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Best states for a manager, project management
Quoted expert
Lisa Noble
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like managers, project management are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for managers, project management aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Although there are abundant manager, project management jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. Rhode Island is the best state in the country for manager, project management jobs.
We figured that the best places for manager, project management 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.If you are currently seeking employment as a manager, project management, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for managers, project management in 2026
1. Rhode Island
Total manager, project management jobs: 404 Average annual salary: $117,529 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
2. California
Total manager, project management jobs: 11,878 Average annual salary: $126,085 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. Virginia
Total manager, project management jobs: 3,881 Average annual salary: $109,103 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
4. New York
Total manager, project management jobs: 4,306 Average annual salary: $112,130 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
5. Texas
Total manager, project management jobs: 6,413 Average annual salary: $104,895 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
6. Connecticut
Total manager, project management jobs: 1,045 Average annual salary: $110,242 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
7. New Jersey
Total manager, project management jobs: 2,331 Average annual salary: $111,675 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
8. Arizona
Total manager, project management jobs: 1,743 Average annual salary: $103,298 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
9. Pennsylvania
Total manager, project management jobs: 3,176 Average annual salary: $103,142 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
10. North Carolina
Total manager, project management jobs: 2,913 Average annual salary: $99,942 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
Manager, project management jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a manager, project management
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a manager, project management
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $117,529 | $83,000 | 1,059,639 | 404 |
| 2 | California | $126,085 | $86,000 | 39,536,653 | 11,878 |
| 3 | Virginia | $109,103 | $77,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,881 |
| 4 | New York | $112,130 | $79,000 | 19,849,399 | 4,306 |
| 5 | Texas | $104,895 | $70,000 | 28,304,596 | 6,413 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $110,242 | $78,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,045 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $111,675 | $79,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,331 |
| 8 | Arizona | $103,298 | $71,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,743 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $103,142 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,176 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $99,942 | $70,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,913 |
| 11 | Montana | $108,020 | $77,000 | 1,050,493 | 269 |
| 12 | Maine | $104,902 | $75,000 | 1,335,907 | 315 |
| 13 | Iowa | $105,863 | $75,000 | 3,145,711 | 723 |
| 14 | Maryland | $106,748 | $76,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,935 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $104,674 | $74,000 | 693,972 | 1,098 |
| 16 | Utah | $95,168 | $66,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,233 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $97,176 | $69,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,485 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $98,704 | $70,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,050 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $97,924 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 306 |
| 20 | Oregon | $96,145 | $66,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,542 |
| 21 | Vermont | $96,181 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 239 |
| 22 | Washington | $95,638 | $66,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,487 |
| 23 | Ohio | $95,151 | $67,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,540 |
| 24 | Delaware | $96,756 | $68,000 | 961,939 | 369 |
| 25 | Nevada | $95,537 | $65,000 | 2,998,039 | 554 |
| 26 | Indiana | $95,103 | $67,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,367 |
| 27 | Michigan | $93,222 | $66,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,811 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $93,740 | $64,000 | 2,088,070 | 510 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $92,065 | $64,000 | 3,004,279 | 655 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $87,151 | $62,000 | 579,315 | 231 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $92,591 | $66,000 | 869,666 | 194 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $92,298 | $65,000 | 1,342,795 | 439 |
| 33 | Georgia | $91,750 | $63,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,756 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $91,234 | $64,000 | 4,454,189 | 714 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $88,632 | $62,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,363 |
| 36 | Illinois | $89,788 | $64,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,272 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $90,620 | $65,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,680 |
| 38 | Alaska | $86,589 | $69,000 | 739,795 | 224 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $90,976 | $60,000 | 4,684,333 | 555 |
| 40 | Kansas | $88,738 | $62,000 | 2,913,123 | 623 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $89,843 | $62,000 | 5,024,369 | 887 |
| 42 | Missouri | $89,928 | $63,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,303 |
| 43 | Idaho | $90,306 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 309 |
| 44 | Florida | $84,717 | $53,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,793 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $76,559 | $60,000 | 1,427,538 | 271 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $79,559 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 273 |
| 47 | Colorado | $83,813 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,661 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $86,380 | $61,000 | 1,920,076 | 514 |
| 49 | Alabama | $82,053 | $56,000 | 4,874,747 | 939 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $84,692 | $57,000 | 2,984,100 | 337 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $78,574 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 544 |
Highest paying states for managers, project management
| Rank | State | Avg. Manager, Project Management Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $117,529 |
| 2 | California | $126,085 |
| 3 | Virginia | $109,103 |
| 4 | New York | $112,130 |
| 5 | Texas | $104,895 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $110,242 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $111,675 |
| 8 | Arizona | $103,298 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $103,142 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $99,942 |
| 11 | Montana | $108,020 |
| 12 | Maine | $104,902 |
| 13 | Iowa | $105,863 |
| 14 | Maryland | $106,748 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $104,674 |
| 16 | Utah | $95,168 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $97,176 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $98,704 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $97,924 |
| 20 | Oregon | $96,145 |
| 21 | Vermont | $96,181 |
| 22 | Washington | $95,638 |
| 23 | Ohio | $95,151 |
| 24 | Delaware | $96,756 |
| 25 | Nevada | $95,537 |
| 26 | Indiana | $95,103 |
| 27 | Michigan | $93,222 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $93,740 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $92,065 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $87,151 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $92,591 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $92,298 |
| 33 | Georgia | $91,750 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $91,234 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $88,632 |
| 36 | Illinois | $89,788 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $90,620 |
| 38 | Alaska | $86,589 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $90,976 |
| 40 | Kansas | $88,738 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $89,843 |
| 42 | Missouri | $89,928 |
| 43 | Idaho | $90,306 |
| 44 | Florida | $84,717 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $76,559 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $79,559 |
| 47 | Colorado | $83,813 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $86,380 |
| 49 | Alabama | $82,053 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $84,692 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $78,574 |
Expert opinions on the best states for managers, project management
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for manager, project managements to find work opportunities?
Lisa Noble
Director of Employer Engagement and Entrepreneurship and DavisConnects Advisor for Consulting, Colby College
With remote work likely to remain a primary way of doing business, and a fraction of the workforce returning to the office, it's expected that geography won't matter as much for new graduates as it has in the past. We are seeing more young alumni heading to less dense geographies, where there are exciting tech hubs and mountains for outdoor recreation. Jackson Hole, Park City, and Denver are beginning to overtake San Francisco and Seattle as attractive destinations for their relative affordability and quality of life. Increasingly, COVID has made everyone crave wide open spaces, after months of confinement in small apartments in big cities.
If the class of 2020 is any indication, the technology industry will likely continue to be a significant employer of graduates of all majors, followed by business, then education. We see many of our alumni in the humanities in non-coding roles in technology like UX Design, social media marketing, Customer Experience, product management, sales, marketing, employee engagement, and recruiting.
In this economic climate, where traditional media (book publishing, broadcast and print journalism, advertising) have frozen hiring, we are seeing our English majors exploring roles in business and corporate communications, investor relations, brand management, learning and development, and more.
Manager, project management best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025