What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Economic Development Director?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Economic Development Director jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Bumpass, VA (33.9% above average), followed by San Jose, CA and Nome, AK. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Bumpass, VA $165,888 $13,824 $3,190 $79.75 San Jose, CA $157,863 $13,155 $3,035 $75.90 Nome, AK $153,739 $12,811 $2,956 $73.91 Sitka, AK $149,300 $12,441 $2,871 $71.78 Sunnyvale, CA $147,445 $12,287 $2,835 $70.89 Chula Vista, CA $146,649 $12,220 $2,820 $70.50 San Francisco, CA $146,015 $12,167 $2,807 $70.20 Redmond, WA $146,008 $12,167 $2,807 $70.20 Santa Clara, CA $145,552 $12,129 $2,799 $69.98 Novato, CA $145,506 $12,125 $2,798 $69.95

Economic Development Director

Economic Development Director Salary

Q: How much does an Economic Development Director make?

The average annual pay for an economic development director in the United States is $123,934 a year — that works out to approximately $59.58 an hour. The middle 80% of Economic Development Directors earn between $74,500 (10th percentile) and $186,500 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Economic Development Director Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Economic Development Director in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Head Of Creative Director Design at $11,829 (9.5%) above Economic Development Director. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Head Of Creative Director Design $135,763 $11,313 $2,610 $65.27 Head Start Teaching $46,386 $3,865 $892 $22.30 Child Development Master Teacher $43,620 $3,635 $838 $20.97 Head Start Teacher $40,281 $3,356 $774 $19.37 Early Childhood Assistant $33,195 $2,766 $638 $15.96

$48.5K

$118K

$202K

$123,934

/year

$59.58

/hour

Economic Development Director Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$123,934

Columbus

Ohio

$119,707

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How much does an Economic Development Director make?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average annual pay for an Economic Development Director in the United States is $123,934 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $59.58 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,383/week or $10,327/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $202,000 and as low as $48,500, the majority of Economic Development Director salaries currently range between $89,500 (25th percentile) to $153,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $186,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Economic Development Director varies greatly (by as much as 64000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

An Economic Development Director in your area makes on average $119,707 per year, or $4,227 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $123,934. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Economic Development Director salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Economic Development Director jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Economic Development Director on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Economic Development Director Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Economic Development Director job is above the national average. Topping the list is Bumpass, VA, , with San Jose, CA, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $29,805 (24.0%), and Bumpass, VA, furthers that trend with another $41,954 (33.9%) above the $123,934 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Economic Development Director appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 13% between Bumpass, VA, and Novato, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Economic Development Director role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Bumpass, VA	$165,888	$13,824	$3,190	$79.75
San Jose, CA	$157,863	$13,155	$3,035	$75.90
Nome, AK	$153,739	$12,811	$2,956	$73.91
Sitka, AK	$149,300	$12,441	$2,871	$71.78
Sunnyvale, CA	$147,445	$12,287	$2,835	$70.89
Chula Vista, CA	$146,649	$12,220	$2,820	$70.50
San Francisco, CA	$146,015	$12,167	$2,807	$70.20
Redmond, WA	$146,008	$12,167	$2,807	$70.20
Santa Clara, CA	$145,552	$12,129	$2,799	$69.98
Novato, CA	$145,506	$12,125	$2,798	$69.95

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Economic Development Director Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Economic Development Director job category, we found that Head Of Creative Director Design jobs have average salaries greater than Economic Development Director jobs.

Significantly, Head Of Creative Director Design jobs pay $11,829 (9.5%) more than the average Economic Development Director salary of $123,934. If you're qualified, finding work as an Head Of Creative Director Design may help you make more money than that of the average Economic Development Director position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Head Of Creative Director Design	$135,763	$11,313	$2,610	$65.27
Head Start Teaching	$46,386	$3,865	$892	$22.30
Child Development Master Teacher	$43,620	$3,635	$838	$20.97
Head Start Teacher	$40,281	$3,356	$774	$19.37
Early Childhood Assistant	$33,195	$2,766	$638	$15.96

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Economic Development Director salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $123,934 per year or $59.58 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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