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Best states for a research and development project manager
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for research and development project managers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for research and development project manager jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.We wanted to look at the best states for research and development project managers -- where there are plenty of research and development project manager jobs to go around and research and development project managers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
In order to get you the best states for research and development project managers, 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 the South is best for research and development project managers, and the Northeast is the worst. Berkeley, CA is the best city in the country for research and development project manager jobs, where as Nevada is the best state in the country.
10 best states for research and development project managers in 2026
1. Nevada
Total research and development project manager jobs: 644 Average annual salary: $117,024 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
2. Minnesota
Total research and development project manager jobs: 2,669 Average annual salary: $98,964 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
3. California
Total research and development project manager jobs: 7,467 Average annual salary: $120,238 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
4. Georgia
Total research and development project manager jobs: 3,378 Average annual salary: $98,385 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
5. Michigan
Total research and development project manager jobs: 2,616 Average annual salary: $89,302 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
6. Oregon
Total research and development project manager jobs: 1,054 Average annual salary: $100,659 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
7. Connecticut
Total research and development project manager jobs: 528 Average annual salary: $110,829 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
8. Pennsylvania
Total research and development project manager jobs: 3,381 Average annual salary: $90,738 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
9. Tennessee
Total research and development project manager jobs: 1,921 Average annual salary: $87,066 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
10. Arizona
Total research and development project manager jobs: 1,645 Average annual salary: $92,820 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
Research and development project manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research and development project manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research and development project manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $117,024 | $74,000 | 2,998,039 | 644 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $98,964 | $68,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,669 |
| 3 | California | $120,238 | $77,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,467 |
| 4 | Georgia | $98,385 | $68,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,378 |
| 5 | Michigan | $89,302 | $61,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,616 |
| 6 | Oregon | $100,659 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,054 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $110,829 | $77,000 | 3,588,184 | 528 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $90,738 | $63,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,381 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $87,066 | $60,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,921 |
| 10 | Arizona | $92,820 | $59,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,645 |
| 11 | New York | $111,186 | $77,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,351 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $106,893 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,156 |
| 13 | Indiana | $87,596 | $60,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,842 |
| 14 | Virginia | $99,661 | $69,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,810 |
| 15 | Texas | $86,755 | $57,000 | 28,304,596 | 5,940 |
| 16 | Montana | $88,519 | $56,000 | 1,050,493 | 328 |
| 17 | Ohio | $82,835 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 3,287 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $96,467 | $67,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,472 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $82,625 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 385 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $86,259 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 431 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $82,526 | $55,000 | 869,666 | 317 |
| 22 | Idaho | $88,308 | $55,000 | 1,716,943 | 367 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $88,523 | $61,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,549 |
| 24 | Utah | $89,339 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 542 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $85,590 | $58,000 | 2,984,100 | 426 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $81,222 | $56,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,728 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $84,241 | $56,000 | 3,930,864 | 723 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $79,422 | $51,000 | 2,088,070 | 690 |
| 29 | Delaware | $89,448 | $62,000 | 961,939 | 193 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $93,610 | $65,000 | 693,972 | 305 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $77,129 | $52,000 | 755,393 | 320 |
| 32 | Illinois | $85,895 | $59,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,927 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $76,415 | $52,000 | 1,920,076 | 748 |
| 34 | Alabama | $80,848 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 906 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $77,817 | $53,000 | 3,004,279 | 712 |
| 36 | Maine | $81,096 | $56,000 | 1,335,907 | 277 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $80,778 | $56,000 | 1,059,639 | 256 |
| 38 | Kansas | $75,971 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 888 |
| 39 | Washington | $84,210 | $52,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,264 |
| 40 | Maryland | $86,511 | $60,000 | 6,052,177 | 696 |
| 41 | Alaska | $80,948 | $58,000 | 739,795 | 168 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $75,021 | $52,000 | 4,454,189 | 877 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $70,494 | $45,000 | 579,315 | 193 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $75,780 | $52,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,018 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $77,352 | $51,000 | 4,684,333 | 653 |
| 46 | Missouri | $70,576 | $48,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,894 |
| 47 | Iowa | $74,444 | $51,000 | 3,145,711 | 877 |
| 48 | Vermont | $76,123 | $53,000 | 623,657 | 144 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $68,914 | $51,000 | 1,427,538 | 236 |
| 50 | Colorado | $77,272 | $50,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,069 |
| 51 | Florida | $71,023 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,778 |
Highest paying states for research and development project managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Research And Development Project Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $117,024 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $98,964 |
| 3 | California | $120,238 |
| 4 | Georgia | $98,385 |
| 5 | Michigan | $89,302 |
| 6 | Oregon | $100,659 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $110,829 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $90,738 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $87,066 |
| 10 | Arizona | $92,820 |
| 11 | New York | $111,186 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $106,893 |
| 13 | Indiana | $87,596 |
| 14 | Virginia | $99,661 |
| 15 | Texas | $86,755 |
| 16 | Montana | $88,519 |
| 17 | Ohio | $82,835 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $96,467 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $82,625 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $86,259 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $82,526 |
| 22 | Idaho | $88,308 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $88,523 |
| 24 | Utah | $89,339 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $85,590 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $81,222 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $84,241 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $79,422 |
| 29 | Delaware | $89,448 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $93,610 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $77,129 |
| 32 | Illinois | $85,895 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $76,415 |
| 34 | Alabama | $80,848 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $77,817 |
| 36 | Maine | $81,096 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $80,778 |
| 38 | Kansas | $75,971 |
| 39 | Washington | $84,210 |
| 40 | Maryland | $86,511 |
| 41 | Alaska | $80,948 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $75,021 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $70,494 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $75,780 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $77,352 |
| 46 | Missouri | $70,576 |
| 47 | Iowa | $74,444 |
| 48 | Vermont | $76,123 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $68,914 |
| 50 | Colorado | $77,272 |
| 51 | Florida | $71,023 |
Research and development project manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025