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Best states for a university relations director
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like university relations directors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for university relations directors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for university relations director jobs.
We figured that the best places for university relations director jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.North Dakota is the best state, and Carson City is the city with the highest pay for university relations directors.
10 best states for university relations directors in 2025
1. North Dakota
Total university relations director jobs: 188 Average annual salary: $104,691 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 4.36
2. South Dakota
Total university relations director jobs: 188 Average annual salary: $102,965 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 3.79
3. Oregon
Total university relations director jobs: 230 Average annual salary: $110,009 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
4. California
Total university relations director jobs: 1,894 Average annual salary: $116,994 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $187,000 Location Quotient: 1.4
5. Nevada
Total university relations director jobs: 59 Average annual salary: $121,774 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 0.61
6. Connecticut
Total university relations director jobs: 137 Average annual salary: $109,050 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
7. Delaware
Total university relations director jobs: 43 Average annual salary: $110,059 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 0.74
8. New York
Total university relations director jobs: 818 Average annual salary: $106,664 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
9. Illinois
Total university relations director jobs: 508 Average annual salary: $102,612 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
10. New Mexico
Total university relations director jobs: 38 Average annual salary: $115,005 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 0.42
University relations director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a university relations director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a university relations director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $104,691 | $71,000 | 755,393 | 188 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $102,965 | $67,000 | 869,666 | 188 |
| 3 | Oregon | $110,009 | $73,000 | 4,142,776 | 230 |
| 4 | California | $116,994 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,894 |
| 5 | Nevada | $121,774 | $76,000 | 2,998,039 | 59 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $109,050 | $70,000 | 3,588,184 | 137 |
| 7 | Delaware | $110,059 | $70,000 | 961,939 | 43 |
| 8 | New York | $106,664 | $68,000 | 19,849,399 | 818 |
| 9 | Illinois | $102,612 | $65,000 | 12,802,023 | 508 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $115,005 | $70,000 | 2,088,070 | 38 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $105,501 | $67,000 | 9,005,644 | 300 |
| 12 | Utah | $99,474 | $62,000 | 3,101,833 | 114 |
| 13 | Georgia | $98,572 | $58,000 | 10,429,379 | 338 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $99,689 | $60,000 | 3,004,279 | 58 |
| 15 | Alaska | $105,798 | $80,000 | 739,795 | 23 |
| 16 | Vermont | $98,249 | $63,000 | 623,657 | 25 |
| 17 | Washington | $98,254 | $66,000 | 7,405,743 | 321 |
| 18 | Kansas | $100,912 | $62,000 | 2,913,123 | 40 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $93,969 | $57,000 | 10,273,419 | 309 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $89,533 | $52,000 | 4,684,333 | 491 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $97,522 | $61,000 | 693,972 | 268 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $92,384 | $58,000 | 12,805,537 | 342 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $94,233 | $60,000 | 6,859,819 | 418 |
| 24 | Idaho | $97,461 | $63,000 | 1,716,943 | 28 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $90,571 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 46 |
| 26 | Colorado | $93,620 | $57,000 | 5,607,154 | 237 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $85,708 | $50,000 | 3,930,864 | 443 |
| 28 | Virginia | $93,191 | $58,000 | 8,470,020 | 348 |
| 29 | Arizona | $89,737 | $53,000 | 7,016,270 | 214 |
| 30 | Montana | $92,184 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 28 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $80,917 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 272 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $88,946 | $57,000 | 5,795,483 | 154 |
| 33 | Indiana | $89,764 | $56,000 | 6,666,818 | 116 |
| 34 | Michigan | $87,363 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 183 |
| 35 | Alabama | $78,673 | $46,000 | 4,874,747 | 551 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $83,805 | $50,000 | 6,715,984 | 121 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $86,504 | $54,000 | 579,315 | 10 |
| 38 | Maryland | $84,990 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 190 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $74,600 | $44,000 | 5,024,369 | 763 |
| 40 | Texas | $78,671 | $45,000 | 28,304,596 | 753 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $74,561 | $43,000 | 2,984,100 | 282 |
| 42 | Iowa | $83,091 | $53,000 | 3,145,711 | 76 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $84,308 | $53,000 | 1,920,076 | 45 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $72,666 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 145 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $81,661 | $50,000 | 4,454,189 | 70 |
| 46 | Ohio | $78,884 | $49,000 | 11,658,609 | 220 |
| 47 | Maine | $76,790 | $49,000 | 1,335,907 | 38 |
| 48 | Missouri | $79,639 | $49,000 | 6,113,532 | 127 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $80,656 | $52,000 | 1,342,795 | 33 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $77,035 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 178 |
| 51 | Florida | $70,144 | $40,000 | 20,984,400 | 422 |
Highest paying states for university relations directors
| Rank | State | Avg. University Relations Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $104,691 |
| 2 | South Dakota | $102,965 |
| 3 | Oregon | $110,009 |
| 4 | California | $116,994 |
| 5 | Nevada | $121,774 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $109,050 |
| 7 | Delaware | $110,059 |
| 8 | New York | $106,664 |
| 9 | Illinois | $102,612 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $115,005 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $105,501 |
| 12 | Utah | $99,474 |
| 13 | Georgia | $98,572 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $99,689 |
| 15 | Alaska | $105,798 |
| 16 | Vermont | $98,249 |
| 17 | Washington | $98,254 |
| 18 | Kansas | $100,912 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $93,969 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $89,533 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $97,522 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $92,384 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $94,233 |
| 24 | Idaho | $97,461 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $90,571 |
| 26 | Colorado | $93,620 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $85,708 |
| 28 | Virginia | $93,191 |
| 29 | Arizona | $89,737 |
| 30 | Montana | $92,184 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $80,917 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $88,946 |
| 33 | Indiana | $89,764 |
| 34 | Michigan | $87,363 |
| 35 | Alabama | $78,673 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $83,805 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $86,504 |
| 38 | Maryland | $84,990 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $74,600 |
| 40 | Texas | $78,671 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $74,561 |
| 42 | Iowa | $83,091 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $84,308 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $72,666 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $81,661 |
| 46 | Ohio | $78,884 |
| 47 | Maine | $76,790 |
| 48 | Missouri | $79,639 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $80,656 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $77,035 |
| 51 | Florida | $70,144 |
University relations director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025