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Best states for a sound designer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for sound designers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for sound designer 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.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for sound designers. We found that Oregon is the best state in the nation for sound designers, and people in Falls earn the most in the field.
Oregon is the best state for jobs for sound designers, and Vermont is the worst. The most common pay in Oregon is $92,283, while the median pay in Vermont is $39,101.We found that the Northeast is best for sound designers, and the South is the worst. Novato, CA is the best city in the country for sound designer jobs, where as Oregon is the best state in the country.
10 best states for sound designers in 2026
1. Oregon
Total sound designer jobs: 375 Average annual salary: $92,283 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
2. Virginia
Total sound designer jobs: 635 Average annual salary: $92,073 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. Pennsylvania
Total sound designer jobs: 560 Average annual salary: $94,656 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
4. California
Total sound designer jobs: 2,482 Average annual salary: $90,134 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.55
5. North Carolina
Total sound designer jobs: 471 Average annual salary: $84,416 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
6. Arizona
Total sound designer jobs: 249 Average annual salary: $88,211 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
7. Michigan
Total sound designer jobs: 430 Average annual salary: $78,123 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
8. Ohio
Total sound designer jobs: 429 Average annual salary: $80,991 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 0.77
9. New Jersey
Total sound designer jobs: 330 Average annual salary: $85,149 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
10. Washington
Total sound designer jobs: 700 Average annual salary: $74,894 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $144,000 Location Quotient: 1.76
Sound designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a sound designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a sound designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $92,283 | $49,000 | 4,142,776 | 375 |
| 2 | Virginia | $92,073 | $51,000 | 8,470,020 | 635 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $94,656 | $53,000 | 12,805,537 | 560 |
| 4 | California | $90,134 | $49,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,482 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $84,416 | $46,000 | 10,273,419 | 471 |
| 6 | Arizona | $88,211 | $47,000 | 7,016,270 | 249 |
| 7 | Michigan | $78,123 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 430 |
| 8 | Ohio | $80,991 | $43,000 | 11,658,609 | 429 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $85,149 | $47,000 | 9,005,644 | 330 |
| 10 | Washington | $74,894 | $38,000 | 7,405,743 | 700 |
| 11 | Georgia | $72,628 | $39,000 | 10,429,379 | 672 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $82,751 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 41 |
| 13 | New York | $73,868 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,110 |
| 14 | Utah | $68,867 | $35,000 | 3,101,833 | 194 |
| 15 | Florida | $75,135 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 594 |
| 16 | Alabama | $74,452 | $39,000 | 4,874,747 | 147 |
| 17 | Indiana | $69,950 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 257 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $72,662 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 168 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $76,056 | $40,000 | 4,684,333 | 85 |
| 20 | Texas | $68,609 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,043 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $69,022 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 352 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $72,805 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 118 |
| 23 | Illinois | $68,597 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 639 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $66,809 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 297 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $69,459 | $35,000 | 3,930,864 | 109 |
| 26 | Maine | $65,705 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 59 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $68,346 | $36,000 | 2,984,100 | 55 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $65,442 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 73 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $63,196 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 194 |
| 30 | Iowa | $60,367 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 148 |
| 31 | Colorado | $58,141 | $30,000 | 5,607,154 | 315 |
| 32 | Idaho | $65,717 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 54 |
| 33 | Missouri | $58,794 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 253 |
| 34 | Alaska | $66,696 | $40,000 | 739,795 | 22 |
| 35 | Kansas | $56,235 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 120 |
| 36 | District of Columbia | $49,780 | $26,000 | 693,972 | 185 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $49,658 | $28,000 | 1,059,639 | 61 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $48,009 | $27,000 | 6,859,819 | 595 |
| 39 | Montana | $57,129 | $30,000 | 1,050,493 | 38 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $59,239 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 15 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $57,866 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 28 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $59,071 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 19 |
| 43 | Maryland | $49,983 | $27,000 | 6,052,177 | 315 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $50,213 | $28,000 | 3,588,184 | 153 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $54,576 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 75 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $55,381 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 27 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $54,849 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 79 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $45,173 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 83 |
| 49 | Nevada | $51,388 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 75 |
| 50 | Delaware | $50,432 | $27,000 | 961,939 | 43 |
| 51 | Vermont | $39,101 | $22,000 | 623,657 | 25 |
Highest paying states for sound designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Sound Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $92,283 |
| 2 | Virginia | $92,073 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $94,656 |
| 4 | California | $90,134 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $84,416 |
| 6 | Arizona | $88,211 |
| 7 | Michigan | $78,123 |
| 8 | Ohio | $80,991 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $85,149 |
| 10 | Washington | $74,894 |
| 11 | Georgia | $72,628 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $82,751 |
| 13 | New York | $73,868 |
| 14 | Utah | $68,867 |
| 15 | Florida | $75,135 |
| 16 | Alabama | $74,452 |
| 17 | Indiana | $69,950 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $72,662 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $76,056 |
| 20 | Texas | $68,609 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $69,022 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $72,805 |
| 23 | Illinois | $68,597 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $66,809 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $69,459 |
| 26 | Maine | $65,705 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $68,346 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $65,442 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $63,196 |
| 30 | Iowa | $60,367 |
| 31 | Colorado | $58,141 |
| 32 | Idaho | $65,717 |
| 33 | Missouri | $58,794 |
| 34 | Alaska | $66,696 |
| 35 | Kansas | $56,235 |
| 36 | District of Columbia | $49,780 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $49,658 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $48,009 |
| 39 | Montana | $57,129 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $59,239 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $57,866 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $59,071 |
| 43 | Maryland | $49,983 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $50,213 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $54,576 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $55,381 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $54,849 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $45,173 |
| 49 | Nevada | $51,388 |
| 50 | Delaware | $50,432 |
| 51 | Vermont | $39,101 |
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Updated January 8, 2025