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Best states for an operations specialist
Quoted expert
Dan Sutliff
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and business and financial careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to operations specialist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for operations specialists.We wanted to look at the best states for operations specialists -- where there are plenty of operations specialist jobs to go around and operations specialists get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
In order to get you the best states for operations specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.New Hampshire is the best state, and Newport is the city with the highest pay for operations specialists.
10 best states for operations specialists in 2026
1. New Hampshire
Total operations specialist jobs: 395 Average annual salary: $67,632 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
2. Pennsylvania
Total operations specialist jobs: 2,613 Average annual salary: $65,592 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
3. District of Columbia
Total operations specialist jobs: 350 Average annual salary: $71,149 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
4. Nevada
Total operations specialist jobs: 483 Average annual salary: $59,991 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
5. Rhode Island
Total operations specialist jobs: 198 Average annual salary: $68,509 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
6. Vermont
Total operations specialist jobs: 138 Average annual salary: $66,492 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1
7. Maine
Total operations specialist jobs: 293 Average annual salary: $58,031 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. Delaware
Total operations specialist jobs: 231 Average annual salary: $64,250 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
9. Massachusetts
Total operations specialist jobs: 1,170 Average annual salary: $66,821 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
10. Maryland
Total operations specialist jobs: 1,000 Average annual salary: $67,856 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
Operations specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an operations specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an operations specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $67,632 | $43,000 | 1,342,795 | 395 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $65,592 | $41,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,613 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $71,149 | $44,000 | 693,972 | 350 |
| 4 | Nevada | $59,991 | $38,000 | 2,998,039 | 483 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $68,509 | $44,000 | 1,059,639 | 198 |
| 6 | Vermont | $66,492 | $43,000 | 623,657 | 138 |
| 7 | Maine | $58,031 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 293 |
| 8 | Delaware | $64,250 | $40,000 | 961,939 | 231 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $66,821 | $43,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,170 |
| 10 | Maryland | $67,856 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,000 |
| 11 | Ohio | $57,718 | $36,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,965 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $60,243 | $37,000 | 1,815,857 | 253 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $65,466 | $41,000 | 9,005,644 | 996 |
| 14 | New York | $65,156 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,845 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $64,661 | $41,000 | 3,588,184 | 352 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $51,487 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 275 |
| 17 | Washington | $56,828 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,608 |
| 18 | Michigan | $55,145 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,549 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $56,811 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 361 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $51,649 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 169 |
| 21 | Virginia | $62,008 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,280 |
| 22 | Texas | $51,695 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,727 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $51,244 | $31,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,178 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $50,525 | $33,000 | 869,666 | 229 |
| 25 | Kansas | $52,121 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 616 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $50,784 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 494 |
| 27 | Utah | $54,994 | $35,000 | 3,101,833 | 467 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $52,154 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 558 |
| 29 | Alaska | $51,248 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 193 |
| 30 | Indiana | $50,432 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,329 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $51,101 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,356 |
| 32 | Illinois | $56,166 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,455 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $50,978 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,070 |
| 34 | Oregon | $56,186 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 511 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $49,981 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 709 |
| 36 | California | $58,080 | $36,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,559 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $50,874 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 626 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $48,004 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,157 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $46,926 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 462 |
| 40 | Idaho | $47,253 | $30,000 | 1,716,943 | 360 |
| 41 | Iowa | $46,957 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 745 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $46,424 | $33,000 | 1,427,538 | 174 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $45,585 | $29,000 | 3,004,279 | 556 |
| 44 | Florida | $44,647 | $27,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,651 |
| 45 | Georgia | $47,228 | $29,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,061 |
| 46 | Montana | $44,892 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 247 |
| 47 | Missouri | $47,325 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,082 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $47,186 | $29,000 | 5,024,369 | 787 |
| 49 | Alabama | $46,465 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 751 |
| 50 | Colorado | $49,485 | $32,000 | 5,607,154 | 737 |
| 51 | Arizona | $45,994 | $29,000 | 7,016,270 | 910 |
Highest paying states for operations specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Operations Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $67,632 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $65,592 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $71,149 |
| 4 | Nevada | $59,991 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $68,509 |
| 6 | Vermont | $66,492 |
| 7 | Maine | $58,031 |
| 8 | Delaware | $64,250 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $66,821 |
| 10 | Maryland | $67,856 |
| 11 | Ohio | $57,718 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $60,243 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $65,466 |
| 14 | New York | $65,156 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $64,661 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $51,487 |
| 17 | Washington | $56,828 |
| 18 | Michigan | $55,145 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $56,811 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $51,649 |
| 21 | Virginia | $62,008 |
| 22 | Texas | $51,695 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $51,244 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $50,525 |
| 25 | Kansas | $52,121 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $50,784 |
| 27 | Utah | $54,994 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $52,154 |
| 29 | Alaska | $51,248 |
| 30 | Indiana | $50,432 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $51,101 |
| 32 | Illinois | $56,166 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $50,978 |
| 34 | Oregon | $56,186 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $49,981 |
| 36 | California | $58,080 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $50,874 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $48,004 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $46,926 |
| 40 | Idaho | $47,253 |
| 41 | Iowa | $46,957 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $46,424 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $45,585 |
| 44 | Florida | $44,647 |
| 45 | Georgia | $47,228 |
| 46 | Montana | $44,892 |
| 47 | Missouri | $47,325 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $47,186 |
| 49 | Alabama | $46,465 |
| 50 | Colorado | $49,485 |
| 51 | Arizona | $45,994 |
Expert opinions on the best states for operations specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for operations specialists to find work opportunities?
Dan Sutliff
Assistant Professor, Utah Valley University
Not really. Aviation isn't limited by U.S. geography. A better question would be, "where in the world are the best opportunities?" The answer is Asia. The continent is underserved and poised for enormous growth.
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Updated January 8, 2025