Best states for an advocate

Q: What is the best state for advocates?

The best state to be an advocate is New York based on advocate salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for advocates?

The highest paying state for advocates is Arkansas based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for advocates?

The worst state for advocates is South Dakota, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella

Rank 1 - 10
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for advocates in the United States. Advocate positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for advocates.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for advocates. We found that New York is the best state in the nation for advocates, and people in Southampton earn the most in the field.

The median salary for advocates in New York is $67,967. Compare that to the median salary in South Dakota of $31,095, which ranked worst for advocates, and you can see how your location is important for your career.New York is the best state, and Southampton is the city with the highest pay for advocates.

10 best states for advocates in 2025

1. New York
Total advocate jobs: 1,781
Average annual salary: $67,967
Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000
Location Quotient:
1.4
Advocate jobs in New York
2. Maryland
Total advocate jobs: 867
Average annual salary: $65,011
Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
1.38
Advocate jobs in Maryland
3. Pennsylvania
Total advocate jobs: 1,302
Average annual salary: $58,445
Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000
Location Quotient:
1.13
Advocate jobs in Pennsylvania
4. Maine
Total advocate jobs: 222
Average annual salary: $56,352
Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000
Location Quotient:
1.69
Advocate jobs in Maine
5. New Jersey
Total advocate jobs: 840
Average annual salary: $62,607
Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
Advocate jobs in New Jersey
6. Massachusetts
Total advocate jobs: 1,926
Average annual salary: $56,141
Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
2.12
Advocate jobs in Massachusetts
7. Connecticut
Total advocate jobs: 325
Average annual salary: $62,337
Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000
Location Quotient:
0.99
Advocate jobs in Connecticut
8. Rhode Island
Total advocate jobs: 124
Average annual salary: $57,904
Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000
Location Quotient:
1.03
Advocate jobs in Rhode Island
9. District of Columbia
Total advocate jobs: 104
Average annual salary: $90,888
Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000
Location Quotient:
0.63
Advocate jobs in District of Columbia
10. Ohio
Total advocate jobs: 807
Average annual salary: $54,977
Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000
Location Quotient:
0.8
Advocate jobs in Ohio

Advocate jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be an advocate

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for an advocate

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New York	$67,967	$39,000	19,849,399	1,781
2	Maryland	$65,011	$37,000	6,052,177	867
3	Pennsylvania	$58,445	$33,000	12,805,537	1,302
4	Maine	$56,352	$35,000	1,335,907	222
5	New Jersey	$62,607	$36,000	9,005,644	840
6	Massachusetts	$56,141	$34,000	6,859,819	1,926
7	Connecticut	$62,337	$36,000	3,588,184	325
8	Rhode Island	$57,904	$34,000	1,059,639	124
9	District of Columbia	$90,888	$52,000	693,972	104
10	Ohio	$54,977	$32,000	11,658,609	807
11	Hawaii	$48,345	$38,000	1,427,538	109
12	North Carolina	$57,112	$33,000	10,273,419	647
13	Virginia	$58,531	$33,000	8,470,020	685
14	Florida	$47,157	$29,000	20,984,400	1,531
15	California	$48,371	$33,000	39,536,653	3,150
16	New Hampshire	$52,497	$32,000	1,342,795	142
17	Michigan	$45,410	$26,000	9,962,311	832
18	South Carolina	$46,955	$28,000	5,024,369	397
19	Illinois	$44,054	$27,000	12,802,023	1,224
20	West Virginia	$51,533	$30,000	1,815,857	103
21	Delaware	$53,962	$31,000	961,939	80
22	Nevada	$40,609	$28,000	2,998,039	201
23	Texas	$40,823	$27,000	28,304,596	1,756
24	Indiana	$42,016	$25,000	6,666,818	547
25	Wisconsin	$45,309	$27,000	5,795,483	391
26	Vermont	$44,152	$27,000	623,657	57
27	Alaska	$36,674	$29,000	739,795	119
28	Arizona	$36,672	$25,000	7,016,270	692
29	Washington	$37,299	$28,000	7,405,743	905
30	North Dakota	$40,524	$29,000	755,393	66
31	Kentucky	$41,470	$25,000	4,454,189	273
32	Mississippi	$38,048	$24,000	2,984,100	188
33	Colorado	$37,921	$27,000	5,607,154	560
34	Georgia	$40,726	$25,000	10,429,379	790
35	Oklahoma	$37,556	$26,000	3,930,864	270
36	Minnesota	$36,847	$24,000	5,576,606	680
37	Louisiana	$38,970	$25,000	4,684,333	258
38	Tennessee	$39,090	$24,000	6,715,984	436
39	Oregon	$36,876	$27,000	4,142,776	386
40	Missouri	$38,799	$25,000	6,113,532	438
41	Montana	$32,522	$24,000	1,050,493	145
42	Iowa	$35,190	$23,000	3,145,711	297
43	New Mexico	$34,013	$23,000	2,088,070	192
44	Nebraska	$33,409	$23,000	1,920,076	215
45	Kansas	$34,153	$23,000	2,913,123	165
46	Idaho	$30,343	$22,000	1,716,943	156
47	Wyoming	$31,994	$23,000	579,315	47
48	Arkansas	$30,208	$20,000	3,004,279	223
49	Utah	$30,466	$22,000	3,101,833	275
50	Alabama	$33,350	$21,000	4,874,747	218
51	South Dakota	$31,095	$21,000	869,666	86

Highest paying states for advocates

Rank	State	Avg. Advocate Salary
1	New York	$67,967
2	Maryland	$65,011
3	Pennsylvania	$58,445
4	Maine	$56,352
5	New Jersey	$62,607
6	Massachusetts	$56,141
7	Connecticut	$62,337
8	Rhode Island	$57,904
9	District of Columbia	$90,888
10	Ohio	$54,977
11	Hawaii	$48,345
12	North Carolina	$57,112
13	Virginia	$58,531
14	Florida	$47,157
15	California	$48,371
16	New Hampshire	$52,497
17	Michigan	$45,410
18	South Carolina	$46,955
19	Illinois	$44,054
20	West Virginia	$51,533
21	Delaware	$53,962
22	Nevada	$40,609
23	Texas	$40,823
24	Indiana	$42,016
25	Wisconsin	$45,309
26	Vermont	$44,152
27	Alaska	$36,674
28	Arizona	$36,672
29	Washington	$37,299
30	North Dakota	$40,524
31	Kentucky	$41,470
32	Mississippi	$38,048
33	Colorado	$37,921
34	Georgia	$40,726
35	Oklahoma	$37,556
36	Minnesota	$36,847
37	Louisiana	$38,970
38	Tennessee	$39,090
39	Oregon	$36,876
40	Missouri	$38,799
41	Montana	$32,522
42	Iowa	$35,190
43	New Mexico	$34,013
44	Nebraska	$33,409
45	Kansas	$34,153
46	Idaho	$30,343
47	Wyoming	$31,994
48	Arkansas	$30,208
49	Utah	$30,466
50	Alabama	$33,350
51	South Dakota	$31,095

Expert opinions on the best states for advocates

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for advocates to find work opportunities?
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella
Professor, MSW Program Coordinator, Southern Connecticut State University
Social workers are needed everywhere -- from rural settings to small towns, to large cities. Social work is one of the fastest-growing professions in the U.S.

Advocate best states FAQs

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What is the highest paying state for advocates?

What is the worst state for advocates?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

Search for advocate jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs

Total advocate jobs:	1,781
Average annual salary:	$67,967
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$39,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$116,000
Location Quotient:	1.4

Best states for an advocate

10 best states for advocates in 2025

1. New York

2. Maryland

3. Pennsylvania

4. Maine

5. New Jersey

6. Massachusetts

7. Connecticut

8. Rhode Island

9. District of Columbia

10. Ohio