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Best states for a safety director
Quoted expert
Alfred Lujan
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like safety directors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for safety directors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Our research found that California is the best state for safety directors, while California and Nevada are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $130,119 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for safety directors.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for safety directors.We found that California is the best state for safety director jobs, whereas Wisconsin is the worst.
10 best states for safety directors in 2025
1. California
Total safety director jobs: 952 Average annual salary: $130,119 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $201,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
2. Nevada
Total safety director jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $124,894 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $192,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
3. New Jersey
Total safety director jobs: 274 Average annual salary: $110,642 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
4. District of Columbia
Total safety director jobs: 53 Average annual salary: $112,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
5. Utah
Total safety director jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $112,530 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
6. Connecticut
Total safety director jobs: 105 Average annual salary: $99,642 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
7. Massachusetts
Total safety director jobs: 236 Average annual salary: $106,355 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
8. New Hampshire
Total safety director jobs: 51 Average annual salary: $96,156 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
9. New Mexico
Total safety director jobs: 48 Average annual salary: $99,268 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 0.66
10. North Dakota
Total safety director jobs: 22 Average annual salary: $97,663 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
Safety director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a safety director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a safety director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $130,119 | $84,000 | 39,536,653 | 952 |
| 2 | Nevada | $124,894 | $81,000 | 2,998,039 | 68 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $110,642 | $73,000 | 9,005,644 | 274 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $112,636 | $73,000 | 693,972 | 53 |
| 5 | Utah | $112,530 | $74,000 | 3,101,833 | 68 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $99,642 | $66,000 | 3,588,184 | 105 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $106,355 | $71,000 | 6,859,819 | 236 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $96,156 | $64,000 | 1,342,795 | 51 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $99,268 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 48 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $97,663 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 22 |
| 11 | Michigan | $91,658 | $61,000 | 9,962,311 | 225 |
| 12 | Washington | $101,382 | $68,000 | 7,405,743 | 174 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $84,434 | $55,000 | 3,004,279 | 549 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $88,396 | $57,000 | 6,715,984 | 179 |
| 15 | Virginia | $94,362 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 291 |
| 16 | Oregon | $96,333 | $64,000 | 4,142,776 | 118 |
| 17 | Texas | $95,528 | $58,000 | 28,304,596 | 517 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $93,950 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 31 |
| 19 | Alabama | $82,159 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 667 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $82,922 | $54,000 | 4,454,189 | 130 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $87,136 | $54,000 | 5,024,369 | 133 |
| 22 | Vermont | $96,002 | $64,000 | 623,657 | 14 |
| 23 | Indiana | $85,333 | $56,000 | 6,666,818 | 172 |
| 24 | Ohio | $86,052 | $57,000 | 11,658,609 | 216 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $87,553 | $60,000 | 579,315 | 13 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $74,400 | $49,000 | 3,930,864 | 508 |
| 27 | New York | $88,078 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 329 |
| 28 | Colorado | $90,805 | $62,000 | 5,607,154 | 124 |
| 29 | Idaho | $82,721 | $55,000 | 1,716,943 | 47 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $76,134 | $51,000 | 1,059,639 | 36 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $86,518 | $60,000 | 5,576,606 | 99 |
| 32 | Iowa | $68,395 | $47,000 | 3,145,711 | 631 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $70,043 | $45,000 | 10,273,419 | 390 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $73,070 | $48,000 | 12,805,537 | 315 |
| 35 | Alaska | $73,122 | $54,000 | 739,795 | 26 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $65,027 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 564 |
| 37 | Maine | $72,712 | $49,000 | 1,335,907 | 38 |
| 38 | Missouri | $70,341 | $47,000 | 6,113,532 | 187 |
| 39 | Georgia | $67,345 | $42,000 | 10,429,379 | 328 |
| 40 | Delaware | $76,944 | $50,000 | 961,939 | 25 |
| 41 | Arizona | $73,984 | $46,000 | 7,016,270 | 137 |
| 42 | Kansas | $71,109 | $48,000 | 2,913,123 | 71 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $60,529 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 357 |
| 44 | Maryland | $75,157 | $49,000 | 6,052,177 | 141 |
| 45 | Florida | $64,367 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 466 |
| 46 | Montana | $70,794 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 27 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $70,878 | $50,000 | 869,666 | 17 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $65,945 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 25 |
| 49 | Illinois | $68,212 | $46,000 | 12,802,023 | 266 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $65,299 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 40 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $64,452 | $43,000 | 5,795,483 | 97 |
Highest paying states for safety directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Safety Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $130,119 |
| 2 | Nevada | $124,894 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $110,642 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $112,636 |
| 5 | Utah | $112,530 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $99,642 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $106,355 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $96,156 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $99,268 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $97,663 |
| 11 | Michigan | $91,658 |
| 12 | Washington | $101,382 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $84,434 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $88,396 |
| 15 | Virginia | $94,362 |
| 16 | Oregon | $96,333 |
| 17 | Texas | $95,528 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $93,950 |
| 19 | Alabama | $82,159 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $82,922 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $87,136 |
| 22 | Vermont | $96,002 |
| 23 | Indiana | $85,333 |
| 24 | Ohio | $86,052 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $87,553 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $74,400 |
| 27 | New York | $88,078 |
| 28 | Colorado | $90,805 |
| 29 | Idaho | $82,721 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $76,134 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $86,518 |
| 32 | Iowa | $68,395 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $70,043 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $73,070 |
| 35 | Alaska | $73,122 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $65,027 |
| 37 | Maine | $72,712 |
| 38 | Missouri | $70,341 |
| 39 | Georgia | $67,345 |
| 40 | Delaware | $76,944 |
| 41 | Arizona | $73,984 |
| 42 | Kansas | $71,109 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $60,529 |
| 44 | Maryland | $75,157 |
| 45 | Florida | $64,367 |
| 46 | Montana | $70,794 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $70,878 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $65,945 |
| 49 | Illinois | $68,212 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $65,299 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $64,452 |
Expert opinions on the best states for safety directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for safety directors to find work opportunities?
Alfred Lujan
Assistant Professor, NMSU/Dona Ana Community College
No, most municipalities and counties in the US have fire departments, and personnel is frequently hired due to regular attrition. Pay varies, however, depending on the area.
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Updated January 8, 2025