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Best states for a talent manager
Quoted expert
Julie Stich
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Do you want to become a talent manager at KPMG, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for talent managers that you can check out, before you begin your journey. As talent managers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for talent managers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a talent manager, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
Massachusetts is the best state for jobs for talent managers, and Idaho is the worst. The most common pay in Massachusetts is $128,706, while the median pay in Idaho is $77,846.If you are currently seeking employment as a talent manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for talent managers in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total talent manager jobs: 514 Average annual salary: $128,706 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
2. New Jersey
Total talent manager jobs: 439 Average annual salary: $119,878 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
3. Illinois
Total talent manager jobs: 777 Average annual salary: $112,567 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
4. Pennsylvania
Total talent manager jobs: 545 Average annual salary: $127,282 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
5. California
Total talent manager jobs: 1,937 Average annual salary: $119,299 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
6. New York
Total talent manager jobs: 822 Average annual salary: $114,881 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
7. Arizona
Total talent manager jobs: 311 Average annual salary: $111,460 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
8. Delaware
Total talent manager jobs: 63 Average annual salary: $113,809 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
9. Connecticut
Total talent manager jobs: 199 Average annual salary: $109,765 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
10. Texas
Total talent manager jobs: 992 Average annual salary: $109,885 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Talent manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a talent manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a talent manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $128,706 | $79,000 | 6,859,819 | 514 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $119,878 | $73,000 | 9,005,644 | 439 |
| 3 | Illinois | $112,567 | $68,000 | 12,802,023 | 777 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $127,282 | $78,000 | 12,805,537 | 545 |
| 5 | California | $119,299 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,937 |
| 6 | New York | $114,881 | $69,000 | 19,849,399 | 822 |
| 7 | Arizona | $111,460 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 311 |
| 8 | Delaware | $113,809 | $69,000 | 961,939 | 63 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $109,765 | $66,000 | 3,588,184 | 199 |
| 10 | Texas | $109,885 | $67,000 | 28,304,596 | 992 |
| 11 | Maine | $124,099 | $74,000 | 1,335,907 | 43 |
| 12 | Washington | $108,145 | $65,000 | 7,405,743 | 451 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $116,746 | $70,000 | 1,059,639 | 47 |
| 14 | Maryland | $111,541 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 369 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $106,783 | $64,000 | 5,576,606 | 288 |
| 16 | Virginia | $107,479 | $64,000 | 8,470,020 | 463 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $106,967 | $64,000 | 693,972 | 142 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $102,156 | $61,000 | 10,273,419 | 434 |
| 19 | Nevada | $97,955 | $58,000 | 2,998,039 | 100 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $101,785 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 53 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $101,999 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 61 |
| 22 | Indiana | $92,004 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 309 |
| 23 | Iowa | $93,913 | $56,000 | 3,145,711 | 136 |
| 24 | Michigan | $89,254 | $52,000 | 9,962,311 | 369 |
| 25 | Ohio | $89,256 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 463 |
| 26 | Alabama | $94,256 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 140 |
| 27 | Georgia | $86,343 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 597 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $85,296 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 142 |
| 29 | Vermont | $95,624 | $55,000 | 623,657 | 26 |
| 30 | Utah | $88,697 | $52,000 | 3,101,833 | 143 |
| 31 | Florida | $88,374 | $53,000 | 20,984,400 | 767 |
| 32 | Oregon | $89,019 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 217 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $86,423 | $52,000 | 6,715,984 | 230 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $93,081 | $55,000 | 2,088,070 | 45 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $87,469 | $52,000 | 2,984,100 | 57 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $84,517 | $49,000 | 5,795,483 | 227 |
| 37 | Montana | $85,909 | $51,000 | 1,050,493 | 46 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $85,071 | $50,000 | 755,393 | 35 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $83,764 | $50,000 | 4,454,189 | 149 |
| 40 | Kansas | $82,343 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 122 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $84,553 | $51,000 | 579,315 | 15 |
| 42 | Alaska | $68,601 | $42,000 | 739,795 | 51 |
| 43 | Missouri | $74,425 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 314 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $83,445 | $50,000 | 3,930,864 | 75 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $60,471 | $43,000 | 1,427,538 | 44 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $81,419 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 107 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $79,852 | $47,000 | 869,666 | 31 |
| 48 | Colorado | $72,766 | $44,000 | 5,607,154 | 264 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $79,715 | $48,000 | 5,024,369 | 150 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $77,181 | $46,000 | 1,920,076 | 78 |
| 51 | Idaho | $77,846 | $46,000 | 1,716,943 | 52 |
Highest paying states for talent managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Talent Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $128,706 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $119,878 |
| 3 | Illinois | $112,567 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $127,282 |
| 5 | California | $119,299 |
| 6 | New York | $114,881 |
| 7 | Arizona | $111,460 |
| 8 | Delaware | $113,809 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $109,765 |
| 10 | Texas | $109,885 |
| 11 | Maine | $124,099 |
| 12 | Washington | $108,145 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $116,746 |
| 14 | Maryland | $111,541 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $106,783 |
| 16 | Virginia | $107,479 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $106,967 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $102,156 |
| 19 | Nevada | $97,955 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $101,785 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $101,999 |
| 22 | Indiana | $92,004 |
| 23 | Iowa | $93,913 |
| 24 | Michigan | $89,254 |
| 25 | Ohio | $89,256 |
| 26 | Alabama | $94,256 |
| 27 | Georgia | $86,343 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $85,296 |
| 29 | Vermont | $95,624 |
| 30 | Utah | $88,697 |
| 31 | Florida | $88,374 |
| 32 | Oregon | $89,019 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $86,423 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $93,081 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $87,469 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $84,517 |
| 37 | Montana | $85,909 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $85,071 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $83,764 |
| 40 | Kansas | $82,343 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $84,553 |
| 42 | Alaska | $68,601 |
| 43 | Missouri | $74,425 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $83,445 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $60,471 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $81,419 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $79,852 |
| 48 | Colorado | $72,766 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $79,715 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $77,181 |
| 51 | Idaho | $77,846 |
Expert opinions on the best states for talent managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for talent managers to find work opportunities?
Julie Stich
Vice President, Content for the International Foundation of Employee Benefit plans, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Jobs in benefits are not specific to any geographical area, and it is a job that, especially during this pandemic, can be done remotely. It should be noted that larger companies will be more likely to have in-house benefit departments. Smaller organizations may outsource this function and will; therefore, be more dependent on consulting firms, which tend to be in larger metro areas throughout the U.S.
Talent manager best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025