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Best states for a professional development director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for professional development directors? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for professional development director jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.As professional development directors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for professional development directors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a professional development director, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for professional development 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.Wisconsin is the best state, and Grants Pass is the city with the highest pay for professional development directors.
10 best states for professional development directors in 2025
1. Wisconsin
Total professional development director jobs: 1,149 Average annual salary: $119,629 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $215,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
2. Massachusetts
Total professional development director jobs: 1,087 Average annual salary: $126,820 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
3. North Dakota
Total professional development director jobs: 251 Average annual salary: $109,737 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 1.85
4. Iowa
Total professional development director jobs: 1,088 Average annual salary: $108,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 2.05
5. Oregon
Total professional development director jobs: 371 Average annual salary: $129,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 0.61
6. Connecticut
Total professional development director jobs: 278 Average annual salary: $127,126 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $222,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
7. Vermont
Total professional development director jobs: 70 Average annual salary: $124,249 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $221,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
8. New Hampshire
Total professional development director jobs: 96 Average annual salary: $126,172 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $222,000 Location Quotient: 0.38
9. New Jersey
Total professional development director jobs: 859 Average annual salary: $125,225 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $221,000 Location Quotient: 0.74
10. Maine
Total professional development director jobs: 165 Average annual salary: $114,188 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
Professional development director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a professional development director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a professional development director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $119,629 | $66,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,149 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $126,820 | $72,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,087 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $109,737 | $60,000 | 755,393 | 251 |
| 4 | Iowa | $108,550 | $58,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,088 |
| 5 | Oregon | $129,744 | $77,000 | 4,142,776 | 371 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $127,126 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 278 |
| 7 | Vermont | $124,249 | $69,000 | 623,657 | 70 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $126,172 | $71,000 | 1,342,795 | 96 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $125,225 | $70,000 | 9,005,644 | 859 |
| 10 | Maine | $114,188 | $62,000 | 1,335,907 | 165 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $103,674 | $54,000 | 1,815,857 | 287 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $114,373 | $62,000 | 1,059,639 | 128 |
| 13 | Alaska | $112,320 | $66,000 | 739,795 | 180 |
| 14 | California | $126,552 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,484 |
| 15 | Illinois | $117,380 | $64,000 | 12,802,023 | 933 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $100,614 | $53,000 | 869,666 | 397 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $100,128 | $52,000 | 3,004,279 | 890 |
| 18 | Ohio | $104,012 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,666 |
| 19 | Washington | $120,571 | $70,000 | 7,405,743 | 549 |
| 20 | New York | $123,757 | $69,000 | 19,849,399 | 612 |
| 21 | Michigan | $103,406 | $55,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,357 |
| 22 | Delaware | $111,508 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 167 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $100,459 | $53,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,748 |
| 24 | Idaho | $111,736 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 103 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $100,854 | $53,000 | 2,088,070 | 407 |
| 26 | Colorado | $108,290 | $58,000 | 5,607,154 | 607 |
| 27 | Maryland | $113,609 | $61,000 | 6,052,177 | 485 |
| 28 | Montana | $107,149 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 90 |
| 29 | Nevada | $99,962 | $54,000 | 2,998,039 | 360 |
| 30 | Indiana | $96,287 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,264 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $99,930 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 70 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $94,637 | $49,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,837 |
| 33 | Arizona | $98,953 | $52,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,113 |
| 34 | Virginia | $106,929 | $56,000 | 8,470,020 | 640 |
| 35 | Kansas | $95,379 | $49,000 | 2,913,123 | 507 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $101,805 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 688 |
| 37 | Utah | $101,026 | $54,000 | 3,101,833 | 262 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $103,509 | $54,000 | 693,972 | 172 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $82,944 | $41,000 | 2,984,100 | 585 |
| 40 | Texas | $90,118 | $45,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,981 |
| 41 | Alabama | $83,620 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,013 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $92,982 | $47,000 | 4,454,189 | 568 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $83,402 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 830 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $89,361 | $44,000 | 6,715,984 | 979 |
| 45 | Georgia | $89,933 | $45,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,722 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $84,330 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 395 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $72,874 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 182 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $79,326 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 860 |
| 49 | Missouri | $82,979 | $41,000 | 6,113,532 | 937 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $82,032 | $40,000 | 5,024,369 | 710 |
| 51 | Florida | $69,093 | $33,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,578 |
Highest paying states for professional development directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Professional Development Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | $119,629 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $126,820 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $109,737 |
| 4 | Iowa | $108,550 |
| 5 | Oregon | $129,744 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $127,126 |
| 7 | Vermont | $124,249 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $126,172 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $125,225 |
| 10 | Maine | $114,188 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $103,674 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $114,373 |
| 13 | Alaska | $112,320 |
| 14 | California | $126,552 |
| 15 | Illinois | $117,380 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $100,614 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $100,128 |
| 18 | Ohio | $104,012 |
| 19 | Washington | $120,571 |
| 20 | New York | $123,757 |
| 21 | Michigan | $103,406 |
| 22 | Delaware | $111,508 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $100,459 |
| 24 | Idaho | $111,736 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $100,854 |
| 26 | Colorado | $108,290 |
| 27 | Maryland | $113,609 |
| 28 | Montana | $107,149 |
| 29 | Nevada | $99,962 |
| 30 | Indiana | $96,287 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $99,930 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $94,637 |
| 33 | Arizona | $98,953 |
| 34 | Virginia | $106,929 |
| 35 | Kansas | $95,379 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $101,805 |
| 37 | Utah | $101,026 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $103,509 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $82,944 |
| 40 | Texas | $90,118 |
| 41 | Alabama | $83,620 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $92,982 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $83,402 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $89,361 |
| 45 | Georgia | $89,933 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $84,330 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $72,874 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $79,326 |
| 49 | Missouri | $82,979 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $82,032 |
| 51 | Florida | $69,093 |
Professional development director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025