utah | $71,162 | $46,000 | 3,101,833 | 433 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $77,902 | $52,000 | 1,815,857 | 127 |
| 15 | Michigan | $69,323 | $49,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,054 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $78,017 | $55,000 | 1,059,639 | 106 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $88,417 | $59,000 | 693,972 | 124 |
| 18 | Texas | $73,431 | $45,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,015 |
| 19 | Illinois | $71,831 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,221 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $68,482 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 877 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $69,627 | $49,000 | 1,342,795 | 203 |
| 22 | Colorado | $71,092 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 642 |
| 23 | Vermont | $64,858 | $46,000 | 623,657 | 110 |
| 24 | Delaware | $69,272 | $47,000 | 961,939 | 117 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $68,172 | $44,000 | 10,273,419 | 814 |
| 26 | Maryland | $74,399 | $50,000 | 6,052,177 | 497 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $64,901 | $44,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,168 |
| 28 | Iowa | $60,861 | $43,000 | 3,145,711 | 539 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $65,181 | $45,000 | 579,315 | 55 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $68,644 | $45,000 | 2,088,070 | 120 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $62,264 | $40,000 | 6,715,984 | 566 |
| 32 | Indiana | $60,062 | $41,000 | 6,666,818 | 814 |
| 33 | Alaska | $69,518 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 62 |
| 34 | Georgia | $62,974 | $39,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,043 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $59,256 | $39,000 | 4,454,189 | 428 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $62,697 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 400 |
| 37 | Missouri | $62,307 | $42,000 | 6,113,532 | 574 |
| 38 | Maine | $60,131 | $43,000 | 1,335,907 | 160 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $61,560 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 83 |
| 40 | Kansas | $58,438 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 331 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $59,540 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 225 |
| 42 | Florida | $61,795 | $36,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,401 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $60,678 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 213 |
| 44 | Idaho | $57,029 | $37,000 | 1,716,943 | 177 |
| 45 | Montana | $61,439 | $41,000 | 1,050,493 | 94 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $56,491 | $35,000 | 2,984,100 | 196 |
| 47 | Alabama | $51,353 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 478 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $58,275 | $35,000 | 4,684,333 | 151 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $59,395 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 46 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $55,713 | $37,000 | 3,930,864 | 189 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $47,633 | $34,000 | 869,666 | 88 |
Highest paying states for managers, design and production
| Rank | State | Avg. Manager, Design And Production Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $99,331 |
| 2 | Oregon | $88,101 |
| 3 | Washington | $89,879 |
| 4 | Virginia | $99,657 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $82,567 |
| 6 | Nevada | $83,869 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $72,424 |
| 8 | Arizona | $75,926 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $89,994 |
| 10 | Ohio | $72,647 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $93,014 |
| 12 | New York | $85,593 |
| 13 | Utah | $71,162 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $77,902 |
| 15 | Michigan | $69,323 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $78,017 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $88,417 |
| 18 | Texas | $73,431 |
| 19 | Illinois | $71,831 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $68,482 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $69,627 |
| 22 | Colorado | $71,092 |
| 23 | Vermont | $64,858 |
| 24 | Delaware | $69,272 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $68,172 |
| 26 | Maryland | $74,399 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $64,901 |
| 28 | Iowa | $60,861 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $65,181 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $68,644 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $62,264 |
| 32 | Indiana | $60,062 |
| 33 | Alaska | $69,518 |
| 34 | Georgia | $62,974 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $59,256 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $62,697 |
| 37 | Missouri | $62,307 |
| 38 | Maine | $60,131 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $61,560 |
| 40 | Kansas | $58,438 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $59,540 |
| 42 | Florida | $61,795 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $60,678 |
| 44 | Idaho | $57,029 |
| 45 | Montana | $61,439 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $56,491 |
| 47 | Alabama | $51,353 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $58,275 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $59,395 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $55,713 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $47,633 |
Expert opinions on the best states for managers, design and production
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for manager, design and productions to find work opportunities?
Brockett Horne
Professor, Maryland Institute College of Art
"Word of mouth" openings such as newsletters, people posting openings on LinkedIn or university job boards are particularly fruitful now. Networking is an important skill, but sometimes harder for recent graduates. Know that time spent reaching out to professionals for informational interviews, portfolio feedback, or events, can help build an effective professional network.
Manager, design and production best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for manager, design and production jobs
Updated January 8, 2025