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Best states for a studio director
Quoted expert
Brian Pirman
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and arts, entertainment, sports, and media careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to studio director jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for studio directors.Although there are abundant studio director jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Iowa is the best state in the country for studio director jobs.
Iowa is the best state for jobs for studio directors, and Hawaii is the worst. The most common pay in Iowa is $125,894, while the median pay in Hawaii is $81,517.Iowa is the best state, and Anchorage is the city with the highest pay for studio directors.
10 best states for studio directors in 2025
1. Iowa
Total studio director jobs: 521 Average annual salary: $125,894 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $226,000 Location Quotient: 5.98
2. Oregon
Total studio director jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $127,912 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $234,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
3. Illinois
Total studio director jobs: 226 Average annual salary: $129,871 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $229,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
4. Washington
Total studio director jobs: 121 Average annual salary: $124,123 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $231,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
5. Alaska
Total studio director jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $145,405 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $247,000 Location Quotient: 0.2
6. California
Total studio director jobs: 755 Average annual salary: $115,200 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
7. Utah
Total studio director jobs: 31 Average annual salary: $113,009 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $217,000 Location Quotient: 0.4
8. Kansas
Total studio director jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $121,566 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $223,000 Location Quotient: 0.26
9. New York
Total studio director jobs: 534 Average annual salary: $108,306 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
10. Minnesota
Total studio director jobs: 76 Average annual salary: $110,047 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $206,000 Location Quotient: 0.48
Studio director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a studio director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a studio director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $125,894 | $69,000 | 3,145,711 | 521 |
| 2 | Oregon | $127,912 | $69,000 | 4,142,776 | 85 |
| 3 | Illinois | $129,871 | $73,000 | 12,802,023 | 226 |
| 4 | Washington | $124,123 | $66,000 | 7,405,743 | 121 |
| 5 | Alaska | $145,405 | $85,000 | 739,795 | 4 |
| 6 | California | $115,200 | $60,000 | 39,536,653 | 755 |
| 7 | Utah | $113,009 | $58,000 | 3,101,833 | 31 |
| 8 | Kansas | $121,566 | $66,000 | 2,913,123 | 19 |
| 9 | New York | $108,306 | $58,000 | 19,849,399 | 534 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $110,047 | $58,000 | 5,576,606 | 76 |
| 11 | Mississippi | $100,039 | $50,000 | 2,984,100 | 302 |
| 12 | Idaho | $118,373 | $62,000 | 1,716,943 | 8 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $105,031 | $56,000 | 6,859,819 | 190 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $112,345 | $60,000 | 755,393 | 5 |
| 15 | Vermont | $102,960 | $54,000 | 623,657 | 15 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $96,209 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 492 |
| 17 | Montana | $106,011 | $53,000 | 1,050,493 | 11 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $105,856 | $57,000 | 9,005,644 | 148 |
| 19 | Michigan | $106,709 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 65 |
| 20 | Alabama | $94,717 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 506 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $100,393 | $51,000 | 10,273,419 | 121 |
| 22 | Nevada | $102,402 | $51,000 | 2,998,039 | 18 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $107,000 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 2 |
| 24 | Maine | $106,541 | $56,000 | 1,335,907 | 4 |
| 25 | Georgia | $94,848 | $47,000 | 10,429,379 | 164 |
| 26 | Ohio | $92,054 | $46,000 | 11,658,609 | 107 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $97,813 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 4 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $94,479 | $49,000 | 693,972 | 60 |
| 29 | Virginia | $94,402 | $48,000 | 8,470,020 | 127 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $93,043 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 51 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $88,251 | $44,000 | 5,795,483 | 79 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $81,631 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 493 |
| 33 | Missouri | $88,639 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 61 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $81,145 | $38,000 | 3,930,864 | 446 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $88,908 | $43,000 | 5,024,369 | 35 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $86,658 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 43 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $87,075 | $44,000 | 1,059,639 | 15 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $91,247 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 12 |
| 39 | Florida | $87,597 | $42,000 | 20,984,400 | 157 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $87,440 | $42,000 | 2,088,070 | 9 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $84,401 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 19 |
| 42 | Colorado | $81,645 | $38,000 | 5,607,154 | 87 |
| 43 | Texas | $80,395 | $38,000 | 28,304,596 | 276 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $79,819 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 155 |
| 45 | Indiana | $82,840 | $40,000 | 6,666,818 | 46 |
| 46 | Delaware | $88,179 | $45,000 | 961,939 | 5 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $83,324 | $41,000 | 1,815,857 | 3 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $79,681 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 29 |
| 49 | Arizona | $79,241 | $37,000 | 7,016,270 | 61 |
| 50 | Maryland | $78,056 | $38,000 | 6,052,177 | 54 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $81,517 | $38,000 | 1,427,538 | 3 |
Highest paying states for studio directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Studio Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $125,894 |
| 2 | Oregon | $127,912 |
| 3 | Illinois | $129,871 |
| 4 | Washington | $124,123 |
| 5 | Alaska | $145,405 |
| 6 | California | $115,200 |
| 7 | Utah | $113,009 |
| 8 | Kansas | $121,566 |
| 9 | New York | $108,306 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $110,047 |
| 11 | Mississippi | $100,039 |
| 12 | Idaho | $118,373 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $105,031 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $112,345 |
| 15 | Vermont | $102,960 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $96,209 |
| 17 | Montana | $106,011 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $105,856 |
| 19 | Michigan | $106,709 |
| 20 | Alabama | $94,717 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $100,393 |
| 22 | Nevada | $102,402 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $107,000 |
| 24 | Maine | $106,541 |
| 25 | Georgia | $94,848 |
| 26 | Ohio | $92,054 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $97,813 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $94,479 |
| 29 | Virginia | $94,402 |
| 30 | Connecticut | $93,043 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $88,251 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $81,631 |
| 33 | Missouri | $88,639 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $81,145 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $88,908 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $86,658 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $87,075 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $91,247 |
| 39 | Florida | $87,597 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $87,440 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $84,401 |
| 42 | Colorado | $81,645 |
| 43 | Texas | $80,395 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $79,819 |
| 45 | Indiana | $82,840 |
| 46 | Delaware | $88,179 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $83,324 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $79,681 |
| 49 | Arizona | $79,241 |
| 50 | Maryland | $78,056 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $81,517 |
Expert opinions on the best states for studio directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for studio directors to find work opportunities?
Brian Pirman
Associate Professor, St. Norbert College
Traditionally, the best job markets have been larger metropolitan areas. That's mainly because there are more agencies and design firms in larger cities than there are in smaller cities. With that said, because of the internet and online communication, this is starting to change where one can pretty much do work for anybody, anywhere. Therefore, the opportunities are pretty much all-over, geographically speaking.
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Updated January 8, 2025