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Best states for a planning director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for planning directors in the United States. Planning 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 planning directors.Our research shows that New York is the best state in the country for planning directors.
New York is the best state for jobs for planning directors, and Hawaii is the worst. The most common pay in New York is $144,419, while the median pay in Hawaii is $91,816.New York is the best state, and Southampton is the city with the highest pay for planning directors.
10 best states for planning directors in 2026
1. New York
Total planning director jobs: 2,454 Average annual salary: $144,419 Lowest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 1.74
2. Oregon
Total planning director jobs: 648 Average annual salary: $139,094 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
3. New Jersey
Total planning director jobs: 1,320 Average annual salary: $138,119 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 1.52
4. Nevada
Total planning director jobs: 183 Average annual salary: $140,784 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
5. Rhode Island
Total planning director jobs: 192 Average annual salary: $129,356 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
6. California
Total planning director jobs: 4,566 Average annual salary: $143,286 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
7. New Hampshire
Total planning director jobs: 146 Average annual salary: $132,491 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $194,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
8. Idaho
Total planning director jobs: 148 Average annual salary: $128,954 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
9. Delaware
Total planning director jobs: 97 Average annual salary: $133,428 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
10. New Mexico
Total planning director jobs: 119 Average annual salary: $130,787 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.55
Planning director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a planning director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a planning director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $144,419 | $99,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,454 |
| 2 | Oregon | $139,094 | $95,000 | 4,142,776 | 648 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $138,119 | $94,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,320 |
| 4 | Nevada | $140,784 | $96,000 | 2,998,039 | 183 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $129,356 | $88,000 | 1,059,639 | 192 |
| 6 | California | $143,286 | $98,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,566 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $132,491 | $90,000 | 1,342,795 | 146 |
| 8 | Idaho | $128,954 | $87,000 | 1,716,943 | 148 |
| 9 | Delaware | $133,428 | $91,000 | 961,939 | 97 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $130,787 | $88,000 | 2,088,070 | 119 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $122,883 | $83,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,530 |
| 12 | Vermont | $122,411 | $82,000 | 623,657 | 104 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $118,149 | $78,000 | 4,684,333 | 528 |
| 14 | Ohio | $122,455 | $83,000 | 11,658,609 | 657 |
| 15 | Maine | $129,292 | $87,000 | 1,335,907 | 78 |
| 16 | Washington | $123,458 | $83,000 | 7,405,743 | 763 |
| 17 | Illinois | $120,891 | $82,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,665 |
| 18 | Arizona | $121,308 | $81,000 | 7,016,270 | 475 |
| 19 | Utah | $117,309 | $79,000 | 3,101,833 | 365 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $114,917 | $76,000 | 2,984,100 | 329 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $117,672 | $80,000 | 579,315 | 47 |
| 22 | Virginia | $121,279 | $82,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,003 |
| 23 | Texas | $118,015 | $77,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,802 |
| 24 | Georgia | $117,049 | $79,000 | 10,429,379 | 974 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $116,419 | $79,000 | 5,795,483 | 413 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $115,154 | $79,000 | 755,393 | 64 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $114,033 | $77,000 | 693,972 | 402 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $113,367 | $76,000 | 10,273,419 | 976 |
| 29 | Michigan | $115,644 | $78,000 | 9,962,311 | 409 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $106,868 | $72,000 | 3,004,279 | 538 |
| 31 | Alabama | $110,104 | $74,000 | 4,874,747 | 557 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $113,843 | $77,000 | 1,815,857 | 60 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $110,806 | $75,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,217 |
| 34 | Alaska | $116,785 | $80,000 | 739,795 | 61 |
| 35 | Colorado | $115,981 | $79,000 | 5,607,154 | 445 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $112,280 | $75,000 | 3,588,184 | 433 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $100,691 | $69,000 | 869,666 | 224 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $111,899 | $76,000 | 4,454,189 | 213 |
| 39 | Missouri | $112,613 | $76,000 | 6,113,532 | 346 |
| 40 | Indiana | $110,402 | $75,000 | 6,666,818 | 385 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $99,196 | $67,000 | 3,930,864 | 481 |
| 42 | Maryland | $112,381 | $76,000 | 6,052,177 | 466 |
| 43 | Montana | $102,650 | $69,000 | 1,050,493 | 108 |
| 44 | Florida | $106,144 | $68,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,226 |
| 45 | Iowa | $96,149 | $65,000 | 3,145,711 | 559 |
| 46 | Kansas | $105,782 | $72,000 | 2,913,123 | 179 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $101,364 | $69,000 | 6,715,984 | 352 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $99,429 | $68,000 | 1,920,076 | 175 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $105,095 | $71,000 | 5,024,369 | 211 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $97,508 | $66,000 | 5,576,606 | 574 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $91,816 | $67,000 | 1,427,538 | 62 |
Highest paying states for planning directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Planning Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $144,419 |
| 2 | Oregon | $139,094 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $138,119 |
| 4 | Nevada | $140,784 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $129,356 |
| 6 | California | $143,286 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $132,491 |
| 8 | Idaho | $128,954 |
| 9 | Delaware | $133,428 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $130,787 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $122,883 |
| 12 | Vermont | $122,411 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $118,149 |
| 14 | Ohio | $122,455 |
| 15 | Maine | $129,292 |
| 16 | Washington | $123,458 |
| 17 | Illinois | $120,891 |
| 18 | Arizona | $121,308 |
| 19 | Utah | $117,309 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $114,917 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $117,672 |
| 22 | Virginia | $121,279 |
| 23 | Texas | $118,015 |
| 24 | Georgia | $117,049 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $116,419 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $115,154 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $114,033 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $113,367 |
| 29 | Michigan | $115,644 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $106,868 |
| 31 | Alabama | $110,104 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $113,843 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $110,806 |
| 34 | Alaska | $116,785 |
| 35 | Colorado | $115,981 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $112,280 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $100,691 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $111,899 |
| 39 | Missouri | $112,613 |
| 40 | Indiana | $110,402 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $99,196 |
| 42 | Maryland | $112,381 |
| 43 | Montana | $102,650 |
| 44 | Florida | $106,144 |
| 45 | Iowa | $96,149 |
| 46 | Kansas | $105,782 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $101,364 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $99,429 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $105,095 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $97,508 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $91,816 |
Planning director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025