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Best states for a project manager/test manager
Quoted expert
Denise Lorenzetti
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for project manager/test managers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for project manager/test manager jobs.As project manager/test managers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for project manager/test managers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a project manager/test manager, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
The median salary for project manager/test managers in Washington is $123,508. Compare that to the median salary in Wyoming of $78,010, which ranked worst for project manager/test managers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a project manager/test manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for project manager/test managers in 2025
1. Washington
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 2,129 Average annual salary: $123,508 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
2. Rhode Island
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 251 Average annual salary: $116,850 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
3. Virginia
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 2,557 Average annual salary: $115,193 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
4. Idaho
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 295 Average annual salary: $114,843 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
5. Connecticut
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 579 Average annual salary: $115,711 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
6. District of Columbia
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 708 Average annual salary: $111,924 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 2.19
7. Pennsylvania
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 1,875 Average annual salary: $106,216 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
8. California
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 7,253 Average annual salary: $108,773 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
9. Massachusetts
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 2,092 Average annual salary: $102,217 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
10. Delaware
Total project manager/test manager jobs: 204 Average annual salary: $108,415 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
Project manager/test manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a project manager/test manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a project manager/test manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $123,508 | $89,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,129 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $116,850 | $89,000 | 1,059,639 | 251 |
| 3 | Virginia | $115,193 | $88,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,557 |
| 4 | Idaho | $114,843 | $83,000 | 1,716,943 | 295 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $115,711 | $88,000 | 3,588,184 | 579 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $111,924 | $85,000 | 693,972 | 708 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $106,216 | $81,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,875 |
| 8 | California | $108,773 | $79,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,253 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $102,217 | $78,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,092 |
| 10 | Delaware | $108,415 | $83,000 | 961,939 | 204 |
| 11 | Arizona | $104,011 | $77,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,017 |
| 12 | Georgia | $102,799 | $79,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,848 |
| 13 | Oregon | $100,638 | $73,000 | 4,142,776 | 991 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $101,395 | $77,000 | 1,342,795 | 330 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $100,237 | $77,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,722 |
| 16 | Ohio | $97,459 | $74,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,885 |
| 17 | Nevada | $100,362 | $73,000 | 2,998,039 | 379 |
| 18 | Maryland | $101,604 | $78,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,619 |
| 19 | Maine | $101,519 | $78,000 | 1,335,907 | 199 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $101,840 | $78,000 | 1,815,857 | 152 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $100,763 | $77,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,531 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $97,648 | $74,000 | 3,004,279 | 363 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $94,703 | $73,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,303 |
| 24 | Michigan | $95,368 | $72,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,399 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $98,889 | $76,000 | 5,024,369 | 582 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $93,162 | $71,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,051 |
| 27 | New York | $98,756 | $75,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,421 |
| 28 | Illinois | $96,833 | $74,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,944 |
| 29 | Texas | $91,155 | $69,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,348 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $96,644 | $74,000 | 4,684,333 | 352 |
| 31 | Iowa | $94,282 | $72,000 | 3,145,711 | 524 |
| 32 | Florida | $94,942 | $73,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,560 |
| 33 | Kansas | $93,640 | $71,000 | 2,913,123 | 482 |
| 34 | Missouri | $93,133 | $71,000 | 6,113,532 | 979 |
| 35 | Vermont | $92,449 | $70,000 | 623,657 | 146 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $89,890 | $69,000 | 6,715,984 | 947 |
| 37 | Alabama | $92,083 | $70,000 | 4,874,747 | 634 |
| 38 | Alaska | $94,148 | $71,000 | 739,795 | 130 |
| 39 | Utah | $84,822 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 745 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $85,869 | $64,000 | 2,088,070 | 386 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $91,779 | $70,000 | 3,930,864 | 362 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $86,593 | $66,000 | 1,920,076 | 376 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $82,691 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 176 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $85,260 | $67,000 | 1,427,538 | 155 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $85,805 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 469 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $86,189 | $66,000 | 2,984,100 | 215 |
| 47 | Indiana | $84,817 | $65,000 | 6,666,818 | 925 |
| 48 | Colorado | $79,316 | $60,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,099 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $84,528 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 128 |
| 50 | Montana | $80,897 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 181 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $78,010 | $58,000 | 579,315 | 95 |
Highest paying states for project manager/test managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Project Manager/Test Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $123,508 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $116,850 |
| 3 | Virginia | $115,193 |
| 4 | Idaho | $114,843 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $115,711 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $111,924 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $106,216 |
| 8 | California | $108,773 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $102,217 |
| 10 | Delaware | $108,415 |
| 11 | Arizona | $104,011 |
| 12 | Georgia | $102,799 |
| 13 | Oregon | $100,638 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $101,395 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $100,237 |
| 16 | Ohio | $97,459 |
| 17 | Nevada | $100,362 |
| 18 | Maryland | $101,604 |
| 19 | Maine | $101,519 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $101,840 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $100,763 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $97,648 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $94,703 |
| 24 | Michigan | $95,368 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $98,889 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $93,162 |
| 27 | New York | $98,756 |
| 28 | Illinois | $96,833 |
| 29 | Texas | $91,155 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $96,644 |
| 31 | Iowa | $94,282 |
| 32 | Florida | $94,942 |
| 33 | Kansas | $93,640 |
| 34 | Missouri | $93,133 |
| 35 | Vermont | $92,449 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $89,890 |
| 37 | Alabama | $92,083 |
| 38 | Alaska | $94,148 |
| 39 | Utah | $84,822 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $85,869 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $91,779 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $86,593 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $82,691 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $85,260 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $85,805 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $86,189 |
| 47 | Indiana | $84,817 |
| 48 | Colorado | $79,316 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $84,528 |
| 50 | Montana | $80,897 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $78,010 |
Expert opinions on the best states for project manager/test managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for project manager/test managers to find work opportunities?
Denise Lorenzetti
Director of Binghamton University's Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, Binghamton University
This will vary from industry to industry.
Many organizations have seen success with the transition of jobs to a virtual environment. It is uncertain how things will progress, however we anticipate there to be less of an emphasis on geographic region as a part of the job search than pre-pandemic. The pandemic has opened up opportunities for new graduates to find opportunities that traditionally were only available in large metropolitan areas such as Silicon Valley or NYC.
Many companies are still providing flexibility with working from home and/or not needing to be physically located in the city where the position resides. Some are work-from-home indefinitely and others are offering the flexibility to telecommute more than physically being in a location every day.
Large cities will likely continue to be a major hub for industries that will continue to require in-person jobs, such as healthcare roles.
Project manager/test manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025