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Best states for a program director
Quoted expert
Jamelyn Tobery-Nystrom
- Rank 1 - 10
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and arts, entertainment, sports, and media careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to program director jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for program directors.In order to help you decide which state is the best for program directors, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for program director jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for program directors.If you are currently seeking employment as a program director, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for program directors in 2025
1. Connecticut
Total program director jobs: 533 Average annual salary: $91,301 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
2. New York
Total program director jobs: 2,042 Average annual salary: $92,293 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
3. District of Columbia
Total program director jobs: 379 Average annual salary: $91,436 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
4. Georgia
Total program director jobs: 1,133 Average annual salary: $97,222 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
5. California
Total program director jobs: 2,709 Average annual salary: $94,469 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
6. New Hampshire
Total program director jobs: 220 Average annual salary: $74,867 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
7. Wyoming
Total program director jobs: 105 Average annual salary: $71,150 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
8. Illinois
Total program director jobs: 1,452 Average annual salary: $74,666 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
9. Colorado
Total program director jobs: 807 Average annual salary: $74,249 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
10. Nevada
Total program director jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $80,862 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
Program director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a program director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a program director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $91,301 | $56,000 | 3,588,184 | 533 |
| 2 | New York | $92,293 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,042 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $91,436 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 379 |
| 4 | Georgia | $97,222 | $58,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,133 |
| 5 | California | $94,469 | $56,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,709 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $74,867 | $45,000 | 1,342,795 | 220 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $71,150 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 105 |
| 8 | Illinois | $74,666 | $45,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,452 |
| 9 | Colorado | $74,249 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 807 |
| 10 | Nevada | $80,862 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 186 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $71,020 | $43,000 | 1,059,639 | 168 |
| 12 | Texas | $74,654 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,078 |
| 13 | Maryland | $85,704 | $52,000 | 6,052,177 | 566 |
| 14 | Washington | $74,582 | $43,000 | 7,405,743 | 872 |
| 15 | Michigan | $72,462 | $44,000 | 9,962,311 | 812 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $74,754 | $45,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,040 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $68,830 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 257 |
| 18 | Virginia | $74,378 | $45,000 | 8,470,020 | 843 |
| 19 | Utah | $66,670 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 402 |
| 20 | Oregon | $68,713 | $39,000 | 4,142,776 | 544 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $67,587 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 207 |
| 22 | Alabama | $61,880 | $37,000 | 4,874,747 | 887 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $60,761 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 396 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $69,204 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 998 |
| 25 | Arizona | $64,591 | $38,000 | 7,016,270 | 767 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $66,427 | $40,000 | 6,715,984 | 462 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $80,579 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 34 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $59,233 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 269 |
| 29 | Ohio | $64,357 | $39,000 | 11,658,609 | 850 |
| 30 | Idaho | $62,727 | $37,000 | 1,716,943 | 205 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $59,619 | $35,000 | 3,930,864 | 606 |
| 32 | Delaware | $61,475 | $37,000 | 961,939 | 185 |
| 33 | Missouri | $65,185 | $39,000 | 6,113,532 | 472 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $62,680 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 780 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $62,985 | $37,000 | 10,273,419 | 924 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $61,811 | $37,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,158 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $61,352 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 331 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $59,527 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 303 |
| 39 | Vermont | $64,008 | $39,000 | 623,657 | 42 |
| 40 | Florida | $60,364 | $35,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,611 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $52,018 | $31,000 | 5,024,369 | 959 |
| 42 | Indiana | $60,127 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 560 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $49,879 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 718 |
| 44 | Montana | $53,000 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 169 |
| 45 | Maine | $53,937 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 159 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $55,561 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 596 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $57,731 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 202 |
| 48 | Kansas | $55,139 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 261 |
| 49 | Iowa | $45,652 | $27,000 | 3,145,711 | 329 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $50,974 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 43 |
| 51 | Alaska | $48,443 | $28,000 | 739,795 | 38 |
Highest paying states for program directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Program Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $91,301 |
| 2 | New York | $92,293 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $91,436 |
| 4 | Georgia | $97,222 |
| 5 | California | $94,469 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $74,867 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $71,150 |
| 8 | Illinois | $74,666 |
| 9 | Colorado | $74,249 |
| 10 | Nevada | $80,862 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $71,020 |
| 12 | Texas | $74,654 |
| 13 | Maryland | $85,704 |
| 14 | Washington | $74,582 |
| 15 | Michigan | $72,462 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $74,754 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $68,830 |
| 18 | Virginia | $74,378 |
| 19 | Utah | $66,670 |
| 20 | Oregon | $68,713 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $67,587 |
| 22 | Alabama | $61,880 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $60,761 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $69,204 |
| 25 | Arizona | $64,591 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $66,427 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $80,579 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $59,233 |
| 29 | Ohio | $64,357 |
| 30 | Idaho | $62,727 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $59,619 |
| 32 | Delaware | $61,475 |
| 33 | Missouri | $65,185 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $62,680 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $62,985 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $61,811 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $61,352 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $59,527 |
| 39 | Vermont | $64,008 |
| 40 | Florida | $60,364 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $52,018 |
| 42 | Indiana | $60,127 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $49,879 |
| 44 | Montana | $53,000 |
| 45 | Maine | $53,937 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $55,561 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $57,731 |
| 48 | Kansas | $55,139 |
| 49 | Iowa | $45,652 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $50,974 |
| 51 | Alaska | $48,443 |
Expert opinions on the best states for program directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for program directors to find work opportunities?
Jamelyn Tobery-Nystrom
Coordinator of M.Ed. Special Education, Frostburg State University
Special education teachers are needed everywhere. Urban areas have more openings; however, rural areas struggle to find qualified candidates because their number is limited. We are not producing enough teachers in the United States, and we have a real crisis in special education.
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Updated January 8, 2025