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Best states for a manager, project director
Quoted expert
Elisa Chan
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Manager, project director opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for managers, project director, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for managers, project director.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of managers, project director in America is $161,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for managers, project director.If you are currently seeking employment as a manager, project director, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for managers, project director in 2026
1. Massachusetts
Total manager, project director jobs: 2,448 Average annual salary: $129,936 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
2. New Jersey
Total manager, project director jobs: 1,898 Average annual salary: $115,176 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
3. Rhode Island
Total manager, project director jobs: 222 Average annual salary: $129,699 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $203,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
4. New York
Total manager, project director jobs: 2,627 Average annual salary: $118,913 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
5. Connecticut
Total manager, project director jobs: 603 Average annual salary: $122,934 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
6. New Hampshire
Total manager, project director jobs: 336 Average annual salary: $106,624 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
7. Washington
Total manager, project director jobs: 2,093 Average annual salary: $102,066 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
8. Delaware
Total manager, project director jobs: 216 Average annual salary: $113,898 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
9. Montana
Total manager, project director jobs: 206 Average annual salary: $104,397 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
10. Maryland
Total manager, project director jobs: 1,529 Average annual salary: $106,497 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
Manager, project director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a manager, project director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a manager, project director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $129,936 | $82,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,448 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $115,176 | $73,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,898 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $129,699 | $82,000 | 1,059,639 | 222 |
| 4 | New York | $118,913 | $75,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,627 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $122,934 | $78,000 | 3,588,184 | 603 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $106,624 | $65,000 | 1,342,795 | 336 |
| 7 | Washington | $102,066 | $63,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,093 |
| 8 | Delaware | $113,898 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 216 |
| 9 | Montana | $104,397 | $64,000 | 1,050,493 | 206 |
| 10 | Maryland | $106,497 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,529 |
| 11 | California | $110,758 | $70,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,797 |
| 12 | Virginia | $101,647 | $64,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,235 |
| 13 | Iowa | $103,181 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 549 |
| 14 | Texas | $96,420 | $59,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,113 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $93,798 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 823 |
| 16 | Nevada | $96,995 | $60,000 | 2,998,039 | 400 |
| 17 | Idaho | $97,668 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 305 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $101,154 | $63,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,682 |
| 19 | Michigan | $94,407 | $59,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,375 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $94,259 | $58,000 | 2,088,070 | 380 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $89,297 | $55,000 | 869,666 | 275 |
| 22 | Alabama | $90,287 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,037 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $97,501 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 173 |
| 24 | Vermont | $94,581 | $56,000 | 623,657 | 165 |
| 25 | Ohio | $93,258 | $58,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,764 |
| 26 | Maine | $96,074 | $57,000 | 1,335,907 | 223 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $89,294 | $54,000 | 2,984,100 | 498 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $88,517 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 729 |
| 29 | Illinois | $94,687 | $59,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,104 |
| 30 | Oregon | $90,882 | $56,000 | 4,142,776 | 921 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $90,085 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,799 |
| 32 | Arizona | $93,413 | $58,000 | 7,016,270 | 991 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $89,973 | $56,000 | 693,972 | 838 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $89,829 | $55,000 | 6,715,984 | 926 |
| 35 | Utah | $89,770 | $55,000 | 3,101,833 | 570 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $86,898 | $53,000 | 579,315 | 131 |
| 37 | Colorado | $92,473 | $57,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,003 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $89,049 | $55,000 | 3,004,279 | 377 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $73,885 | $59,000 | 1,427,538 | 167 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $87,784 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 484 |
| 41 | Kansas | $88,376 | $54,000 | 2,913,123 | 494 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $84,286 | $52,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,016 |
| 43 | Missouri | $86,875 | $54,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,013 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $82,129 | $51,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,396 |
| 45 | Alaska | $85,567 | $50,000 | 739,795 | 147 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $77,530 | $48,000 | 755,393 | 195 |
| 47 | Indiana | $84,601 | $53,000 | 6,666,818 | 956 |
| 48 | Georgia | $84,623 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,573 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $76,575 | $47,000 | 1,920,076 | 408 |
| 50 | Florida | $79,859 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,260 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $79,473 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 550 |
Highest paying states for managers, project director
| Rank | State | Avg. Manager, Project Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $129,936 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $115,176 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $129,699 |
| 4 | New York | $118,913 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $122,934 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $106,624 |
| 7 | Washington | $102,066 |
| 8 | Delaware | $113,898 |
| 9 | Montana | $104,397 |
| 10 | Maryland | $106,497 |
| 11 | California | $110,758 |
| 12 | Virginia | $101,647 |
| 13 | Iowa | $103,181 |
| 14 | Texas | $96,420 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $93,798 |
| 16 | Nevada | $96,995 |
| 17 | Idaho | $97,668 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $101,154 |
| 19 | Michigan | $94,407 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $94,259 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $89,297 |
| 22 | Alabama | $90,287 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $97,501 |
| 24 | Vermont | $94,581 |
| 25 | Ohio | $93,258 |
| 26 | Maine | $96,074 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $89,294 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $88,517 |
| 29 | Illinois | $94,687 |
| 30 | Oregon | $90,882 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $90,085 |
| 32 | Arizona | $93,413 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $89,973 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $89,829 |
| 35 | Utah | $89,770 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $86,898 |
| 37 | Colorado | $92,473 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $89,049 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $73,885 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $87,784 |
| 41 | Kansas | $88,376 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $84,286 |
| 43 | Missouri | $86,875 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $82,129 |
| 45 | Alaska | $85,567 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $77,530 |
| 47 | Indiana | $84,601 |
| 48 | Georgia | $84,623 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $76,575 |
| 50 | Florida | $79,859 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $79,473 |
Expert opinions on the best states for managers, project director
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for manager, project directors to find work opportunities?
Elisa Chan
Assistant Professor of Marketing, New York Institute of Technology
Companies, big or small, will be looking for talents in e-commerce and digital marketing. But I think that there could be more demand from small/medium-sized companies looking for help in these areas.
Manager, project director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025