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Best states for a senior business manager
Quoted expert
Patrick Scott Ph.D.
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It seems like senior business managers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for senior business managers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In order to help you decide which state is the best for senior business managers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for senior business manager jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for senior business managers. Connecticut is the best state for senior business managers, where the median salary is $162,615.We found that the South is best for senior business managers, and the Northeast is the worst. Hartford, CT is the best city in the country for senior business manager jobs, where as Connecticut is the best state in the country.
10 best states for senior business managers in 2026
1. Connecticut
Total senior business manager jobs: 796 Average annual salary: $162,615 Lowest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $224,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
2. District of Columbia
Total senior business manager jobs: 541 Average annual salary: $161,904 Lowest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
3. Washington
Total senior business manager jobs: 1,533 Average annual salary: $161,185 Lowest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $226,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
4. New York
Total senior business manager jobs: 2,991 Average annual salary: $149,223 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. New Jersey
Total senior business manager jobs: 1,751 Average annual salary: $152,157 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $211,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
6. California
Total senior business manager jobs: 6,942 Average annual salary: $150,395 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $215,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
7. Massachusetts
Total senior business manager jobs: 2,119 Average annual salary: $143,769 Lowest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
8. Ohio
Total senior business manager jobs: 2,519 Average annual salary: $126,200 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
9. Rhode Island
Total senior business manager jobs: 202 Average annual salary: $146,077 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $203,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
10. Nevada
Total senior business manager jobs: 629 Average annual salary: $121,085 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
Senior business manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior business manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior business manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $162,615 | $118,000 | 3,588,184 | 796 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $161,904 | $117,000 | 693,972 | 541 |
| 3 | Washington | $161,185 | $114,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,533 |
| 4 | New York | $149,223 | $107,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,991 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $152,157 | $109,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,751 |
| 6 | California | $150,395 | $105,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,942 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $143,769 | $103,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,119 |
| 8 | Ohio | $126,200 | $90,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,519 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $146,077 | $105,000 | 1,059,639 | 202 |
| 10 | Nevada | $121,085 | $83,000 | 2,998,039 | 629 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $144,410 | $103,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,919 |
| 12 | Illinois | $130,557 | $93,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,601 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $124,332 | $89,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,286 |
| 14 | Michigan | $122,545 | $87,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,912 |
| 15 | Delaware | $142,215 | $102,000 | 961,939 | 231 |
| 16 | Colorado | $132,111 | $93,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,251 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $124,431 | $89,000 | 869,666 | 222 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $124,635 | $88,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,042 |
| 19 | Oregon | $132,933 | $92,000 | 4,142,776 | 786 |
| 20 | Maine | $129,897 | $93,000 | 1,335,907 | 203 |
| 21 | Virginia | $131,110 | $93,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,855 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $116,246 | $82,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,365 |
| 23 | Indiana | $111,490 | $79,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,683 |
| 24 | Missouri | $115,444 | $82,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,404 |
| 25 | Arizona | $118,077 | $80,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,307 |
| 26 | Maryland | $128,332 | $91,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,236 |
| 27 | Alabama | $116,192 | $81,000 | 4,874,747 | 893 |
| 28 | Alaska | $112,888 | $83,000 | 739,795 | 215 |
| 29 | Kansas | $107,265 | $76,000 | 2,913,123 | 810 |
| 30 | Texas | $117,990 | $79,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,773 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $121,748 | $88,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,192 |
| 32 | Utah | $105,566 | $73,000 | 3,101,833 | 944 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $110,137 | $78,000 | 1,342,795 | 389 |
| 34 | Georgia | $115,587 | $81,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,976 |
| 35 | Iowa | $102,662 | $73,000 | 3,145,711 | 902 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $104,696 | $74,000 | 1,920,076 | 525 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $102,404 | $68,000 | 4,684,333 | 738 |
| 38 | Montana | $95,169 | $67,000 | 1,050,493 | 334 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $92,661 | $65,000 | 3,004,279 | 682 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $106,557 | $78,000 | 755,393 | 164 |
| 41 | Idaho | $108,888 | $75,000 | 1,716,943 | 219 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $101,565 | $69,000 | 2,088,070 | 408 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $98,438 | $69,000 | 5,024,369 | 976 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $78,550 | $56,000 | 4,454,189 | 950 |
| 45 | Vermont | $106,077 | $76,000 | 623,657 | 130 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $97,684 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 282 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $92,705 | $64,000 | 2,984,100 | 460 |
| 48 | Florida | $100,117 | $65,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,846 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $83,919 | $64,000 | 1,427,538 | 175 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $88,837 | $62,000 | 3,930,864 | 603 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $92,692 | $65,000 | 579,315 | 98 |
Highest paying states for senior business managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Business Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $162,615 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $161,904 |
| 3 | Washington | $161,185 |
| 4 | New York | $149,223 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $152,157 |
| 6 | California | $150,395 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $143,769 |
| 8 | Ohio | $126,200 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $146,077 |
| 10 | Nevada | $121,085 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $144,410 |
| 12 | Illinois | $130,557 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $124,332 |
| 14 | Michigan | $122,545 |
| 15 | Delaware | $142,215 |
| 16 | Colorado | $132,111 |
| 17 | South Dakota | $124,431 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $124,635 |
| 19 | Oregon | $132,933 |
| 20 | Maine | $129,897 |
| 21 | Virginia | $131,110 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $116,246 |
| 23 | Indiana | $111,490 |
| 24 | Missouri | $115,444 |
| 25 | Arizona | $118,077 |
| 26 | Maryland | $128,332 |
| 27 | Alabama | $116,192 |
| 28 | Alaska | $112,888 |
| 29 | Kansas | $107,265 |
| 30 | Texas | $117,990 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $121,748 |
| 32 | Utah | $105,566 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $110,137 |
| 34 | Georgia | $115,587 |
| 35 | Iowa | $102,662 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $104,696 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $102,404 |
| 38 | Montana | $95,169 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $92,661 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $106,557 |
| 41 | Idaho | $108,888 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $101,565 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $98,438 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $78,550 |
| 45 | Vermont | $106,077 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $97,684 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $92,705 |
| 48 | Florida | $100,117 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $83,919 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $88,837 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $92,692 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior business managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior business managers to find work opportunities?
Patrick Scott Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics, Louisiana Tech University
We have had success in placing our candidates from the College of Business at Louisiana Tech University in all portions of the country. Small towns, to large cities, to graduate programs, and beyond are all able to benefit from the skills learned by these majors.
Senior business manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025