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Best states for a state director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and executive management careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to state director jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for state directors.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of state directors in America is $167,000.
New Jersey is the best state for jobs for state directors, and Maine is the worst. The most common pay in New Jersey is $151,699, while the median pay in Maine is $64,988.We found that New Jersey is the best state for state director jobs, whereas Maine is the worst.
10 best states for state directors in 2025
1. New Jersey
Total state director jobs: 1,060 Average annual salary: $151,699 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $229,000 Location Quotient: 2.2
2. New York
Total state director jobs: 1,292 Average annual salary: $146,769 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
3. District of Columbia
Total state director jobs: 251 Average annual salary: $125,153 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $197,000 Location Quotient: 2.47
4. California
Total state director jobs: 1,937 Average annual salary: $126,331 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
5. Washington
Total state director jobs: 379 Average annual salary: $126,147 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
6. Connecticut
Total state director jobs: 214 Average annual salary: $114,863 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
7. Delaware
Total state director jobs: 83 Average annual salary: $106,471 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
8. Massachusetts
Total state director jobs: 885 Average annual salary: $106,516 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
9. Nevada
Total state director jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $122,868 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
10. Maryland
Total state director jobs: 258 Average annual salary: $124,617 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.67
State director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a state director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a state director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $151,699 | $100,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,060 |
| 2 | New York | $146,769 | $96,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,292 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $125,153 | $79,000 | 693,972 | 251 |
| 4 | California | $126,331 | $77,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,937 |
| 5 | Washington | $126,147 | $77,000 | 7,405,743 | 379 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $114,863 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 214 |
| 7 | Delaware | $106,471 | $66,000 | 961,939 | 83 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $106,516 | $66,000 | 6,859,819 | 885 |
| 9 | Nevada | $122,868 | $75,000 | 2,998,039 | 88 |
| 10 | Maryland | $124,617 | $79,000 | 6,052,177 | 258 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $100,704 | $62,000 | 1,059,639 | 70 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $92,077 | $53,000 | 4,684,333 | 495 |
| 13 | Virginia | $104,247 | $64,000 | 8,470,020 | 461 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $89,586 | $55,000 | 12,805,537 | 651 |
| 15 | Oregon | $93,002 | $54,000 | 4,142,776 | 232 |
| 16 | Arizona | $94,504 | $56,000 | 7,016,270 | 261 |
| 17 | Missouri | $95,315 | $57,000 | 6,113,532 | 230 |
| 18 | Alabama | $84,921 | $50,000 | 4,874,747 | 511 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $111,654 | $72,000 | 1,427,538 | 31 |
| 20 | Texas | $91,945 | $54,000 | 28,304,596 | 920 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $100,122 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 47 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $86,924 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 449 |
| 23 | Colorado | $92,537 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 240 |
| 24 | Georgia | $85,993 | $51,000 | 10,429,379 | 498 |
| 25 | Michigan | $89,191 | $54,000 | 9,962,311 | 207 |
| 26 | Illinois | $82,865 | $50,000 | 12,802,023 | 750 |
| 27 | Florida | $87,649 | $51,000 | 20,984,400 | 654 |
| 28 | Vermont | $80,785 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 50 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $87,223 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 39 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $74,044 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 496 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $86,974 | $54,000 | 1,342,795 | 61 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $82,545 | $50,000 | 1,920,076 | 85 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $78,800 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 231 |
| 34 | Ohio | $80,398 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 343 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $72,764 | $43,000 | 3,930,864 | 452 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $74,211 | $44,000 | 579,315 | 30 |
| 37 | Iowa | $71,301 | $43,000 | 3,145,711 | 527 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $79,729 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 149 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $77,743 | $47,000 | 5,576,606 | 296 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $71,968 | $43,000 | 4,454,189 | 194 |
| 41 | Utah | $76,354 | $45,000 | 3,101,833 | 123 |
| 42 | Alaska | $78,534 | $48,000 | 739,795 | 33 |
| 43 | Kansas | $75,096 | $45,000 | 2,913,123 | 97 |
| 44 | Montana | $70,440 | $43,000 | 1,050,493 | 64 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $56,013 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 304 |
| 46 | Indiana | $73,727 | $45,000 | 6,666,818 | 197 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $72,553 | $44,000 | 755,393 | 33 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $69,692 | $41,000 | 6,715,984 | 201 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $70,834 | $43,000 | 869,666 | 34 |
| 50 | Idaho | $69,267 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 58 |
| 51 | Maine | $64,988 | $40,000 | 1,335,907 | 52 |
Highest paying states for state directors
| Rank | State | Avg. State Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $151,699 |
| 2 | New York | $146,769 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $125,153 |
| 4 | California | $126,331 |
| 5 | Washington | $126,147 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $114,863 |
| 7 | Delaware | $106,471 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $106,516 |
| 9 | Nevada | $122,868 |
| 10 | Maryland | $124,617 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $100,704 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $92,077 |
| 13 | Virginia | $104,247 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $89,586 |
| 15 | Oregon | $93,002 |
| 16 | Arizona | $94,504 |
| 17 | Missouri | $95,315 |
| 18 | Alabama | $84,921 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $111,654 |
| 20 | Texas | $91,945 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $100,122 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $86,924 |
| 23 | Colorado | $92,537 |
| 24 | Georgia | $85,993 |
| 25 | Michigan | $89,191 |
| 26 | Illinois | $82,865 |
| 27 | Florida | $87,649 |
| 28 | Vermont | $80,785 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $87,223 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $74,044 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $86,974 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $82,545 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $78,800 |
| 34 | Ohio | $80,398 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $72,764 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $74,211 |
| 37 | Iowa | $71,301 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $79,729 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $77,743 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $71,968 |
| 41 | Utah | $76,354 |
| 42 | Alaska | $78,534 |
| 43 | Kansas | $75,096 |
| 44 | Montana | $70,440 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $56,013 |
| 46 | Indiana | $73,727 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $72,553 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $69,692 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $70,834 |
| 50 | Idaho | $69,267 |
| 51 | Maine | $64,988 |
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Updated January 8, 2025