NextChapter

Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Northeast

Cambridge leads the Northeast for director and executive jobs: 53% of its professional openings are director level or above, against 27% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Cambridge, MA: 53%
  • #2 Watertown, MA: 51%
  • #3 Hoboken, NJ: 48%
  • 70 cities ranked in the Northeast
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 27% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Cambridge MA53%
  2. 2Watertown MA51%
  3. 3Hoboken NJ48%
  4. 4Princeton NJ44%
  5. 5United PA37%
  6. 6Morristown NJ37%
  7. 7Ithaca NY37%
  8. 8Florham Park NJ36%
  9. 9Bridgewater NJ36%
  10. 10Greenwich CT35%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Cambridge leads on 53%, and #10 Greenwich is at 35%.
  • Cambridge is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,204 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Director, VP and executive openings are rare and cluster in headquarters cities. Their share of local openings shows where leadership hiring happens.

How to use it

Senior searches depend on a small number of employers. Follow the employers listed under each city and watch their openings page.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Cambridge MA

    53%

    Director and above
    638
    All openings
    1,204
    Median posted pay
    $198k

    Hiring most here: Harvard University, Biogen, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

    Based on 1,204 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cambridge

  2. 2

    Watertown MA

    51%

    Director and above
    74
    All openings
    146
    Median posted pay
    $205k

    Hiring most here: Tutor Intelligence, Kymera Therapeutics, Treeline Biosciences

    Based on 146 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Watertown

  3. 3

    Hoboken NJ

    48%

    Director and above
    59
    All openings
    122
    Median posted pay
    $162k

    Hiring most here: Walmart, Stevens Institute of Technology, Unilever

    Based on 122 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Hoboken

  4. 4

    Princeton NJ

    44%

    Director and above
    192
    All openings
    439
    Median posted pay
    $191k

    Hiring most here: Genmab A/S, Otsuka, ZS Associates

    Based on 439 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Princeton

  5. 5

    United PA

    37%

    Director and above
    87
    All openings
    234
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Based on 234 openings.

  6. 6

    Morristown NJ

    37%

    Director and above
    92
    All openings
    248
    Median posted pay
    $153k

    Hiring most here: Atlantic Health System, Sanofi-aventis Patient Assistance Foundation, Atlantic Health

    Based on 248 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Morristown

  7. 7

    Ithaca NY

    37%

    Director and above
    40
    All openings
    108
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Hiring most here: Ithaca College, Cornell University, Tompkins Bank & Trust

    Based on 108 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ithaca

  8. 8

    Florham Park NJ

    36%

    Director and above
    51
    All openings
    140
    Median posted pay
    $140k

    Hiring most here: CACI International, AbbVie, Shionogi

    Based on 140 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Florham Park

  9. 9

    Bridgewater NJ

    36%

    Director and above
    61
    All openings
    170
    Median posted pay
    $197k

    Hiring most here: Legend Biotech, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Capgemini Invent

    Based on 170 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bridgewater

  10. 10

    Greenwich CT

    35%

    Director and above
    49
    All openings
    142
    Median posted pay
    $155k

    Hiring most here: iCapital, AQR Capital

    Based on 142 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Greenwich

  11. 11

    Boston MA

    34%

    Director and above
    1,809
    All openings
    5,338
    Median posted pay
    $170k

    Hiring most here: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Confidential, Takeda Development Center Americas

    Based on 5,338 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boston

  12. 12

    Somerville MA

    34%

    Director and above
    119
    All openings
    354
    Median posted pay
    $164k

    Hiring most here: Formlabs, Tulip Interfaces, Generate Biomedicines

    Based on 354 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Somerville

  13. 13

    Iselin NJ

    33%

    Director and above
    51
    All openings
    154
    Median posted pay
    $165k

    Hiring most here: Hackensack Meridian Health, HAN Staffing, CLS Group

    Based on 154 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Iselin

  14. 14

    Newton MA

    32%

    Director and above
    36
    All openings
    111
    Median posted pay
    $151k

    Hiring most here: Panera Brands, Siemens Healthineers, The RMR Group

    Based on 111 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newton

  15. 15

    Waltham MA

    32%

    Director and above
    204
    All openings
    634
    Median posted pay
    $193k

    Hiring most here: Boston Dynamics, Anduril Industries, Xometry

    Based on 634 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Waltham

  16. 16

    Radnor PA

    32%

    Director and above
    41
    All openings
    128
    Median posted pay
    $134k

    Hiring most here: Lincoln National, Cytokinetics, Airgas

    Based on 128 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Radnor

  17. 17

    Stamford CT

    30%

    Director and above
    100
    All openings
    336
    Median posted pay
    $145k

    Hiring most here: Philip Morris International, Gartner, Charter Communications

    Based on 336 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Stamford

  18. 18

    Secaucus NJ

    30%

    Director and above
    36
    All openings
    121
    Median posted pay
    $127k

    Hiring most here: Quest Diagnostics, Advanced Micro Devices, ZT Systems

    Based on 121 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Secaucus

  19. 19

    Bronx NY

    29%

    Director and above
    56
    All openings
    190
    Median posted pay
    $150k

    Hiring most here: Bronxworks, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Argus Community

    Based on 190 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Bronx

  20. 20

    Trenton NJ

    29%

    Director and above
    34
    All openings
    118
    Median posted pay
    $150k

    Hiring most here: Amtex Enterprises

    Based on 118 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Trenton

  21. 21

    Jersey City NJ

    29%

    Director and above
    195
    All openings
    679
    Median posted pay
    $162k

    Hiring most here: DTCC, JPMorgan Chase, Verisk Analytics

    Based on 679 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jersey City

  22. 22

    Philadelphia PA

    29%

    Director and above
    559
    All openings
    1,960
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Hiring most here: Confidential, GSK, Comcast

    Based on 1,960 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Philadelphia

  23. 23

    New York NY

    28%

    Director and above
    6,272
    All openings
    22,145
    Median posted pay
    $169k

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 22,145 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  24. 24

    Brooklyn NY

    28%

    Director and above
    196
    All openings
    693
    Median posted pay
    $142k

    Hiring most here: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Williams-Sonoma, Etsy

    Based on 693 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Brooklyn

  25. 25

    Queens NY

    28%

    Director and above
    29
    All openings
    105
    Median posted pay
    $100k

    Hiring most here: Samaritan Daytop Village, Skanska USA, NEW York Edge

    Based on 105 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Queens

Full ranking

All 70 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Cambridge MA53%1,204
2Watertown MA51%146
3Hoboken NJ48%122
4Princeton NJ44%439
5United PA37%234
6Morristown NJ37%248
7Ithaca NY37%108
8Florham Park NJ36%140
9Bridgewater NJ36%170
10Greenwich CT35%142
11Boston MA34%5,338
12Somerville MA34%354
13Iselin NJ33%154
14Newton MA32%111
15Waltham MA32%634
16Radnor PA32%128
17Stamford CT30%336
18Secaucus NJ30%121
19Bronx NY29%190
20Trenton NJ29%118
21Jersey City NJ29%679
22Philadelphia PA29%1,960
23New York NY28%22,145
24Brooklyn NY28%693
25Queens NY28%105
26Worcester MA27%171
27Horsham PA27%117
28Hartford CT27%366
29Edison NJ27%122
30Norwood MA26%117
31Lexington MA26%253
32Parsippany NJ26%274
33Newark NJ25%455
34Exton PA25%124
35Providence RI25%207
36Bedford MA24%201
37New Haven CT24%304
38Burlington MA24%227
39Portland ME24%191
40Framingham MA22%213
41Lancaster PA21%165
42Woburn MA21%180
43Marlborough MA20%258
44Camden NJ20%180
45Malvern PA20%115
46Piscataway NJ20%127
47Bethlehem PA19%115
48Berkeley Heights NJ19%121
49Conshohocken PA19%161
50Wilmington MA18%165
51Syracuse NY18%419
52Harrisburg PA18%300
53Lowell MA18%145
54Albany NY17%397
55Reading PA17%215
56Quincy MA17%169
57Pittsburgh PA16%1,592
58Allentown PA16%218
59Buffalo NY15%461
60Springfield MA14%105
61White Plains NY14%229
62Manchester NH14%158
63King of Prussia PA14%347
64Melville NY13%158
65Rochester NY12%537
66Westborough MA12%116
67York PA11%122
68Andover MA11%160
69Danbury CT7%106
70Mechanicsburg PA6%145

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at director, senior manager, vice president, head-of or C-suite level, read from the full posting text.

Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles on employer career sites, verified in the last week. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best cities for director and executive jobs in the northeast?
Cambridge leads the Northeast for director and executive jobs: 53% of its professional openings are director level or above, against 27% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
70 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 70 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at director, senior manager, vice president, head-of or C-suite level, read from the full posting text. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Northeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-director-and-executive-jobs-in-the-northeast

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-director-and-executive-jobs-in-the-northeast">Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Northeast (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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