Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a marketing director
Quoted expert
Marlene Kahla Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Marketing director opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for marketing directors, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for marketing directors.Our research found that Rhode Island is the best state for marketing directors, while California and Delaware are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Rhode Island has a median salary of $117,430 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for marketing directors.
The median salary for marketing directors in Rhode Island is $117,430. Compare that to the median salary in Missouri of $74,640, which ranked worst for marketing directors, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a marketing director, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for marketing directors in 2026
1. Rhode Island
Total marketing director jobs: 252 Average annual salary: $117,430 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
2. Connecticut
Total marketing director jobs: 479 Average annual salary: $121,546 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. New Jersey
Total marketing director jobs: 1,237 Average annual salary: $120,315 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
4. California
Total marketing director jobs: 4,018 Average annual salary: $127,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
5. New Hampshire
Total marketing director jobs: 227 Average annual salary: $114,797 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
6. New York
Total marketing director jobs: 1,713 Average annual salary: $120,228 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
7. Washington
Total marketing director jobs: 1,280 Average annual salary: $114,034 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
8. Massachusetts
Total marketing director jobs: 985 Average annual salary: $121,055 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. Delaware
Total marketing director jobs: 90 Average annual salary: $125,037 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.6
10. Pennsylvania
Total marketing director jobs: 1,264 Average annual salary: $108,712 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
Marketing director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a marketing director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a marketing director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $117,430 | $74,000 | 1,059,639 | 252 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $121,546 | $77,000 | 3,588,184 | 479 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $120,315 | $76,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,237 |
| 4 | California | $127,906 | $78,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,018 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $114,797 | $73,000 | 1,342,795 | 227 |
| 6 | New York | $120,228 | $76,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,713 |
| 7 | Washington | $114,034 | $69,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,280 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $121,055 | $77,000 | 6,859,819 | 985 |
| 9 | Delaware | $125,037 | $79,000 | 961,939 | 90 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $108,712 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,264 |
| 11 | Maine | $104,964 | $65,000 | 1,335,907 | 165 |
| 12 | Oregon | $108,291 | $65,000 | 4,142,776 | 521 |
| 13 | Idaho | $115,441 | $70,000 | 1,716,943 | 95 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $106,219 | $66,000 | 5,795,483 | 558 |
| 15 | Vermont | $110,707 | $70,000 | 623,657 | 61 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $93,704 | $58,000 | 869,666 | 284 |
| 17 | Nevada | $103,481 | $61,000 | 2,998,039 | 214 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $104,714 | $65,000 | 693,972 | 244 |
| 19 | Arizona | $103,935 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 606 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $99,555 | $63,000 | 5,576,606 | 792 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $87,281 | $52,000 | 1,815,857 | 376 |
| 22 | Virginia | $100,679 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,083 |
| 23 | Ohio | $97,508 | $59,000 | 11,658,609 | 868 |
| 24 | Kansas | $97,208 | $57,000 | 2,913,123 | 289 |
| 25 | Michigan | $98,693 | $61,000 | 9,962,311 | 616 |
| 26 | Texas | $92,470 | $51,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,319 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $94,781 | $57,000 | 1,920,076 | 234 |
| 28 | Maryland | $103,759 | $64,000 | 6,052,177 | 624 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $91,935 | $52,000 | 3,004,279 | 275 |
| 30 | Utah | $84,810 | $50,000 | 3,101,833 | 635 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $89,917 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,071 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $89,029 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 106 |
| 33 | Montana | $85,993 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 174 |
| 34 | Illinois | $94,983 | $58,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,209 |
| 35 | Alaska | $91,170 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 92 |
| 36 | Colorado | $86,978 | $51,000 | 5,607,154 | 750 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $75,909 | $41,000 | 4,684,333 | 642 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $80,039 | $49,000 | 579,315 | 92 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $73,756 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 431 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $71,919 | $41,000 | 5,024,369 | 945 |
| 41 | Iowa | $86,252 | $52,000 | 3,145,711 | 254 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $71,223 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 564 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $87,580 | $49,000 | 2,088,070 | 155 |
| 44 | Indiana | $85,595 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 446 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $69,772 | $50,000 | 1,427,538 | 110 |
| 46 | Alabama | $69,373 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 769 |
| 47 | Georgia | $74,244 | $41,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,209 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $76,280 | $44,000 | 4,454,189 | 320 |
| 49 | Florida | $72,165 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,704 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $71,066 | $40,000 | 6,715,984 | 512 |
| 51 | Missouri | $74,640 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 440 |
Highest paying states for marketing directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Marketing Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $117,430 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $121,546 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $120,315 |
| 4 | California | $127,906 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $114,797 |
| 6 | New York | $120,228 |
| 7 | Washington | $114,034 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $121,055 |
| 9 | Delaware | $125,037 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $108,712 |
| 11 | Maine | $104,964 |
| 12 | Oregon | $108,291 |
| 13 | Idaho | $115,441 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $106,219 |
| 15 | Vermont | $110,707 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $93,704 |
| 17 | Nevada | $103,481 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $104,714 |
| 19 | Arizona | $103,935 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $99,555 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $87,281 |
| 22 | Virginia | $100,679 |
| 23 | Ohio | $97,508 |
| 24 | Kansas | $97,208 |
| 25 | Michigan | $98,693 |
| 26 | Texas | $92,470 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $94,781 |
| 28 | Maryland | $103,759 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $91,935 |
| 30 | Utah | $84,810 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $89,917 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $89,029 |
| 33 | Montana | $85,993 |
| 34 | Illinois | $94,983 |
| 35 | Alaska | $91,170 |
| 36 | Colorado | $86,978 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $75,909 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $80,039 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $73,756 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $71,919 |
| 41 | Iowa | $86,252 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $71,223 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $87,580 |
| 44 | Indiana | $85,595 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $69,772 |
| 46 | Alabama | $69,373 |
| 47 | Georgia | $74,244 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $76,280 |
| 49 | Florida | $72,165 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $71,066 |
| 51 | Missouri | $74,640 |
Expert opinions on the best states for marketing directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for marketing directors to find work opportunities?
Marlene Kahla Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing, Nelson Rusche College of Business
Companies throughout the United States need good marketers.
Through acceptance of video conferencing to conduct business, many graduates will work at least 50% of their jobs from home. As the pandemic levels off, some companies continue to have their salespeople meet with clients on a person-to-person basis at least 50% of the time.
After quarantine, people started looking to move away from large cities into smaller neighborhoods, simpler lives, and work from home. The trend is to move away from states with high tax rates.
Southeastern United States, coastal states, and central may see a surge in employment availability.
Marketing director best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
Search for marketing director jobs
Updated January 8, 2025