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Best states for a child welfare specialist
Quoted expert
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for child welfare specialists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for child welfare 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.Although there are abundant child welfare specialist jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Washington is the best state in the country for child welfare specialist 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 welfare specialists. Washington is the best state for child welfare specialists, where the median salary is $67,973.If you are currently seeking employment as a child welfare specialist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for child welfare specialists in 2026
1. Washington
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 1,123 Average annual salary: $67,973 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
2. Maryland
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 1,197 Average annual salary: $66,540 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. New Jersey
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 1,041 Average annual salary: $79,772 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
4. Minnesota
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 959 Average annual salary: $67,125 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
5. Alaska
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $68,252 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
6. New York
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 2,131 Average annual salary: $63,544 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
7. North Dakota
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 117 Average annual salary: $62,928 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
8. Idaho
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 236 Average annual salary: $60,177 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
9. Montana
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 217 Average annual salary: $53,428 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
10. Oregon
Total child welfare specialist jobs: 493 Average annual salary: $63,395 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
Child welfare specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a child welfare specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a child welfare specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $67,973 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,123 |
| 2 | Maryland | $66,540 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,197 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $79,772 | $52,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,041 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $67,125 | $46,000 | 5,576,606 | 959 |
| 5 | Alaska | $68,252 | $59,000 | 739,795 | 186 |
| 6 | New York | $63,544 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,131 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $62,928 | $44,000 | 755,393 | 117 |
| 8 | Idaho | $60,177 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 236 |
| 9 | Montana | $53,428 | $36,000 | 1,050,493 | 217 |
| 10 | Oregon | $63,395 | $42,000 | 4,142,776 | 493 |
| 11 | Nevada | $58,431 | $35,000 | 2,998,039 | 253 |
| 12 | Illinois | $55,465 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,640 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $55,720 | $36,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,135 |
| 14 | Iowa | $51,025 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 530 |
| 15 | Colorado | $56,229 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 778 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $65,543 | $42,000 | 693,972 | 170 |
| 17 | California | $55,658 | $33,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,204 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $54,652 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 167 |
| 19 | Virginia | $56,729 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,018 |
| 20 | Michigan | $48,708 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,122 |
| 21 | Texas | $54,275 | $33,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,168 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $51,578 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 643 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $48,798 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 84 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $52,472 | $36,000 | 1,342,795 | 193 |
| 25 | Maine | $46,597 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 268 |
| 26 | Kansas | $51,172 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 333 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $49,610 | $32,000 | 3,588,184 | 486 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $47,631 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,657 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $50,345 | $34,000 | 869,666 | 108 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $47,178 | $30,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,548 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $44,969 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 345 |
| 32 | Ohio | $49,737 | $32,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,016 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $48,255 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 228 |
| 34 | Arizona | $42,891 | $25,000 | 7,016,270 | 910 |
| 35 | Vermont | $45,726 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 96 |
| 36 | Delaware | $46,594 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 149 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $44,749 | $30,000 | 1,059,639 | 149 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $46,535 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 455 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $40,301 | $27,000 | 1,427,538 | 196 |
| 40 | Utah | $45,914 | $29,000 | 3,101,833 | 346 |
| 41 | Georgia | $43,597 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,263 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $44,636 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 572 |
| 43 | Indiana | $41,197 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 787 |
| 44 | Florida | $34,430 | $21,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,445 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $37,636 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 351 |
| 46 | Missouri | $41,833 | $27,000 | 6,113,532 | 668 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $37,774 | $23,000 | 4,684,333 | 396 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $35,919 | $23,000 | 3,930,864 | 368 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $39,391 | $25,000 | 4,454,189 | 361 |
| 50 | Alabama | $39,337 | $25,000 | 4,874,747 | 378 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $32,544 | $20,000 | 2,984,100 | 250 |
Highest paying states for child welfare specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Child Welfare Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $67,973 |
| 2 | Maryland | $66,540 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $79,772 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $67,125 |
| 5 | Alaska | $68,252 |
| 6 | New York | $63,544 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $62,928 |
| 8 | Idaho | $60,177 |
| 9 | Montana | $53,428 |
| 10 | Oregon | $63,395 |
| 11 | Nevada | $58,431 |
| 12 | Illinois | $55,465 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $55,720 |
| 14 | Iowa | $51,025 |
| 15 | Colorado | $56,229 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $65,543 |
| 17 | California | $55,658 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $54,652 |
| 19 | Virginia | $56,729 |
| 20 | Michigan | $48,708 |
| 21 | Texas | $54,275 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $51,578 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $48,798 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $52,472 |
| 25 | Maine | $46,597 |
| 26 | Kansas | $51,172 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $49,610 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $47,631 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $50,345 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $47,178 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $44,969 |
| 32 | Ohio | $49,737 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $48,255 |
| 34 | Arizona | $42,891 |
| 35 | Vermont | $45,726 |
| 36 | Delaware | $46,594 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $44,749 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $46,535 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $40,301 |
| 40 | Utah | $45,914 |
| 41 | Georgia | $43,597 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $44,636 |
| 43 | Indiana | $41,197 |
| 44 | Florida | $34,430 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $37,636 |
| 46 | Missouri | $41,833 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $37,774 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $35,919 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $39,391 |
| 50 | Alabama | $39,337 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $32,544 |
Expert opinions on the best states for child welfare specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for child welfare specialists to find work opportunities?
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Comparative American Studies and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, Oberlin College
One great thing about a degree in these interdisciplinary fields is that it opens many job possibilities. Graduates from these fields may do all sorts of different work for nonprofits or NGOs in the education sector, politics, research, writing and editing, and healthcare settings.
With the pandemic, there has been so much variability state-by-state in terms of spread, plans for reopening, and what remains closed, that it's hard to say which places may be better to look for work. I know some recent graduates are still landing jobs and making big moves all over the United States for those jobs, while others are taking on remote work and choosing where they will live. I recommend, if one is able, casting a wide net, being open to new places or job possibilities you might not have initially imagined for yourself.
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Updated January 8, 2025