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Best states for a child life specialist
Quoted expert
Dr. Andrew Wood
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for child life specialists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for child life specialist jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of child life specialists in America is $96,000.
In order to get you the best states for child life specialists, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.Nevada is the best state, and Pacifica is the city with the highest pay for child life specialists.
10 best states for child life specialists in 2025
1. Nevada
Total child life specialist jobs: 319 Average annual salary: $65,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.172. New York
Total child life specialist jobs: 2,413 Average annual salary: $64,402 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.443. California
Total child life specialist jobs: 3,545 Average annual salary: $76,488 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.934. Illinois
Total child life specialist jobs: 1,528 Average annual salary: $60,524 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.985. Delaware
Total child life specialist jobs: 158 Average annual salary: $59,003 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.976. Arkansas
Total child life specialist jobs: 312 Average annual salary: $57,930 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.917. New Mexico
Total child life specialist jobs: 211 Average annual salary: $67,864 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 0.838. New Jersey
Total child life specialist jobs: 1,060 Average annual salary: $60,188 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.029. District of Columbia
Total child life specialist jobs: 182 Average annual salary: $74,872 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 0.8310. Michigan
Total child life specialist jobs: 1,071 Average annual salary: $54,700 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
Child life specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a child life specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a child life specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $65,636 | $37,000 | 2,998,039 | 319 |
| 2 | New York | $64,402 | $36,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,413 |
| 3 | California | $76,488 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,545 |
| 4 | Illinois | $60,524 | $34,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,528 |
| 5 | Delaware | $59,003 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 158 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $57,930 | $33,000 | 3,004,279 | 312 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $67,864 | $38,000 | 2,088,070 | 211 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $60,188 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,060 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $74,872 | $42,000 | 693,972 | 182 |
| 10 | Michigan | $54,700 | $30,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,071 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $53,720 | $30,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,719 |
| 12 | Florida | $55,170 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,330 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $57,054 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 235 |
| 14 | Kansas | $54,748 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 363 |
| 15 | Arizona | $53,229 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 913 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $56,282 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 788 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $56,644 | $31,000 | 3,588,184 | 417 |
| 18 | Maryland | $55,787 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 948 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $53,528 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,140 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $52,172 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,170 |
| 21 | Texas | $52,961 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,446 |
| 22 | Virginia | $56,549 | $32,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,040 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $53,436 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 422 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $48,811 | $38,000 | 1,427,538 | 142 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $51,043 | $28,000 | 1,059,639 | 152 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $50,740 | $29,000 | 5,795,483 | 641 |
| 27 | Washington | $51,105 | $29,000 | 7,405,743 | 953 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $51,786 | $29,000 | 4,454,189 | 359 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $49,682 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 386 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $48,841 | $27,000 | 1,815,857 | 177 |
| 31 | Missouri | $50,350 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 657 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $47,055 | $27,000 | 3,930,864 | 409 |
| 33 | Georgia | $50,491 | $29,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,099 |
| 34 | Indiana | $48,870 | $28,000 | 6,666,818 | 719 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $44,991 | $28,000 | 755,393 | 121 |
| 36 | Oregon | $50,104 | $28,000 | 4,142,776 | 476 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $50,698 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 182 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $45,014 | $26,000 | 1,920,076 | 332 |
| 39 | Idaho | $44,479 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 250 |
| 40 | Colorado | $48,136 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 721 |
| 41 | Alabama | $48,902 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 396 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $48,587 | $27,000 | 6,715,984 | 610 |
| 43 | Iowa | $42,257 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 536 |
| 44 | Ohio | $47,086 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,031 |
| 45 | Montana | $34,172 | $21,000 | 1,050,493 | 206 |
| 46 | Maine | $38,450 | $22,000 | 1,335,907 | 181 |
| 47 | Alaska | $28,275 | $18,000 | 739,795 | 154 |
| 48 | Utah | $43,006 | $24,000 | 3,101,833 | 353 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $38,097 | $22,000 | 869,666 | 126 |
| 50 | Vermont | $39,086 | $22,000 | 623,657 | 89 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $43,173 | $25,000 | 579,315 | 56 |
Highest paying states for child life specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Child Life Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $65,636 |
| 2 | New York | $64,402 |
| 3 | California | $76,488 |
| 4 | Illinois | $60,524 |
| 5 | Delaware | $59,003 |
| 6 | Arkansas | $57,930 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $67,864 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $60,188 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $74,872 |
| 10 | Michigan | $54,700 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $53,720 |
| 12 | Florida | $55,170 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $57,054 |
| 14 | Kansas | $54,748 |
| 15 | Arizona | $53,229 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $56,282 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $56,644 |
| 18 | Maryland | $55,787 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $53,528 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $52,172 |
| 21 | Texas | $52,961 |
| 22 | Virginia | $56,549 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $53,436 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $48,811 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $51,043 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $50,740 |
| 27 | Washington | $51,105 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $51,786 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $49,682 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $48,841 |
| 31 | Missouri | $50,350 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | $47,055 |
| 33 | Georgia | $50,491 |
| 34 | Indiana | $48,870 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $44,991 |
| 36 | Oregon | $50,104 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $50,698 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $45,014 |
| 39 | Idaho | $44,479 |
| 40 | Colorado | $48,136 |
| 41 | Alabama | $48,902 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $48,587 |
| 43 | Iowa | $42,257 |
| 44 | Ohio | $47,086 |
| 45 | Montana | $34,172 |
| 46 | Maine | $38,450 |
| 47 | Alaska | $28,275 |
| 48 | Utah | $43,006 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $38,097 |
| 50 | Vermont | $39,086 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $43,173 |
Expert opinions on the best states for child life specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for child life specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Andrew Wood
Adjunct Professor, Carolina Christian College
Many of the smaller churches across the country need part-time pastors. Our graduates could potentially find opportunities to pastor more than one rural church at the same time or to work part-time at a church as a "tentmaker," supporting themselves with a second job, as some of our missionaries and urban ministers do. Some larger churches and colleges are eager to diversify their staff, creating some unique opportunities for people of color from Carolina Christian College to minister in a way that bridges ethnic divides.
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Updated January 8, 2025