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Best states for an operations director
Quoted expert
Karen Kus
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for operations directors in the United States. Operations director positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for operations directors.Our research found that Washington is the best state for operations directors, while California and New Jersey are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Washington has a median salary of $119,237 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for operations directors.
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 operations directors.If you are currently seeking employment as an operations director, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for operations directors in 2026
1. Washington
Total operations director jobs: 1,331 Average annual salary: $119,237 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
2. Nevada
Total operations director jobs: 350 Average annual salary: $107,078 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
3. Alaska
Total operations director jobs: 113 Average annual salary: $120,262 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
4. New Jersey
Total operations director jobs: 997 Average annual salary: $126,450 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
5. Delaware
Total operations director jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $121,430 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
6. California
Total operations director jobs: 3,873 Average annual salary: $128,743 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
7. Texas
Total operations director jobs: 3,823 Average annual salary: $101,044 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. District of Columbia
Total operations director jobs: 316 Average annual salary: $118,214 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
9. North Carolina
Total operations director jobs: 1,658 Average annual salary: $102,554 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
10. Connecticut
Total operations director jobs: 330 Average annual salary: $123,818 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
Operations director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an operations director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an operations director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $119,237 | $72,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,331 |
| 2 | Nevada | $107,078 | $63,000 | 2,998,039 | 350 |
| 3 | Alaska | $120,262 | $73,000 | 739,795 | 113 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $126,450 | $80,000 | 9,005,644 | 997 |
| 5 | Delaware | $121,430 | $76,000 | 961,939 | 156 |
| 6 | California | $128,743 | $79,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,873 |
| 7 | Texas | $101,044 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,823 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $118,214 | $73,000 | 693,972 | 316 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $102,554 | $60,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,658 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $123,818 | $78,000 | 3,588,184 | 330 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $97,398 | $56,000 | 869,666 | 328 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $103,718 | $61,000 | 5,795,483 | 839 |
| 13 | Georgia | $101,438 | $59,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,699 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $102,004 | $61,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,098 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $109,369 | $68,000 | 1,059,639 | 123 |
| 16 | Michigan | $102,933 | $62,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,064 |
| 17 | New York | $112,357 | $70,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,702 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $96,063 | $58,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,046 |
| 19 | Oregon | $99,715 | $58,000 | 4,142,776 | 845 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $124,736 | $89,000 | 1,427,538 | 93 |
| 21 | Alabama | $91,770 | $52,000 | 4,874,747 | 940 |
| 22 | Colorado | $109,564 | $64,000 | 5,607,154 | 524 |
| 23 | Virginia | $106,654 | $64,000 | 8,470,020 | 991 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $102,864 | $63,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,302 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $94,554 | $54,000 | 1,920,076 | 340 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $88,672 | $50,000 | 4,684,333 | 838 |
| 27 | Ohio | $89,154 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,598 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $93,809 | $58,000 | 1,342,795 | 273 |
| 29 | Indiana | $89,585 | $51,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,028 |
| 30 | Illinois | $97,849 | $57,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,337 |
| 31 | Maine | $88,903 | $54,000 | 1,335,907 | 216 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $94,519 | $54,000 | 2,088,070 | 227 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $87,575 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 863 |
| 34 | Arizona | $96,973 | $56,000 | 7,016,270 | 568 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $81,852 | $49,000 | 755,393 | 196 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $76,256 | $42,000 | 3,004,279 | 799 |
| 37 | Maryland | $97,634 | $59,000 | 6,052,177 | 640 |
| 38 | Montana | $82,989 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 193 |
| 39 | Kansas | $85,172 | $47,000 | 2,913,123 | 426 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $75,209 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 761 |
| 41 | Florida | $80,122 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,621 |
| 42 | Idaho | $80,516 | $46,000 | 1,716,943 | 263 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $71,223 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 620 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $80,267 | $46,000 | 5,024,369 | 609 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $72,442 | $41,000 | 579,315 | 103 |
| 46 | Missouri | $78,046 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 838 |
| 47 | Iowa | $66,615 | $37,000 | 3,145,711 | 916 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $67,881 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 583 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $70,699 | $41,000 | 1,815,857 | 166 |
| 50 | Vermont | $77,842 | $47,000 | 623,657 | 60 |
| 51 | Utah | $73,773 | $42,000 | 3,101,833 | 303 |
Highest paying states for operations directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Operations Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $119,237 |
| 2 | Nevada | $107,078 |
| 3 | Alaska | $120,262 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $126,450 |
| 5 | Delaware | $121,430 |
| 6 | California | $128,743 |
| 7 | Texas | $101,044 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $118,214 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $102,554 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $123,818 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $97,398 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $103,718 |
| 13 | Georgia | $101,438 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $102,004 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $109,369 |
| 16 | Michigan | $102,933 |
| 17 | New York | $112,357 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $96,063 |
| 19 | Oregon | $99,715 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $124,736 |
| 21 | Alabama | $91,770 |
| 22 | Colorado | $109,564 |
| 23 | Virginia | $106,654 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $102,864 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $94,554 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $88,672 |
| 27 | Ohio | $89,154 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $93,809 |
| 29 | Indiana | $89,585 |
| 30 | Illinois | $97,849 |
| 31 | Maine | $88,903 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $94,519 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $87,575 |
| 34 | Arizona | $96,973 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $81,852 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $76,256 |
| 37 | Maryland | $97,634 |
| 38 | Montana | $82,989 |
| 39 | Kansas | $85,172 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $75,209 |
| 41 | Florida | $80,122 |
| 42 | Idaho | $80,516 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $71,223 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $80,267 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $72,442 |
| 46 | Missouri | $78,046 |
| 47 | Iowa | $66,615 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $67,881 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $70,699 |
| 50 | Vermont | $77,842 |
| 51 | Utah | $73,773 |
Expert opinions on the best states for operations directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for operations directors to find work opportunities?
Karen Kus
Assistant Director of Career Services, SUNY Potsdam
Our graduates mostly stay within New York state, so it is a bit challenging for me to identify specific geographic areas that hire graduates with a degree in history. Larger metropolitan cities usually have more opportunities available, but candidate competition is likely higher. Since one can do so much with a degree in history, like work as a teacher, curator, researcher, etc., it's challenging to pinpoint a geographic area since the field of history can be open-ended. For instance, one might have luck landing a teaching position in New York or work as a researcher in Boston. I find if one is looking to find work that directly engages with history, it may be a good idea to explore opportunities in geographic areas that are known for or frequently celebrate history, like Washington, D.C. for instance.
Operations director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025