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Best states for a program manager
Quoted expert
Lisa Noble
- Rank 1 - 10
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It seems like program managers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for program managers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Our research found that Rhode Island is the best state for program managers, while California and New Jersey are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Rhode Island has a median salary of $91,487 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for program managers.
Rhode Island is the best state for jobs for program managers, and Oklahoma is the worst. The most common pay in Rhode Island is $91,487, while the median pay in Oklahoma is $66,207.We found that the Midwest is best for program managers, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for program manager jobs, where as Rhode Island is the best state in the country.
10 best states for program managers in 2025
1. Rhode Island
Total program manager jobs: 287 Average annual salary: $91,487 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
2. Washington
Total program manager jobs: 3,252 Average annual salary: $93,447 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 2.37
3. California
Total program manager jobs: 6,973 Average annual salary: $103,085 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
4. New Jersey
Total program manager jobs: 1,555 Average annual salary: $95,411 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
5. Delaware
Total program manager jobs: 260 Average annual salary: $90,560 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
6. New York
Total program manager jobs: 3,014 Average annual salary: $91,607 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
7. Virginia
Total program manager jobs: 2,352 Average annual salary: $87,018 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
8. Connecticut
Total program manager jobs: 719 Average annual salary: $88,464 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
9. Massachusetts
Total program manager jobs: 1,896 Average annual salary: $88,721 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. West Virginia
Total program manager jobs: 218 Average annual salary: $87,949 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
Program manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a program manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a program manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $91,487 | $61,000 | 1,059,639 | 287 |
| 2 | Washington | $93,447 | $58,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,252 |
| 3 | California | $103,085 | $63,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,973 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $95,411 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,555 |
| 5 | Delaware | $90,560 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 260 |
| 6 | New York | $91,607 | $61,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,014 |
| 7 | Virginia | $87,018 | $57,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,352 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $88,464 | $59,000 | 3,588,184 | 719 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $88,721 | $60,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,896 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $87,949 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 218 |
| 11 | Michigan | $87,011 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,173 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $85,419 | $55,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,556 |
| 13 | Arizona | $84,324 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,117 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $80,114 | $51,000 | 755,393 | 236 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $84,665 | $56,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,847 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $86,522 | $57,000 | 693,972 | 768 |
| 17 | Illinois | $83,360 | $54,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,164 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $81,800 | $55,000 | 1,342,795 | 329 |
| 19 | Ohio | $80,603 | $53,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,416 |
| 20 | Oregon | $79,004 | $49,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,063 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $80,736 | $51,000 | 4,454,189 | 463 |
| 22 | Texas | $77,410 | $46,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,699 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $89,423 | $69,000 | 1,427,538 | 186 |
| 24 | Indiana | $79,869 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 803 |
| 25 | Georgia | $78,603 | $48,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,656 |
| 26 | Nevada | $77,285 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 321 |
| 27 | Maryland | $80,640 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,328 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $76,730 | $50,000 | 5,795,483 | 853 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $75,750 | $47,000 | 6,715,984 | 767 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $76,038 | $49,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,188 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $73,243 | $44,000 | 2,088,070 | 347 |
| 32 | Maine | $74,664 | $50,000 | 1,335,907 | 202 |
| 33 | Vermont | $77,756 | $52,000 | 623,657 | 96 |
| 34 | Alabama | $72,494 | $44,000 | 4,874,747 | 602 |
| 35 | Montana | $69,608 | $44,000 | 1,050,493 | 258 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $72,379 | $46,000 | 869,666 | 149 |
| 37 | Idaho | $69,694 | $43,000 | 1,716,943 | 313 |
| 38 | Iowa | $73,532 | $47,000 | 3,145,711 | 416 |
| 39 | Alaska | $74,400 | $51,000 | 739,795 | 111 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $71,273 | $43,000 | 2,984,100 | 262 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $72,533 | $45,000 | 5,024,369 | 559 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $68,764 | $43,000 | 1,920,076 | 366 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $72,719 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 362 |
| 44 | Missouri | $73,602 | $46,000 | 6,113,532 | 704 |
| 45 | Utah | $67,064 | $41,000 | 3,101,833 | 710 |
| 46 | Colorado | $68,050 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,160 |
| 47 | Florida | $70,731 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,336 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $67,108 | $41,000 | 3,004,279 | 379 |
| 49 | Kansas | $67,607 | $42,000 | 2,913,123 | 397 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $66,339 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 68 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $66,207 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 358 |
Highest paying states for program managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Program Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $91,487 |
| 2 | Washington | $93,447 |
| 3 | California | $103,085 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $95,411 |
| 5 | Delaware | $90,560 |
| 6 | New York | $91,607 |
| 7 | Virginia | $87,018 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $88,464 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $88,721 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $87,949 |
| 11 | Michigan | $87,011 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $85,419 |
| 13 | Arizona | $84,324 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $80,114 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $84,665 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $86,522 |
| 17 | Illinois | $83,360 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $81,800 |
| 19 | Ohio | $80,603 |
| 20 | Oregon | $79,004 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $80,736 |
| 22 | Texas | $77,410 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $89,423 |
| 24 | Indiana | $79,869 |
| 25 | Georgia | $78,603 |
| 26 | Nevada | $77,285 |
| 27 | Maryland | $80,640 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $76,730 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $75,750 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $76,038 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $73,243 |
| 32 | Maine | $74,664 |
| 33 | Vermont | $77,756 |
| 34 | Alabama | $72,494 |
| 35 | Montana | $69,608 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $72,379 |
| 37 | Idaho | $69,694 |
| 38 | Iowa | $73,532 |
| 39 | Alaska | $74,400 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $71,273 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $72,533 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $68,764 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $72,719 |
| 44 | Missouri | $73,602 |
| 45 | Utah | $67,064 |
| 46 | Colorado | $68,050 |
| 47 | Florida | $70,731 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $67,108 |
| 49 | Kansas | $67,607 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $66,339 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $66,207 |
Expert opinions on the best states for program managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for program managers to find work opportunities?
Lisa Noble
Director of Employer Engagement and Entrepreneurship and DavisConnects Advisor for Consulting, Colby College
With remote work likely to remain a primary way of doing business, and a fraction of the workforce returning to the office, it's expected that geography won't matter as much for new graduates as it has in the past. We are seeing more young alumni heading to less dense geographies, where there are exciting tech hubs and mountains for outdoor recreation. Jackson Hole, Park City, and Denver are beginning to overtake San Francisco and Seattle as attractive destinations for their relative affordability and quality of life. Increasingly, COVID has made everyone crave wide open spaces, after months of confinement in small apartments in big cities.
If the class of 2020 is any indication, the technology industry will likely continue to be a significant employer of graduates of all majors, followed by business, then education. We see many of our alumni in the humanities in non-coding roles in technology like UX Design, social media marketing, Customer Experience, product management, sales, marketing, employee engagement, and recruiting.
In this economic climate, where traditional media (book publishing, broadcast and print journalism, advertising) have frozen hiring, we are seeing our English majors exploring roles in business and corporate communications, investor relations, brand management, learning and development, and more.
Program manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025