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Best states for a child protective investigator
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for child protective investigators? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for child protective investigator jobs.Although there are abundant child protective investigator jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Washington is the best state in the country for child protective investigator jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for child protective investigators. Washington is the best state for child protective investigators, where the median salary is $59,778.If you are currently seeking employment as a child protective investigator, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for child protective investigators in 2026
1. Washington
Total child protective investigator jobs: 178 Average annual salary: $59,778 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
2. New Jersey
Total child protective investigator jobs: 176 Average annual salary: $66,649 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
3. Texas
Total child protective investigator jobs: 528 Average annual salary: $52,251 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
4. New York
Total child protective investigator jobs: 361 Average annual salary: $53,829 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
5. Maryland
Total child protective investigator jobs: 167 Average annual salary: $54,946 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
6. North Dakota
Total child protective investigator jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $54,028 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
7. Idaho
Total child protective investigator jobs: 50 Average annual salary: $49,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
8. Alaska
Total child protective investigator jobs: 36 Average annual salary: $50,237 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Location Quotient: 1.96
9. Minnesota
Total child protective investigator jobs: 117 Average annual salary: $57,777 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
10. Nevada
Total child protective investigator jobs: 46 Average annual salary: $54,023 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1
Child protective investigator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a child protective investigator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a child protective investigator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $59,778 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 178 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $66,649 | $51,000 | 9,005,644 | 176 |
| 3 | Texas | $52,251 | $39,000 | 28,304,596 | 528 |
| 4 | New York | $53,829 | $42,000 | 19,849,399 | 361 |
| 5 | Maryland | $54,946 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 167 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $54,028 | $43,000 | 755,393 | 21 |
| 7 | Idaho | $49,325 | $37,000 | 1,716,943 | 50 |
| 8 | Alaska | $50,237 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 36 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $57,777 | $46,000 | 5,576,606 | 117 |
| 10 | Nevada | $54,023 | $39,000 | 2,998,039 | 46 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $54,249 | $41,000 | 693,972 | 50 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $48,330 | $36,000 | 10,273,419 | 229 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $46,911 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 35 |
| 14 | Kansas | $46,904 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 71 |
| 15 | Oregon | $50,700 | $38,000 | 4,142,776 | 76 |
| 16 | Montana | $44,337 | $34,000 | 1,050,493 | 47 |
| 17 | Virginia | $47,265 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 239 |
| 18 | Illinois | $49,293 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 224 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $47,008 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 32 |
| 20 | California | $49,249 | $35,000 | 39,536,653 | 527 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $46,702 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 20 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $42,904 | $36,000 | 1,427,538 | 42 |
| 23 | Iowa | $44,867 | $35,000 | 3,145,711 | 38 |
| 24 | Arizona | $42,713 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 138 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $42,102 | $33,000 | 3,588,184 | 85 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $40,917 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 136 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $44,051 | $34,000 | 869,666 | 13 |
| 28 | Maine | $43,082 | $36,000 | 1,335,907 | 23 |
| 29 | Colorado | $44,113 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 119 |
| 30 | Vermont | $41,677 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 19 |
| 31 | Ohio | $42,757 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 168 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $41,507 | $33,000 | 6,859,819 | 233 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $38,274 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 76 |
| 34 | Utah | $42,964 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 51 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $39,204 | $30,000 | 12,805,537 | 287 |
| 36 | Michigan | $41,427 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 138 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $43,294 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 7 |
| 38 | Florida | $38,052 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 427 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $39,994 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 82 |
| 40 | Georgia | $38,962 | $29,000 | 10,429,379 | 232 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $40,941 | $31,000 | 5,024,369 | 60 |
| 42 | Delaware | $38,333 | $29,000 | 961,939 | 30 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $36,520 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 59 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $33,318 | $25,000 | 3,930,864 | 124 |
| 45 | Missouri | $37,815 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 131 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $38,535 | $30,000 | 1,059,639 | 17 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $35,415 | $26,000 | 4,684,333 | 72 |
| 48 | Alabama | $35,775 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 75 |
| 49 | Indiana | $35,986 | $28,000 | 6,666,818 | 89 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $34,758 | $27,000 | 4,454,189 | 64 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $30,037 | $22,000 | 2,984,100 | 31 |
Highest paying states for child protective investigators
| Rank | State | Avg. Child Protective Investigator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $59,778 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $66,649 |
| 3 | Texas | $52,251 |
| 4 | New York | $53,829 |
| 5 | Maryland | $54,946 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $54,028 |
| 7 | Idaho | $49,325 |
| 8 | Alaska | $50,237 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $57,777 |
| 10 | Nevada | $54,023 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $54,249 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $48,330 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $46,911 |
| 14 | Kansas | $46,904 |
| 15 | Oregon | $50,700 |
| 16 | Montana | $44,337 |
| 17 | Virginia | $47,265 |
| 18 | Illinois | $49,293 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $47,008 |
| 20 | California | $49,249 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $46,702 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $42,904 |
| 23 | Iowa | $44,867 |
| 24 | Arizona | $42,713 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $42,102 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $40,917 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $44,051 |
| 28 | Maine | $43,082 |
| 29 | Colorado | $44,113 |
| 30 | Vermont | $41,677 |
| 31 | Ohio | $42,757 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $41,507 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $38,274 |
| 34 | Utah | $42,964 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $39,204 |
| 36 | Michigan | $41,427 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $43,294 |
| 38 | Florida | $38,052 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $39,994 |
| 40 | Georgia | $38,962 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $40,941 |
| 42 | Delaware | $38,333 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $36,520 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $33,318 |
| 45 | Missouri | $37,815 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | $38,535 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $35,415 |
| 48 | Alabama | $35,775 |
| 49 | Indiana | $35,986 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $34,758 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $30,037 |
Child protective investigator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025