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Best states for a career development specialist
Quoted expert
Donna Graham
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for career development specialists in the United States. Career development specialist 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 career development specialists.Our research shows that Pennsylvania is the best state in the country for career development specialists.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for career development specialists. Pennsylvania is the best state for career development specialists, where the median salary is $49,943.We found that the West is best for career development specialists, and the South is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for career development specialist jobs, where as Pennsylvania is the best state in the country.
10 best states for career development specialists in 2025
1. Pennsylvania
Total career development specialist jobs: 2,216 Average annual salary: $49,943 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.322. Texas
Total career development specialist jobs: 4,432 Average annual salary: $46,762 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.513. Nevada
Total career development specialist jobs: 420 Average annual salary: $47,009 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 1.394. Montana
Total career development specialist jobs: 286 Average annual salary: $43,631 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.715. North Carolina
Total career development specialist jobs: 928 Average annual salary: $49,302 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 0.676. Kansas
Total career development specialist jobs: 560 Average annual salary: $43,056 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.287. District of Columbia
Total career development specialist jobs: 210 Average annual salary: $54,454 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 0.868. California
Total career development specialist jobs: 2,405 Average annual salary: $54,714 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.579. Mississippi
Total career development specialist jobs: 295 Average annual salary: $45,468 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 0.9610. Washington
Total career development specialist jobs: 599 Average annual salary: $50,997 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
Career development specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a career development specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a career development specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $49,943 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,216 |
| 2 | Texas | $46,762 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,432 |
| 3 | Nevada | $47,009 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 420 |
| 4 | Montana | $43,631 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 286 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $49,302 | $32,000 | 10,273,419 | 928 |
| 6 | Kansas | $43,056 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 560 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $54,454 | $35,000 | 693,972 | 210 |
| 8 | California | $54,714 | $34,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,405 |
| 9 | Mississippi | $45,468 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 295 |
| 10 | Washington | $50,997 | $34,000 | 7,405,743 | 599 |
| 11 | Michigan | $42,119 | $28,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,530 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $50,684 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 680 |
| 13 | Delaware | $46,308 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 165 |
| 14 | Virginia | $48,017 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 984 |
| 15 | Georgia | $43,808 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,915 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $40,445 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 148 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $43,574 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 505 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $40,734 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 221 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $43,964 | $30,000 | 1,059,639 | 121 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $40,532 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,001 |
| 21 | New York | $46,229 | $30,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,331 |
| 22 | Maryland | $46,579 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 652 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $39,979 | $28,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,449 |
| 24 | Ohio | $40,115 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,655 |
| 25 | Alabama | $40,575 | $26,000 | 4,874,747 | 645 |
| 26 | Arizona | $38,956 | $24,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,331 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $38,413 | $24,000 | 2,088,070 | 443 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $37,054 | $26,000 | 755,393 | 222 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $44,261 | $29,000 | 3,588,184 | 270 |
| 30 | Maine | $41,909 | $31,000 | 1,335,907 | 122 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $37,629 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 520 |
| 32 | Indiana | $38,698 | $26,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,079 |
| 33 | Missouri | $38,570 | $26,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,016 |
| 34 | Colorado | $42,178 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 569 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $37,476 | $25,000 | 1,920,076 | 478 |
| 36 | Florida | $38,145 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,992 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $41,785 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 802 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $37,416 | $24,000 | 3,930,864 | 527 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $39,773 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 168 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $33,418 | $26,000 | 1,427,538 | 182 |
| 41 | Iowa | $36,405 | $25,000 | 3,145,711 | 618 |
| 42 | Illinois | $39,839 | $27,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,038 |
| 43 | Oregon | $38,570 | $25,000 | 4,142,776 | 393 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $34,056 | $23,000 | 5,795,483 | 980 |
| 45 | Utah | $35,812 | $24,000 | 3,101,833 | 336 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $35,165 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 650 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $32,905 | $22,000 | 4,454,189 | 615 |
| 48 | Alaska | $27,223 | $21,000 | 739,795 | 161 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $29,711 | $19,000 | 1,815,857 | 252 |
| 50 | Idaho | $33,157 | $22,000 | 1,716,943 | 182 |
| 51 | Vermont | $34,509 | $25,000 | 623,657 | 62 |
Highest paying states for career development specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Career Development Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $49,943 |
| 2 | Texas | $46,762 |
| 3 | Nevada | $47,009 |
| 4 | Montana | $43,631 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $49,302 |
| 6 | Kansas | $43,056 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $54,454 |
| 8 | California | $54,714 |
| 9 | Mississippi | $45,468 |
| 10 | Washington | $50,997 |
| 11 | Michigan | $42,119 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $50,684 |
| 13 | Delaware | $46,308 |
| 14 | Virginia | $48,017 |
| 15 | Georgia | $43,808 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $40,445 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $43,574 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $40,734 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $43,964 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $40,532 |
| 21 | New York | $46,229 |
| 22 | Maryland | $46,579 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $39,979 |
| 24 | Ohio | $40,115 |
| 25 | Alabama | $40,575 |
| 26 | Arizona | $38,956 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $38,413 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $37,054 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $44,261 |
| 30 | Maine | $41,909 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $37,629 |
| 32 | Indiana | $38,698 |
| 33 | Missouri | $38,570 |
| 34 | Colorado | $42,178 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $37,476 |
| 36 | Florida | $38,145 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $41,785 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $37,416 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $39,773 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $33,418 |
| 41 | Iowa | $36,405 |
| 42 | Illinois | $39,839 |
| 43 | Oregon | $38,570 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $34,056 |
| 45 | Utah | $35,812 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $35,165 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $32,905 |
| 48 | Alaska | $27,223 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $29,711 |
| 50 | Idaho | $33,157 |
| 51 | Vermont | $34,509 |
Expert opinions on the best states for career development specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for career development specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Graham
Project/Program Specialist, University of Arkansas
Working for the University of Arkansas, I would be remiss if I did not respond with Northwest Arkansas as my answer. Agriculture is the largest industry in Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas is fortunate to have leading companies like Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods, and George's Inc. in our backyard.
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Updated January 8, 2025