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Best states for a research and development director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Research and development director opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for research and development directors, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for research and development directors.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for research and development directors. We found that California is the best state in the nation for research and development directors, and people in Pacifica earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for research and development directors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that California is the best state for research and development director jobs, whereas Wyoming is the worst.
10 best states for research and development directors in 2026
1. California
Total research and development director jobs: 5,559 Average annual salary: $156,514 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $227,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
2. Arizona
Total research and development director jobs: 1,307 Average annual salary: $130,779 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. Nevada
Total research and development director jobs: 300 Average annual salary: $148,576 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
4. Pennsylvania
Total research and development director jobs: 2,355 Average annual salary: $128,200 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
5. New Hampshire
Total research and development director jobs: 379 Average annual salary: $128,820 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
6. Maine
Total research and development director jobs: 272 Average annual salary: $127,301 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
7. Connecticut
Total research and development director jobs: 401 Average annual salary: $148,747 Lowest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
8. New York
Total research and development director jobs: 2,202 Average annual salary: $145,189 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
9. Virginia
Total research and development director jobs: 988 Average annual salary: $147,558 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
10. Missouri
Total research and development director jobs: 930 Average annual salary: $130,838 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
Research and development director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research and development director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research and development director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $156,514 | $107,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,559 |
| 2 | Arizona | $130,779 | $87,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,307 |
| 3 | Nevada | $148,576 | $101,000 | 2,998,039 | 300 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $128,200 | $88,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,355 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $128,820 | $90,000 | 1,342,795 | 379 |
| 6 | Maine | $127,301 | $89,000 | 1,335,907 | 272 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $148,747 | $104,000 | 3,588,184 | 401 |
| 8 | New York | $145,189 | $101,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,202 |
| 9 | Virginia | $147,558 | $102,000 | 8,470,020 | 988 |
| 10 | Missouri | $130,838 | $90,000 | 6,113,532 | 930 |
| 11 | Ohio | $129,442 | $89,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,597 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $144,955 | $101,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,085 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $121,829 | $80,000 | 4,684,333 | 799 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $145,808 | $103,000 | 6,859,819 | 721 |
| 15 | Montana | $123,541 | $84,000 | 1,050,493 | 232 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $124,652 | $87,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,357 |
| 17 | Oregon | $130,015 | $87,000 | 4,142,776 | 663 |
| 18 | Washington | $140,024 | $95,000 | 7,405,743 | 290 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $113,764 | $79,000 | 869,666 | 349 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $116,706 | $78,000 | 2,984,100 | 500 |
| 21 | Georgia | $120,807 | $82,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,988 |
| 22 | Alaska | $128,602 | $88,000 | 739,795 | 127 |
| 23 | Idaho | $126,047 | $84,000 | 1,716,943 | 148 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $111,172 | $76,000 | 1,815,857 | 479 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $111,951 | $76,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,062 |
| 26 | Indiana | $113,194 | $78,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,050 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $112,911 | $78,000 | 5,795,483 | 982 |
| 28 | Vermont | $117,521 | $82,000 | 623,657 | 114 |
| 29 | Alabama | $108,220 | $73,000 | 4,874,747 | 984 |
| 30 | Florida | $113,486 | $73,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,094 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $110,357 | $78,000 | 755,393 | 152 |
| 32 | Utah | $116,474 | $77,000 | 3,101,833 | 361 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $112,054 | $74,000 | 2,088,070 | 351 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $114,735 | $80,000 | 1,059,639 | 169 |
| 35 | Delaware | $120,156 | $82,000 | 961,939 | 126 |
| 36 | Texas | $116,663 | $76,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,916 |
| 37 | Illinois | $116,410 | $80,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,462 |
| 38 | Michigan | $108,648 | $75,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,392 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $106,689 | $73,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,011 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $106,574 | $73,000 | 3,004,279 | 457 |
| 41 | Colorado | $113,488 | $77,000 | 5,607,154 | 809 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $99,546 | $68,000 | 3,930,864 | 795 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $105,837 | $73,000 | 1,920,076 | 400 |
| 44 | Maryland | $112,117 | $77,000 | 6,052,177 | 907 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $106,134 | $72,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,809 |
| 46 | Kansas | $105,807 | $73,000 | 2,913,123 | 476 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $112,198 | $77,000 | 693,972 | 140 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $84,193 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 159 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $101,364 | $69,000 | 4,454,189 | 499 |
| 50 | Iowa | $100,664 | $70,000 | 3,145,711 | 492 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $97,431 | $66,000 | 579,315 | 58 |
Highest paying states for research and development directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Research And Development Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $156,514 |
| 2 | Arizona | $130,779 |
| 3 | Nevada | $148,576 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $128,200 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $128,820 |
| 6 | Maine | $127,301 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $148,747 |
| 8 | New York | $145,189 |
| 9 | Virginia | $147,558 |
| 10 | Missouri | $130,838 |
| 11 | Ohio | $129,442 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $144,955 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $121,829 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $145,808 |
| 15 | Montana | $123,541 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $124,652 |
| 17 | Oregon | $130,015 |
| 18 | Washington | $140,024 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $113,764 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $116,706 |
| 21 | Georgia | $120,807 |
| 22 | Alaska | $128,602 |
| 23 | Idaho | $126,047 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $111,172 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $111,951 |
| 26 | Indiana | $113,194 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $112,911 |
| 28 | Vermont | $117,521 |
| 29 | Alabama | $108,220 |
| 30 | Florida | $113,486 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $110,357 |
| 32 | Utah | $116,474 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $112,054 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $114,735 |
| 35 | Delaware | $120,156 |
| 36 | Texas | $116,663 |
| 37 | Illinois | $116,410 |
| 38 | Michigan | $108,648 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $106,689 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $106,574 |
| 41 | Colorado | $113,488 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $99,546 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $105,837 |
| 44 | Maryland | $112,117 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $106,134 |
| 46 | Kansas | $105,807 |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $112,198 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $84,193 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $101,364 |
| 50 | Iowa | $100,664 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $97,431 |
Research and development director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025