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Best states for a sales specialist
Quoted expert
Donna Albano
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to sales specialist jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. In fact, our research shows that New York is the best state for sales specialists in America. The best city in America for sales specialists with the highest pay is Boston, MA.
In order to get you the best states for sales specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.New York is the best state, and Dartmouth is the city with the highest pay for sales specialists.
10 best states for sales specialists in 2026
1. New York
Total sales specialist jobs: 6,237 Average annual salary: $70,930 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
2. Massachusetts
Total sales specialist jobs: 3,947 Average annual salary: $76,002 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
3. Rhode Island
Total sales specialist jobs: 603 Average annual salary: $64,610 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
4. Connecticut
Total sales specialist jobs: 1,461 Average annual salary: $67,818 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1
5. Texas
Total sales specialist jobs: 8,798 Average annual salary: $63,713 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
6. North Carolina
Total sales specialist jobs: 4,958 Average annual salary: $59,262 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
7. New Jersey
Total sales specialist jobs: 4,307 Average annual salary: $62,496 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. Ohio
Total sales specialist jobs: 5,206 Average annual salary: $56,825 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
9. New Hampshire
Total sales specialist jobs: 825 Average annual salary: $58,722 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
10. California
Total sales specialist jobs: 11,855 Average annual salary: $70,212 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
Sales specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a sales specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a sales specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $70,930 | $38,000 | 19,849,399 | 6,237 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $76,002 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,947 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $64,610 | $34,000 | 1,059,639 | 603 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $67,818 | $36,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,461 |
| 5 | Texas | $63,713 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 8,798 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $59,262 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 4,958 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $62,496 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 4,307 |
| 8 | Ohio | $56,825 | $31,000 | 11,658,609 | 5,206 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $58,722 | $31,000 | 1,342,795 | 825 |
| 10 | California | $70,212 | $37,000 | 39,536,653 | 11,855 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $65,681 | $37,000 | 579,315 | 199 |
| 12 | Michigan | $57,825 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 3,277 |
| 13 | Washington | $66,526 | $36,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,586 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $55,120 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 1,680 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $54,892 | $29,000 | 12,805,537 | 6,612 |
| 16 | Missouri | $60,130 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 2,270 |
| 17 | Nevada | $57,530 | $30,000 | 2,998,039 | 852 |
| 18 | Oregon | $57,303 | $30,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,835 |
| 19 | Maine | $54,390 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 660 |
| 20 | Alabama | $55,117 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,863 |
| 21 | Georgia | $55,864 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 4,321 |
| 22 | Virginia | $57,909 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,960 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $54,182 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 2,369 |
| 24 | Indiana | $54,587 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 2,682 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $56,879 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,448 |
| 26 | Arizona | $55,065 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,434 |
| 27 | Kansas | $53,769 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 1,215 |
| 28 | Illinois | $54,730 | $30,000 | 12,802,023 | 4,847 |
| 29 | Florida | $51,126 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 8,359 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $62,042 | $33,000 | 693,972 | 412 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $53,852 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 274 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $48,811 | $27,000 | 6,715,984 | 3,072 |
| 33 | Colorado | $55,240 | $31,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,177 |
| 34 | Idaho | $52,350 | $29,000 | 1,716,943 | 661 |
| 35 | Maryland | $52,269 | $28,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,851 |
| 36 | Vermont | $52,946 | $28,000 | 623,657 | 304 |
| 37 | Iowa | $51,817 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 1,410 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $49,337 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 1,375 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $50,146 | $27,000 | 1,815,857 | 602 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $48,198 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 2,245 |
| 41 | Montana | $49,077 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 497 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $52,413 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 650 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $50,138 | $38,000 | 1,427,538 | 295 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $49,636 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 842 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $49,723 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 840 |
| 46 | Utah | $46,983 | $26,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,485 |
| 47 | Delaware | $50,131 | $27,000 | 961,939 | 521 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $49,197 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 331 |
| 49 | Alaska | $51,956 | $27,000 | 739,795 | 217 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $48,327 | $27,000 | 3,930,864 | 1,163 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $40,838 | $23,000 | 2,984,100 | 882 |
Highest paying states for sales specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Sales Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $70,930 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $76,002 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $64,610 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $67,818 |
| 5 | Texas | $63,713 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $59,262 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $62,496 |
| 8 | Ohio | $56,825 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $58,722 |
| 10 | California | $70,212 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $65,681 |
| 12 | Michigan | $57,825 |
| 13 | Washington | $66,526 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $55,120 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $54,892 |
| 16 | Missouri | $60,130 |
| 17 | Nevada | $57,530 |
| 18 | Oregon | $57,303 |
| 19 | Maine | $54,390 |
| 20 | Alabama | $55,117 |
| 21 | Georgia | $55,864 |
| 22 | Virginia | $57,909 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $54,182 |
| 24 | Indiana | $54,587 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $56,879 |
| 26 | Arizona | $55,065 |
| 27 | Kansas | $53,769 |
| 28 | Illinois | $54,730 |
| 29 | Florida | $51,126 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $62,042 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $53,852 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $48,811 |
| 33 | Colorado | $55,240 |
| 34 | Idaho | $52,350 |
| 35 | Maryland | $52,269 |
| 36 | Vermont | $52,946 |
| 37 | Iowa | $51,817 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $49,337 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $50,146 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $48,198 |
| 41 | Montana | $49,077 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $52,413 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $50,138 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $49,636 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $49,723 |
| 46 | Utah | $46,983 |
| 47 | Delaware | $50,131 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $49,197 |
| 49 | Alaska | $51,956 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $48,327 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $40,838 |
Expert opinions on the best states for sales specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for sales specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Albano
Associate Professor, Stockton University
New Jersey has always been a fertile employment landscape for hospitality graduates due to its rich hospitality and tourism industry. Because hospitality & tourism is a global employment opportunity, this answer is currently tied to how different states recover from COVID-19. Graduates can work anywhere in the world, in a plethora of industry segments.
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Updated January 8, 2025