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Best states for a non-commissioned officer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for non-commissioned officers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for non-commissioned officer 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.In fact, our research shows that Virginia is the best state for non-commissioned officers in America. The best city in America for non-commissioned officers with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
We figured that the best places for non-commissioned officer 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.Virginia is the best state, and Juneau is the city with the highest pay for non-commissioned officers.
10 best states for non-commissioned officers in 2025
1. Virginia
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 1,224 Average annual salary: $136,199 Lowest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
2. North Dakota
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 117 Average annual salary: $122,958 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
3. Washington
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 699 Average annual salary: $135,570 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $191,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
4. Nevada
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 293 Average annual salary: $110,888 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.5
5. Maryland
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 655 Average annual salary: $124,308 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
6. Rhode Island
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 144 Average annual salary: $110,357 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
7. New Mexico
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 200 Average annual salary: $110,194 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
8. Oklahoma
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 307 Average annual salary: $109,432 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
9. Alaska
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 41 Average annual salary: $145,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 0.52
10. District of Columbia
Total non-commissioned officer jobs: 64 Average annual salary: $153,527 Lowest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 0.41
Non-commissioned officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a non-commissioned officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a non-commissioned officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $136,199 | $99,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,224 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $122,958 | $93,000 | 755,393 | 117 |
| 3 | Washington | $135,570 | $95,000 | 7,405,743 | 699 |
| 4 | Nevada | $110,888 | $76,000 | 2,998,039 | 293 |
| 5 | Maryland | $124,308 | $91,000 | 6,052,177 | 655 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $110,357 | $81,000 | 1,059,639 | 144 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $110,194 | $78,000 | 2,088,070 | 200 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $109,432 | $79,000 | 3,930,864 | 307 |
| 9 | Alaska | $145,696 | $112,000 | 739,795 | 41 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $153,527 | $113,000 | 693,972 | 64 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $119,112 | $88,000 | 3,588,184 | 315 |
| 12 | California | $133,864 | $92,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,298 |
| 13 | New York | $115,903 | $85,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,283 |
| 14 | Illinois | $115,596 | $85,000 | 12,802,023 | 985 |
| 15 | Missouri | $110,383 | $80,000 | 6,113,532 | 499 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $102,582 | $76,000 | 5,795,483 | 568 |
| 17 | Georgia | $106,504 | $75,000 | 10,429,379 | 991 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $104,217 | $78,000 | 5,576,606 | 699 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $108,973 | $81,000 | 6,859,819 | 880 |
| 20 | Alabama | $98,784 | $69,000 | 4,874,747 | 478 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $102,497 | $75,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,010 |
| 22 | Vermont | $100,585 | $75,000 | 623,657 | 84 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $106,301 | $76,000 | 579,315 | 16 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $103,803 | $70,000 | 4,684,333 | 273 |
| 25 | Oregon | $106,484 | $74,000 | 4,142,776 | 356 |
| 26 | Colorado | $98,637 | $71,000 | 5,607,154 | 713 |
| 27 | Arizona | $94,645 | $66,000 | 7,016,270 | 789 |
| 28 | Kansas | $102,130 | $74,000 | 2,913,123 | 235 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $96,765 | $71,000 | 869,666 | 99 |
| 30 | Delaware | $105,577 | $77,000 | 961,939 | 82 |
| 31 | Utah | $101,855 | $71,000 | 3,101,833 | 189 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $95,861 | $69,000 | 6,715,984 | 509 |
| 33 | Maine | $92,176 | $69,000 | 1,335,907 | 140 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $96,968 | $71,000 | 9,005,644 | 788 |
| 35 | Idaho | $101,091 | $70,000 | 1,716,943 | 40 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $95,584 | $68,000 | 10,273,419 | 826 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $89,152 | $65,000 | 1,815,857 | 146 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $87,346 | $63,000 | 3,004,279 | 255 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $88,665 | $65,000 | 1,920,076 | 213 |
| 40 | Indiana | $89,389 | $65,000 | 6,666,818 | 544 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $81,227 | $56,000 | 2,984,100 | 245 |
| 42 | Florida | $70,895 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,045 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $87,209 | $64,000 | 1,342,795 | 160 |
| 44 | Ohio | $86,781 | $63,000 | 11,658,609 | 826 |
| 45 | Montana | $93,692 | $67,000 | 1,050,493 | 26 |
| 46 | Texas | $86,620 | $59,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,692 |
| 47 | Iowa | $81,645 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 344 |
| 48 | Michigan | $85,422 | $63,000 | 9,962,311 | 600 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $80,898 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 409 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $79,594 | $63,000 | 1,427,538 | 62 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $76,101 | $55,000 | 4,454,189 | 282 |
Highest paying states for non-commissioned officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Non-Commissioned Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $136,199 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $122,958 |
| 3 | Washington | $135,570 |
| 4 | Nevada | $110,888 |
| 5 | Maryland | $124,308 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $110,357 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $110,194 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $109,432 |
| 9 | Alaska | $145,696 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $153,527 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $119,112 |
| 12 | California | $133,864 |
| 13 | New York | $115,903 |
| 14 | Illinois | $115,596 |
| 15 | Missouri | $110,383 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $102,582 |
| 17 | Georgia | $106,504 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $104,217 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $108,973 |
| 20 | Alabama | $98,784 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $102,497 |
| 22 | Vermont | $100,585 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $106,301 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $103,803 |
| 25 | Oregon | $106,484 |
| 26 | Colorado | $98,637 |
| 27 | Arizona | $94,645 |
| 28 | Kansas | $102,130 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $96,765 |
| 30 | Delaware | $105,577 |
| 31 | Utah | $101,855 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $95,861 |
| 33 | Maine | $92,176 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $96,968 |
| 35 | Idaho | $101,091 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $95,584 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $89,152 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $87,346 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $88,665 |
| 40 | Indiana | $89,389 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $81,227 |
| 42 | Florida | $70,895 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | $87,209 |
| 44 | Ohio | $86,781 |
| 45 | Montana | $93,692 |
| 46 | Texas | $86,620 |
| 47 | Iowa | $81,645 |
| 48 | Michigan | $85,422 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $80,898 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $79,594 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $76,101 |
Non-commissioned officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025