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Best states for a production leader
Quoted expert
Suzanne Ehst Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for production leaders in the United States. Production leader 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 production leaders.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of production leaders in America is $63,000.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for production leaders. Massachusetts is the best state for production leaders, where the median salary is $62,777.Massachusetts is the best state, and Southampton is the city with the highest pay for production leaders.
10 best states for production leaders in 2026
1. Massachusetts
Total production leader jobs: 2,049 Average annual salary: $62,777 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.81
2. New Hampshire
Total production leader jobs: 277 Average annual salary: $64,299 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
3. Rhode Island
Total production leader jobs: 251 Average annual salary: $59,527 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.68
4. Maine
Total production leader jobs: 217 Average annual salary: $59,537 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
5. North Dakota
Total production leader jobs: 224 Average annual salary: $51,501 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 1.95
6. New York
Total production leader jobs: 1,139 Average annual salary: $67,198 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
7. Delaware
Total production leader jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $63,197 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
8. Pennsylvania
Total production leader jobs: 1,562 Average annual salary: $53,859 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. District of Columbia
Total production leader jobs: 274 Average annual salary: $58,042 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
10. New Jersey
Total production leader jobs: 763 Average annual salary: $59,525 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
Production leader jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a production leader
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a production leader
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $62,777 | $39,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,049 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $64,299 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 277 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $59,527 | $36,000 | 1,059,639 | 251 |
| 4 | Maine | $59,537 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 217 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $51,501 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 224 |
| 6 | New York | $67,198 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,139 |
| 7 | Delaware | $63,197 | $39,000 | 961,939 | 109 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $53,859 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,562 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $58,042 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 274 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $59,525 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 763 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $59,786 | $45,000 | 579,315 | 45 |
| 12 | Kansas | $50,269 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 392 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $59,071 | $36,000 | 3,588,184 | 322 |
| 14 | Montana | $47,573 | $36,000 | 1,050,493 | 222 |
| 15 | Ohio | $45,990 | $31,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,696 |
| 16 | Michigan | $47,347 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,098 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $48,270 | $32,000 | 5,024,369 | 469 |
| 18 | Iowa | $44,723 | $32,000 | 3,145,711 | 657 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $59,349 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 40 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $47,472 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 994 |
| 21 | Arizona | $47,493 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 641 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $43,493 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,065 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $43,501 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 830 |
| 24 | Washington | $45,913 | $35,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,405 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $44,483 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 258 |
| 26 | Colorado | $49,353 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 528 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $41,608 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 586 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $46,992 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 235 |
| 29 | California | $48,982 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,242 |
| 30 | Alabama | $44,830 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 418 |
| 31 | Idaho | $46,214 | $34,000 | 1,716,943 | 163 |
| 32 | Vermont | $45,538 | $28,000 | 623,657 | 105 |
| 33 | Alaska | $43,069 | $37,000 | 739,795 | 139 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $44,453 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 213 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $45,881 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 206 |
| 36 | Texas | $44,351 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,838 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $43,688 | $29,000 | 1,815,857 | 122 |
| 38 | Maryland | $47,193 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 582 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $39,124 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 204 |
| 40 | Illinois | $43,319 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,505 |
| 41 | Virginia | $46,684 | $29,000 | 8,470,020 | 806 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $41,401 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 321 |
| 43 | Utah | $41,502 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 388 |
| 44 | Missouri | $41,990 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 710 |
| 45 | Indiana | $39,419 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,158 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $37,587 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 681 |
| 47 | Nevada | $39,811 | $28,000 | 2,998,039 | 259 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $40,675 | $26,000 | 10,273,419 | 960 |
| 49 | Florida | $41,927 | $26,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,282 |
| 50 | Georgia | $40,161 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,095 |
| 51 | Oregon | $39,661 | $29,000 | 4,142,776 | 468 |
Highest paying states for production leaders
| Rank | State | Avg. Production Leader Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $62,777 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $64,299 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $59,527 |
| 4 | Maine | $59,537 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $51,501 |
| 6 | New York | $67,198 |
| 7 | Delaware | $63,197 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $53,859 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $58,042 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $59,525 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $59,786 |
| 12 | Kansas | $50,269 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $59,071 |
| 14 | Montana | $47,573 |
| 15 | Ohio | $45,990 |
| 16 | Michigan | $47,347 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $48,270 |
| 18 | Iowa | $44,723 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $59,349 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $47,472 |
| 21 | Arizona | $47,493 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $43,493 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $43,501 |
| 24 | Washington | $45,913 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $44,483 |
| 26 | Colorado | $49,353 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $41,608 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $46,992 |
| 29 | California | $48,982 |
| 30 | Alabama | $44,830 |
| 31 | Idaho | $46,214 |
| 32 | Vermont | $45,538 |
| 33 | Alaska | $43,069 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $44,453 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $45,881 |
| 36 | Texas | $44,351 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $43,688 |
| 38 | Maryland | $47,193 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $39,124 |
| 40 | Illinois | $43,319 |
| 41 | Virginia | $46,684 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $41,401 |
| 43 | Utah | $41,502 |
| 44 | Missouri | $41,990 |
| 45 | Indiana | $39,419 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $37,587 |
| 47 | Nevada | $39,811 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $40,675 |
| 49 | Florida | $41,927 |
| 50 | Georgia | $40,161 |
| 51 | Oregon | $39,661 |
Expert opinions on the best states for production leaders
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for production leaders to find work opportunities?
Suzanne Ehst Ph.D.
Professor of Education, Director of Secondary Education, Core Curriculum Director, Goshen College
Many states are experiencing teacher shortages, but not all. The U.S. Department of education keeps an updated list of each state's shortage areas, and you can find this at tsa.ed.gov. We hear a lot about shortages in STEM fields, but many states have shortages in multiple subjects and specializations.
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Updated January 8, 2025