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Best states for a department specialist
Quoted expert
Donna Kukarola
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and sales careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to department specialist jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for department specialists.As department specialists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for department specialists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a department specialist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
The median salary for department specialists in Hawaii is $74,553. Compare that to the median salary in Missouri of $42,508, which ranked worst for department specialists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Hawaii is the best state, and Hilo is the city with the highest pay for department specialists.
10 best states for department specialists in 2026
1. Hawaii
Total department specialist jobs: 126 Average annual salary: $74,553 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
2. Maine
Total department specialist jobs: 158 Average annual salary: $58,496 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
3. New Hampshire
Total department specialist jobs: 201 Average annual salary: $58,924 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
4. Vermont
Total department specialist jobs: 90 Average annual salary: $58,498 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
5. Rhode Island
Total department specialist jobs: 119 Average annual salary: $60,190 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
6. Connecticut
Total department specialist jobs: 342 Average annual salary: $61,275 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
7. Pennsylvania
Total department specialist jobs: 1,125 Average annual salary: $53,946 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
8. Alaska
Total department specialist jobs: 98 Average annual salary: $58,468 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
9. Massachusetts
Total department specialist jobs: 734 Average annual salary: $62,661 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
10. Nevada
Total department specialist jobs: 206 Average annual salary: $53,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
Department specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a department specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a department specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $74,553 | $59,000 | 1,427,538 | 126 |
| 2 | Maine | $58,496 | $41,000 | 1,335,907 | 158 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $58,924 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 201 |
| 4 | Vermont | $58,498 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 90 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $60,190 | $41,000 | 1,059,639 | 119 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $61,275 | $41,000 | 3,588,184 | 342 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $53,946 | $36,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,125 |
| 8 | Alaska | $58,468 | $49,000 | 739,795 | 98 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $62,661 | $43,000 | 6,859,819 | 734 |
| 10 | Nevada | $53,696 | $36,000 | 2,998,039 | 206 |
| 11 | Oregon | $56,955 | $39,000 | 4,142,776 | 389 |
| 12 | Montana | $52,304 | $36,000 | 1,050,493 | 126 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $51,918 | $36,000 | 869,666 | 101 |
| 14 | New York | $59,304 | $40,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,159 |
| 15 | Washington | $58,066 | $40,000 | 7,405,743 | 654 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $70,453 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 109 |
| 17 | Idaho | $51,980 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 151 |
| 18 | Ohio | $50,954 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 937 |
| 19 | Delaware | $51,298 | $34,000 | 961,939 | 134 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $48,786 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 77 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $49,378 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 555 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $49,562 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,010 |
| 23 | Iowa | $47,747 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 471 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $51,311 | $34,000 | 9,005,644 | 790 |
| 25 | Michigan | $48,043 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 776 |
| 26 | California | $57,510 | $38,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,257 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $48,827 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 203 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $51,445 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 574 |
| 29 | Indiana | $48,542 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 578 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $47,413 | $32,000 | 6,715,984 | 521 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $48,102 | $32,000 | 5,024,369 | 396 |
| 32 | Maryland | $49,368 | $33,000 | 6,052,177 | 576 |
| 33 | Colorado | $49,544 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 514 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $47,437 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 224 |
| 35 | Illinois | $48,513 | $33,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,049 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $47,638 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 282 |
| 37 | Arizona | $45,776 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 559 |
| 38 | Alabama | $44,391 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 411 |
| 39 | Kansas | $47,580 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 238 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $43,843 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 199 |
| 41 | Virginia | $47,993 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 749 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $45,482 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 75 |
| 43 | Georgia | $42,858 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,090 |
| 44 | Florida | $40,906 | $27,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,787 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $43,619 | $29,000 | 1,815,857 | 125 |
| 46 | Texas | $43,802 | $29,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,792 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $37,431 | $25,000 | 4,684,333 | 340 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $43,415 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 174 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $44,557 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 228 |
| 50 | Utah | $42,535 | $29,000 | 3,101,833 | 286 |
| 51 | Missouri | $42,508 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 483 |
Highest paying states for department specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Department Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $74,553 |
| 2 | Maine | $58,496 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $58,924 |
| 4 | Vermont | $58,498 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $60,190 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $61,275 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $53,946 |
| 8 | Alaska | $58,468 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $62,661 |
| 10 | Nevada | $53,696 |
| 11 | Oregon | $56,955 |
| 12 | Montana | $52,304 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $51,918 |
| 14 | New York | $59,304 |
| 15 | Washington | $58,066 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $70,453 |
| 17 | Idaho | $51,980 |
| 18 | Ohio | $50,954 |
| 19 | Delaware | $51,298 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $48,786 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $49,378 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $49,562 |
| 23 | Iowa | $47,747 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $51,311 |
| 25 | Michigan | $48,043 |
| 26 | California | $57,510 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $48,827 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $51,445 |
| 29 | Indiana | $48,542 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $47,413 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $48,102 |
| 32 | Maryland | $49,368 |
| 33 | Colorado | $49,544 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $47,437 |
| 35 | Illinois | $48,513 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $47,638 |
| 37 | Arizona | $45,776 |
| 38 | Alabama | $44,391 |
| 39 | Kansas | $47,580 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $43,843 |
| 41 | Virginia | $47,993 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $45,482 |
| 43 | Georgia | $42,858 |
| 44 | Florida | $40,906 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $43,619 |
| 46 | Texas | $43,802 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $37,431 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $43,415 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $44,557 |
| 50 | Utah | $42,535 |
| 51 | Missouri | $42,508 |
Expert opinions on the best states for department specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for department specialists to find work opportunities?
Donna Kukarola
Procurement Director, Forsyth County, Georgia
This one, not so sure of, the southeast continues to see options as well as mid-western states.
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Updated January 8, 2025