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The average Technical Director earns around $131,719 per year in the United States, with compensation varying based on factors such as industry, location, and experience. For instance, those working in technology and film production often see higher salaries. In addition, geographical factors can significantly influence earning potential; states like California and New York typically offer more lucrative opportunities.
Furthermore, specialized fields such as software development and media production tend to provide higher salaries for Technical Directors. As industries evolve, the demand for skilled professionals in these areas continues to grow, making it an excellent time for job seekers to pursue this career path.
Technical Directors also benefit from experience, as those with several years in the field often command significantly higher salaries. By staying updated with industry trends and enhancing their technical skills, professionals can position themselves for better compensation and advancement opportunities.
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The average technical director salary in New York, California, and Maine are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average technical director salary states are Missouri, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $149,264 | $71.76 |
| 2 | Nevada | $128,059 | $61.57 |
| 3 | Georgia | $130,225 | $62.61 |
| 4 | Maine | $139,829 | $67.23 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $141,319 | $67.94 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $131,617 | $63.28 |
| 7 | Texas | $122,969 | $59.12 |
| 8 | California | $146,767 | $70.56 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $119,906 | $57.65 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $123,793 | $59.52 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $126,813 | $60.97 |
| 12 | Washington | $135,970 | $65.37 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $118,152 | $56.80 |
| 14 | Delaware | $121,747 | $58.53 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $131,944 | $63.43 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $123,733 | $59.49 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $129,278 | $62.15 |
| 18 | Colorado | $117,883 | $56.67 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $124,197 | $59.71 |
| 20 | Michigan | $114,812 | $55.20 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $113,635 | $54.63 |
| 22 | Maryland | $130,234 | $62.61 |
| 23 | Illinois | $112,120 | $53.90 |
| 24 | Vermont | $117,470 | $56.48 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $108,397 | $52.11 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $99,914 | $48.04 |
| 27 | Florida | $113,760 | $54.69 |
| 28 | Virginia | $121,474 | $58.40 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $107,532 | $51.70 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $116,098 | $55.82 |
| 31 | Alabama | $100,810 | $48.47 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $107,160 | $51.52 |
| 33 | Arizona | $113,948 | $54.78 |
| 34 | Indiana | $103,576 | $49.80 |
| 35 | Alaska | $106,256 | $51.08 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $92,062 | $44.26 |
| 37 | Oregon | $107,317 | $51.59 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $88,704 | $42.65 |
| 39 | Ohio | $95,694 | $46.01 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $96,544 | $46.42 |
| 41 | Kansas | $92,649 | $44.54 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $93,970 | $45.18 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $71,909 | $34.57 |
| 44 | Iowa | $72,220 | $34.72 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $93,678 | $45.04 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $80,766 | $38.83 |
| 47 | Missouri | $89,235 | $42.90 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $106,177 | $51.05 |
| 49 | Utah | $91,136 | $43.82 |
| 50 | Idaho | $90,513 | $43.52 |
| 51 | Montana | $79,830 | $38.38 |
The highest-paying cities for technical directors are Redwood City, CA, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood City, CA | $153,038 | $73.58 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $151,545 | $72.86 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $142,683 | $68.60 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $137,953 | $66.32 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $132,743 | $63.82 |
| 6 | Greenwich, CT | $131,785 | $63.36 |
| 7 | Columbus, GA | $131,084 | $63.02 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $130,926 | $62.95 |
| 9 | Jersey City, NJ | $129,916 | $62.46 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $126,994 | $61.05 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $121,611 | $58.47 |
| 12 | Colorado Springs, CO | $119,414 | $57.41 |
| 13 | Miami, FL | $116,747 | $56.13 |
| 14 | Charlotte, NC | $116,369 | $55.95 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $114,145 | $54.88 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $112,606 | $54.14 |
| 17 | Philadelphia, PA | $109,163 | $52.48 |
| 18 | Minneapolis, MN | $107,560 | $51.71 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $106,402 | $51.15 |
| 20 | Columbus, IN | $103,607 | $49.81 |
A technical director's salary ranges from $86,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $200,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $200,000 | $16,667 | $96 |
| 75th Percentile | $164,000 | $13,667 | $79 |
| Average | $131,719 | $10,977 | $63 |
| 25th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
| 10th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
The highest paying types of technical directors are chief technology officer, corporate director, and vice president, technology.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Of Technology And Services | $126,814 | $10,568 | $60.97 | 129,174 |
| Vice President, Technology | $152,462 | $12,705 | $73.30 | 96,519 |
| Information Technology Support Manager | $104,424 | $8,702 | $50.20 | 162,131 |
| Information Technology Technical Services Manager | $114,021 | $9,502 | $54.82 | 209,334 |
| Chief Technology Officer | $172,989 | $14,416 | $83.17 | 124,289 |
| Information Technology Technical Lead | $110,879 | $9,240 | $53.31 | 156,246 |
Top companies hiring technical directors now:
Technical director salaries at Nike and Didi Chuxing are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average technical director salary at companies like Bristol-Myers Squibb and Valero Energy are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nike | $181,004 | $87.02 |
| 2 | Didi Chuxing | $169,561 | $81.52 |
| 3 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $168,895 | $81.20 |
| 4 | Valero Energy | $168,856 | $81.18 |
| 5 | Slalom | $168,779 | $81.14 |
| 6 | Bain & Company | $166,008 | $79.81 |
| 7 | Quest Diagnostics | $164,610 | $79.14 |
| 8 | Expedia Group | $164,598 | $79.13 |
| 9 | Capgemini | $164,056 | $78.87 |
| 10 | Crane Co. | $163,964 | $78.83 |
| 11 | Accenture | $162,067 | $77.92 |
| 12 | Publicis Sapient | $159,913 | $76.88 |
| 13 | Galt High School | $158,980 | $76.43 |
| 14 | $158,067 | $75.99 | |
| 15 | Mandiant | $156,913 | $75.44 |
| 16 | Safran | $156,526 | $75.25 |
| 17 | Renesas Electronics | $156,502 | $75.24 |
| 18 | Wieden+Kennedy | $156,435 | $75.21 |
| 19 | FTI Consulting | $155,406 | $74.71 |
| 20 | GFA International | $154,302 | $74.18 |
The average technical director salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $134,759 | $64.79 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $131,620 | $63.28 |
| 3 | Professional | $127,320 | $61.21 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $119,461 | $57.43 |
| 5 | Media | $113,612 | $54.62 |
| 6 | Education | $101,843 | $48.96 |
The average technical director salary has risen by $9,896 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average technical director earned $121,823 annually, but today, they earn $131,719 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for technical directors over the last decade.
Compare technical director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare technical director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $132,000 | $63.33 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $128,000 | $61.69 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $124,000 | $59.41 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | $123,000 | $59.36 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $122,000 | $58.81 | +3.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSM | D365 CE Technical Director | Minneapolis, MN | 06/30/2025 | $134,000 |
| Erm | Technical Director, Engineer (Sediment Site Investigation & Risk Assessment) | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $147,670 |
| Erm | Technical Director, Environmental Engineer-Pfas Remediation SME | Irvine, CA | 06/30/2025 | $147,670 |
| Ntrs | Technology-Strategic Remediation Validation Testing Director | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $137,400 |
| Ieee | Director Business Technology (E5937) | Piscataway, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $189,000 |
| Indivisible Project | Data and Technology Director | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| Professional Search of The Carolinas | Sitefinity Technical Director-ONE Year Contract-Remote | Mount Olive, NC | 06/29/2025 | $198,265 |
| Hasbro, Inc. | Technical Director-Application Security | Renton, WA | 06/28/2025 | $167,000 |
| Oracle | Consulting Technical Director | Dover, DE | 06/28/2025 | $120,100 |
| Oracle | Consulting Technical Director | Little Rock, AR | 06/28/2025 | $120,100 |
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