Best states for a program safety manager

Q: What is the best state for program safety managers?

The best state to be a program safety manager is California based on program safety manager salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for program safety managers?

The highest paying state for program safety managers is West Virginia based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for program safety managers?

The worst state for program safety managers is West Virginia, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Program safety manager opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for program safety managers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for program safety managers.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for program safety manager jobs.

We figured that the best places for program safety manager 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.If you are currently seeking employment as a program safety manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for program safety managers in 2026

1. California
Total program safety manager jobs: 5,373
Average annual salary: $124,875
Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000
Location Quotient:
1.2
Program safety manager jobs in California
2. North Dakota
Total program safety manager jobs: 214
Average annual salary: $96,084
Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000
Location Quotient:
1.5
Program safety manager jobs in North Dakota
3. Oregon
Total program safety manager jobs: 814
Average annual salary: $93,217
Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000
Location Quotient:
1.28
Program safety manager jobs in Oregon
4. District of Columbia
Total program safety manager jobs: 479
Average annual salary: $97,390
Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000
Location Quotient:
1.86
Program safety manager jobs in District of Columbia
5. Connecticut
Total program safety manager jobs: 606
Average annual salary: $94,538
Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000
Location Quotient:
1.19
Program safety manager jobs in Connecticut
6. New Mexico
Total program safety manager jobs: 292
Average annual salary: $93,532
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000
Location Quotient:
0.97
Program safety manager jobs in New Mexico
7. New Hampshire
Total program safety manager jobs: 298
Average annual salary: $91,673
Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000
Location Quotient:
1.11
Program safety manager jobs in New Hampshire
8. Ohio
Total program safety manager jobs: 1,213
Average annual salary: $96,512
Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000
Location Quotient:
0.77
Program safety manager jobs in Ohio
9. Pennsylvania
Total program safety manager jobs: 1,537
Average annual salary: $93,939
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000
Location Quotient:
0.86
Program safety manager jobs in Pennsylvania
10. Nevada
Total program safety manager jobs: 295
Average annual salary: $90,522
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000
Location Quotient:
0.92
Program safety manager jobs in Nevada

Program safety manager jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a program safety manager

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a program safety manager

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	California	$124,875	$81,000	39,536,653	5,373
2	North Dakota	$96,084	$68,000	755,393	214
3	Oregon	$93,217	$63,000	4,142,776	814
4	District of Columbia	$97,390	$66,000	693,972	479
5	Connecticut	$94,538	$65,000	3,588,184	606
6	New Mexico	$93,532	$64,000	2,088,070	292
7	New Hampshire	$91,673	$63,000	1,342,795	298
8	Ohio	$96,512	$66,000	11,658,609	1,213
9	Pennsylvania	$93,939	$64,000	12,805,537	1,537
10	Nevada	$90,522	$59,000	2,998,039	295
11	Louisiana	$105,542	$69,000	4,684,333	326
12	New York	$90,833	$62,000	19,849,399	2,412
13	Massachusetts	$92,767	$64,000	6,859,819	1,245
14	Texas	$87,039	$57,000	28,304,596	2,893
15	Colorado	$87,593	$61,000	5,607,154	932
16	Tennessee	$88,233	$60,000	6,715,984	711
17	Washington	$81,737	$55,000	7,405,743	2,815
18	Arkansas	$85,137	$58,000	3,004,279	346
19	Minnesota	$85,240	$60,000	5,576,606	934
20	Vermont	$91,882	$63,000	623,657	59
21	Alabama	$82,183	$55,000	4,874,747	611
22	Idaho	$79,630	$53,000	1,716,943	273
23	Arizona	$79,703	$53,000	7,016,270	945
24	Virginia	$80,682	$54,000	8,470,020	1,762
25	Michigan	$81,277	$55,000	9,962,311	1,057
26	Wyoming	$84,880	$59,000	579,315	40
27	Utah	$75,090	$50,000	3,101,833	576
28	New Jersey	$81,060	$55,000	9,005,644	1,307
29	Maryland	$82,030	$56,000	6,052,177	898
30	Rhode Island	$72,049	$49,000	1,059,639	237
31	Illinois	$76,195	$52,000	12,802,023	1,727
32	Delaware	$73,004	$50,000	961,939	208
33	Hawaii	$73,871	$56,000	1,427,538	148
34	Oklahoma	$74,621	$52,000	3,930,864	319
35	Kentucky	$72,654	$50,000	4,454,189	430
36	Mississippi	$71,705	$48,000	2,984,100	263
37	Indiana	$72,727	$50,000	6,666,818	728
38	Montana	$68,244	$47,000	1,050,493	212
39	Maine	$69,681	$48,000	1,335,907	187
40	North Carolina	$69,321	$46,000	10,273,419	1,349
41	Kansas	$70,702	$50,000	2,913,123	332
42	South Dakota	$69,712	$49,000	869,666	128
43	Florida	$70,109	$45,000	20,984,400	2,011
44	Iowa	$69,444	$48,000	3,145,711	415
45	South Carolina	$68,452	$45,000	5,024,369	534
46	Missouri	$69,859	$49,000	6,113,532	603
47	Nebraska	$64,542	$45,000	1,920,076	309
48	Georgia	$64,282	$43,000	10,429,379	1,439
49	Alaska	$70,957	$53,000	739,795	70
50	Wisconsin	$62,933	$43,000	5,795,483	701
51	West Virginia	$60,867	$41,000	1,815,857	183

Highest paying states for program safety managers

Rank	State	Avg. Program Safety Manager Salary
1	California	$124,875
2	North Dakota	$96,084
3	Oregon	$93,217
4	District of Columbia	$97,390
5	Connecticut	$94,538
6	New Mexico	$93,532
7	New Hampshire	$91,673
8	Ohio	$96,512
9	Pennsylvania	$93,939
10	Nevada	$90,522
11	Louisiana	$105,542
12	New York	$90,833
13	Massachusetts	$92,767
14	Texas	$87,039
15	Colorado	$87,593
16	Tennessee	$88,233
17	Washington	$81,737
18	Arkansas	$85,137
19	Minnesota	$85,240
20	Vermont	$91,882
21	Alabama	$82,183
22	Idaho	$79,630
23	Arizona	$79,703
24	Virginia	$80,682
25	Michigan	$81,277
26	Wyoming	$84,880
27	Utah	$75,090
28	New Jersey	$81,060
29	Maryland	$82,030
30	Rhode Island	$72,049
31	Illinois	$76,195
32	Delaware	$73,004
33	Hawaii	$73,871
34	Oklahoma	$74,621
35	Kentucky	$72,654
36	Mississippi	$71,705
37	Indiana	$72,727
38	Montana	$68,244
39	Maine	$69,681
40	North Carolina	$69,321
41	Kansas	$70,702
42	South Dakota	$69,712
43	Florida	$70,109
44	Iowa	$69,444
45	South Carolina	$68,452
46	Missouri	$69,859
47	Nebraska	$64,542
48	Georgia	$64,282
49	Alaska	$70,957
50	Wisconsin	$62,933
51	West Virginia	$60,867

Program safety manager best states FAQs

What is the best state for program safety managers?

What is the highest paying state for program safety managers?

What is the worst state for program safety managers?

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Search for program safety manager jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total program safety manager jobs:	5,373
Average annual salary:	$124,875
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$81,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$190,000
Location Quotient:	1.2

Best states for a program safety manager

10 best states for program safety managers in 2026

1. California

2. North Dakota

3. Oregon

4. District of Columbia

5. Connecticut

6. New Mexico

7. New Hampshire

8. Ohio

9. Pennsylvania

10. Nevada