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Best states for a parks recreation director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for parks recreation directors? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for parks recreation director jobs.Our research shows that Mississippi is the best state in the country for parks recreation directors.
We figured that the best places for parks recreation director 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.We found that the Midwest is best for parks recreation directors, and the West is the worst. Cupertino, CA is the best city in the country for parks recreation director jobs, where as Mississippi is the best state in the country.
10 best states for parks recreation directors in 2025
1. Mississippi
Total parks recreation director jobs: 311 Average annual salary: $71,251 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 5.48
2. Alaska
Total parks recreation director jobs: 32 Average annual salary: $68,301 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
3. District of Columbia
Total parks recreation director jobs: 49 Average annual salary: $67,432 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
4. California
Total parks recreation director jobs: 650 Average annual salary: $61,048 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
5. New Jersey
Total parks recreation director jobs: 183 Average annual salary: $57,482 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
6. Massachusetts
Total parks recreation director jobs: 197 Average annual salary: $56,572 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
7. Alabama
Total parks recreation director jobs: 502 Average annual salary: $50,907 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 4.25
8. Oregon
Total parks recreation director jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $59,884 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.54
9. Hawaii
Total parks recreation director jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $59,381 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
10. Wyoming
Total parks recreation director jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $51,682 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
Parks recreation director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a parks recreation director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a parks recreation director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | $71,251 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 311 |
| 2 | Alaska | $68,301 | $34,000 | 739,795 | 32 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $67,432 | $36,000 | 693,972 | 49 |
| 4 | California | $61,048 | $30,000 | 39,536,653 | 650 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $57,482 | $30,000 | 9,005,644 | 183 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $56,572 | $30,000 | 6,859,819 | 197 |
| 7 | Alabama | $50,907 | $29,000 | 4,874,747 | 502 |
| 8 | Oregon | $59,884 | $30,000 | 4,142,776 | 60 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $59,381 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 18 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $51,682 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 13 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $62,817 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 5 |
| 12 | Washington | $58,140 | $30,000 | 7,405,743 | 107 |
| 13 | Texas | $53,746 | $29,000 | 28,304,596 | 356 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $55,698 | $30,000 | 3,588,184 | 56 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $56,117 | $30,000 | 1,059,639 | 10 |
| 16 | Delaware | $58,387 | $31,000 | 961,939 | 4 |
| 17 | Nevada | $50,380 | $25,000 | 2,998,039 | 54 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $51,011 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 158 |
| 19 | New York | $50,249 | $27,000 | 19,849,399 | 383 |
| 20 | Idaho | $53,520 | $29,000 | 1,716,943 | 6 |
| 21 | Colorado | $48,017 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 173 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $49,885 | $34,000 | 5,576,606 | 105 |
| 23 | Arizona | $49,112 | $25,000 | 7,016,270 | 105 |
| 24 | Georgia | $48,090 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 221 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $50,037 | $27,000 | 12,805,537 | 142 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $41,524 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 189 |
| 27 | Illinois | $46,871 | $29,000 | 12,802,023 | 194 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $46,829 | $26,000 | 5,024,369 | 77 |
| 29 | Maine | $50,099 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 4 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $49,952 | $27,000 | 1,342,795 | 18 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $41,082 | $24,000 | 3,930,864 | 472 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $45,997 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 31 |
| 33 | Florida | $47,145 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 228 |
| 34 | Vermont | $47,278 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 10 |
| 35 | Virginia | $46,658 | $25,000 | 8,470,020 | 163 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $42,472 | $27,000 | 5,795,483 | 88 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $38,136 | $22,000 | 3,004,279 | 488 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $39,822 | $28,000 | 755,393 | 18 |
| 39 | Utah | $40,995 | $22,000 | 3,101,833 | 88 |
| 40 | Maryland | $45,974 | $25,000 | 6,052,177 | 106 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $37,415 | $20,000 | 4,684,333 | 492 |
| 42 | Montana | $42,117 | $26,000 | 1,050,493 | 18 |
| 43 | Michigan | $40,899 | $24,000 | 9,962,311 | 114 |
| 44 | Iowa | $34,824 | $22,000 | 3,145,711 | 520 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $38,076 | $24,000 | 1,920,076 | 43 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $39,164 | $23,000 | 6,715,984 | 47 |
| 47 | Indiana | $38,763 | $24,000 | 6,666,818 | 59 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $37,702 | $22,000 | 4,454,189 | 48 |
| 49 | Kansas | $36,138 | $22,000 | 2,913,123 | 39 |
| 50 | Ohio | $36,254 | $21,000 | 11,658,609 | 118 |
| 51 | Missouri | $36,655 | $22,000 | 6,113,532 | 75 |
Highest paying states for parks recreation directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Parks Recreation Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | $71,251 |
| 2 | Alaska | $68,301 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $67,432 |
| 4 | California | $61,048 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $57,482 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $56,572 |
| 7 | Alabama | $50,907 |
| 8 | Oregon | $59,884 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $59,381 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $51,682 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $62,817 |
| 12 | Washington | $58,140 |
| 13 | Texas | $53,746 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $55,698 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $56,117 |
| 16 | Delaware | $58,387 |
| 17 | Nevada | $50,380 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $51,011 |
| 19 | New York | $50,249 |
| 20 | Idaho | $53,520 |
| 21 | Colorado | $48,017 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $49,885 |
| 23 | Arizona | $49,112 |
| 24 | Georgia | $48,090 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $50,037 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $41,524 |
| 27 | Illinois | $46,871 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $46,829 |
| 29 | Maine | $50,099 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $49,952 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $41,082 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $45,997 |
| 33 | Florida | $47,145 |
| 34 | Vermont | $47,278 |
| 35 | Virginia | $46,658 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $42,472 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $38,136 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $39,822 |
| 39 | Utah | $40,995 |
| 40 | Maryland | $45,974 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $37,415 |
| 42 | Montana | $42,117 |
| 43 | Michigan | $40,899 |
| 44 | Iowa | $34,824 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $38,076 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $39,164 |
| 47 | Indiana | $38,763 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $37,702 |
| 49 | Kansas | $36,138 |
| 50 | Ohio | $36,254 |
| 51 | Missouri | $36,655 |
Parks recreation director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025