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Best states for a senior manager
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to senior manager 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. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of senior managers in America is $163,000.
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 senior managers.We found that the Midwest is best for senior managers, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for senior manager jobs, where as New York is the best state in the country.
10 best states for senior managers in 2026
1. New York
Total senior manager jobs: 5,374 Average annual salary: $132,854 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
2. New Jersey
Total senior manager jobs: 2,884 Average annual salary: $134,746 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 1
3. California
Total senior manager jobs: 16,319 Average annual salary: $133,035 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
4. Washington
Total senior manager jobs: 5,246 Average annual salary: $124,125 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
5. Massachusetts
Total senior manager jobs: 3,818 Average annual salary: $124,738 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
6. District of Columbia
Total senior manager jobs: 1,154 Average annual salary: $133,051 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.89
7. Virginia
Total senior manager jobs: 3,975 Average annual salary: $121,190 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
8. Rhode Island
Total senior manager jobs: 453 Average annual salary: $119,185 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
9. Connecticut
Total senior manager jobs: 1,385 Average annual salary: $121,186 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
10. Delaware
Total senior manager jobs: 463 Average annual salary: $121,345 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
Senior manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $132,854 | $95,000 | 19,849,399 | 5,374 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $134,746 | $96,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,884 |
| 3 | California | $133,035 | $94,000 | 39,536,653 | 16,319 |
| 4 | Washington | $124,125 | $86,000 | 7,405,743 | 5,246 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $124,738 | $88,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,818 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $133,051 | $96,000 | 693,972 | 1,154 |
| 7 | Virginia | $121,190 | $88,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,975 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $119,185 | $85,000 | 1,059,639 | 453 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $121,186 | $86,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,385 |
| 10 | Delaware | $121,345 | $87,000 | 961,939 | 463 |
| 11 | Colorado | $112,559 | $82,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,237 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $110,256 | $79,000 | 12,805,537 | 3,627 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $109,105 | $80,000 | 10,273,419 | 3,282 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $110,554 | $79,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,480 |
| 15 | Texas | $105,698 | $76,000 | 28,304,596 | 7,206 |
| 16 | Maryland | $113,580 | $82,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,185 |
| 17 | Illinois | $105,301 | $76,000 | 12,802,023 | 4,415 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $108,271 | $79,000 | 869,666 | 190 |
| 19 | Nevada | $103,774 | $73,000 | 2,998,039 | 659 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $104,312 | $74,000 | 1,342,795 | 535 |
| 21 | Ohio | $103,095 | $74,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,806 |
| 22 | Arizona | $100,159 | $72,000 | 7,016,270 | 2,204 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $104,181 | $75,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,972 |
| 24 | Oregon | $99,347 | $68,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,794 |
| 25 | Alabama | $100,894 | $74,000 | 4,874,747 | 1,142 |
| 26 | Georgia | $97,633 | $72,000 | 10,429,379 | 3,875 |
| 27 | Michigan | $100,404 | $72,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,962 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $104,051 | $75,000 | 4,684,333 | 694 |
| 29 | Alaska | $105,585 | $71,000 | 739,795 | 211 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $95,558 | $70,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,713 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $101,031 | $73,000 | 2,088,070 | 440 |
| 32 | Florida | $92,509 | $65,000 | 20,984,400 | 5,296 |
| 33 | Indiana | $94,933 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,635 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $95,084 | $70,000 | 5,024,369 | 1,135 |
| 35 | Utah | $84,288 | $60,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,303 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $87,809 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 257 |
| 37 | Maine | $96,577 | $68,000 | 1,335,907 | 275 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $85,895 | $62,000 | 579,315 | 153 |
| 39 | Missouri | $87,889 | $64,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,467 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $82,777 | $65,000 | 1,427,538 | 265 |
| 41 | Montana | $85,064 | $61,000 | 1,050,493 | 325 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $88,116 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 471 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $86,945 | $64,000 | 3,930,864 | 663 |
| 44 | Vermont | $81,666 | $58,000 | 623,657 | 254 |
| 45 | Iowa | $86,104 | $62,000 | 3,145,711 | 813 |
| 46 | Kansas | $84,301 | $62,000 | 2,913,123 | 765 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $84,139 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 369 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $78,137 | $57,000 | 3,004,279 | 840 |
| 49 | Idaho | $79,405 | $56,000 | 1,716,943 | 466 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $80,998 | $59,000 | 4,454,189 | 916 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $75,178 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 471 |
Highest paying states for senior managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $132,854 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $134,746 |
| 3 | California | $133,035 |
| 4 | Washington | $124,125 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $124,738 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $133,051 |
| 7 | Virginia | $121,190 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $119,185 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $121,186 |
| 10 | Delaware | $121,345 |
| 11 | Colorado | $112,559 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $110,256 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $109,105 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $110,554 |
| 15 | Texas | $105,698 |
| 16 | Maryland | $113,580 |
| 17 | Illinois | $105,301 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $108,271 |
| 19 | Nevada | $103,774 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $104,312 |
| 21 | Ohio | $103,095 |
| 22 | Arizona | $100,159 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $104,181 |
| 24 | Oregon | $99,347 |
| 25 | Alabama | $100,894 |
| 26 | Georgia | $97,633 |
| 27 | Michigan | $100,404 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $104,051 |
| 29 | Alaska | $105,585 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $95,558 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $101,031 |
| 32 | Florida | $92,509 |
| 33 | Indiana | $94,933 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $95,084 |
| 35 | Utah | $84,288 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $87,809 |
| 37 | Maine | $96,577 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $85,895 |
| 39 | Missouri | $87,889 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $82,777 |
| 41 | Montana | $85,064 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $88,116 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $86,945 |
| 44 | Vermont | $81,666 |
| 45 | Iowa | $86,104 |
| 46 | Kansas | $84,301 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $84,139 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $78,137 |
| 49 | Idaho | $79,405 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $80,998 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $75,178 |
Senior manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025