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Best states for a family support specialist
Quoted expert
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for family support specialists? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for family support 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.We wanted to look at the best states for family support specialists -- where there are plenty of family support specialist jobs to go around and family support specialists get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for family support specialists. Maine is the best state for family support specialists, where the median salary is $46,973.We found that the South is best for family support specialists, and the Northeast is the worst. Trenton, NJ is the best city in the country for family support specialist jobs, where as Maine is the best state in the country.
10 best states for family support specialists in 2026
1. Maine
Total family support specialist jobs: 413 Average annual salary: $46,973 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
2. Washington
Total family support specialist jobs: 2,071 Average annual salary: $47,693 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
3. New Hampshire
Total family support specialist jobs: 316 Average annual salary: $49,918 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
4. Connecticut
Total family support specialist jobs: 544 Average annual salary: $52,817 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
5. New Jersey
Total family support specialist jobs: 1,340 Average annual salary: $53,604 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 0.86
6. New York
Total family support specialist jobs: 2,835 Average annual salary: $49,311 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
7. Illinois
Total family support specialist jobs: 2,127 Average annual salary: $46,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
8. Minnesota
Total family support specialist jobs: 1,175 Average annual salary: $47,016 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
9. New Mexico
Total family support specialist jobs: 520 Average annual salary: $41,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
10. North Dakota
Total family support specialist jobs: 176 Average annual salary: $43,424 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Family support specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a family support specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a family support specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $46,973 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 413 |
| 2 | Washington | $47,693 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,071 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $49,918 | $33,000 | 1,342,795 | 316 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $52,817 | $33,000 | 3,588,184 | 544 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $53,604 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,340 |
| 6 | New York | $49,311 | $31,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,835 |
| 7 | Illinois | $46,708 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,127 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $47,016 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,175 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $41,128 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 520 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $43,424 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 176 |
| 11 | Alaska | $43,492 | $38,000 | 739,795 | 216 |
| 12 | Vermont | $43,839 | $30,000 | 623,657 | 139 |
| 13 | Iowa | $41,161 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 698 |
| 14 | Delaware | $47,332 | $29,000 | 961,939 | 185 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $41,643 | $27,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,332 |
| 16 | Oregon | $43,110 | $32,000 | 4,142,776 | 752 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $42,103 | $26,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,918 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $38,250 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 263 |
| 19 | Ohio | $43,929 | $28,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,386 |
| 20 | Montana | $39,318 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 291 |
| 21 | Idaho | $41,493 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 282 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $42,010 | $27,000 | 1,815,857 | 216 |
| 23 | Michigan | $37,074 | $24,000 | 9,962,311 | 2,197 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $40,138 | $28,000 | 5,795,483 | 907 |
| 25 | California | $39,585 | $27,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,805 |
| 26 | Nevada | $36,682 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 587 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $36,210 | $25,000 | 3,004,279 | 693 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $37,188 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 119 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $41,315 | $26,000 | 1,059,639 | 186 |
| 30 | Maryland | $39,410 | $24,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,369 |
| 31 | Kansas | $39,553 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 439 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $42,578 | $26,000 | 693,972 | 274 |
| 33 | Indiana | $37,898 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,076 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $35,175 | $28,000 | 1,427,538 | 216 |
| 35 | Colorado | $37,306 | $27,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,023 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $33,494 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 920 |
| 37 | Missouri | $32,553 | $23,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,443 |
| 38 | Texas | $38,119 | $26,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,841 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $33,109 | $24,000 | 1,920,076 | 444 |
| 40 | Utah | $34,979 | $26,000 | 3,101,833 | 490 |
| 41 | Virginia | $36,293 | $23,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,351 |
| 42 | Arizona | $30,279 | $21,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,208 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $27,943 | $19,000 | 3,930,864 | 740 |
| 44 | Alabama | $29,358 | $20,000 | 4,874,747 | 850 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $28,711 | $19,000 | 4,684,333 | 746 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $32,464 | $21,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,504 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $32,940 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 813 |
| 48 | Georgia | $31,955 | $22,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,612 |
| 49 | Florida | $26,521 | $18,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,919 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $29,368 | $20,000 | 4,454,189 | 473 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $24,579 | $17,000 | 2,984,100 | 335 |
Highest paying states for family support specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Family Support Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $46,973 |
| 2 | Washington | $47,693 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $49,918 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $52,817 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $53,604 |
| 6 | New York | $49,311 |
| 7 | Illinois | $46,708 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $47,016 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $41,128 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $43,424 |
| 11 | Alaska | $43,492 |
| 12 | Vermont | $43,839 |
| 13 | Iowa | $41,161 |
| 14 | Delaware | $47,332 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $41,643 |
| 16 | Oregon | $43,110 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $42,103 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $38,250 |
| 19 | Ohio | $43,929 |
| 20 | Montana | $39,318 |
| 21 | Idaho | $41,493 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $42,010 |
| 23 | Michigan | $37,074 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $40,138 |
| 25 | California | $39,585 |
| 26 | Nevada | $36,682 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $36,210 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $37,188 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $41,315 |
| 30 | Maryland | $39,410 |
| 31 | Kansas | $39,553 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $42,578 |
| 33 | Indiana | $37,898 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $35,175 |
| 35 | Colorado | $37,306 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $33,494 |
| 37 | Missouri | $32,553 |
| 38 | Texas | $38,119 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $33,109 |
| 40 | Utah | $34,979 |
| 41 | Virginia | $36,293 |
| 42 | Arizona | $30,279 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $27,943 |
| 44 | Alabama | $29,358 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $28,711 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $32,464 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $32,940 |
| 48 | Georgia | $31,955 |
| 49 | Florida | $26,521 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $29,368 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $24,579 |
Expert opinions on the best states for family support specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for family support 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