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Best states for a human service specialist
Quoted expert
Dr. Joseph Constantine Ph.D.
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to human service specialist jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for human service specialist jobs.
The median salary for human service specialists in District of Columbia is $76,075. Compare that to the median salary in Vermont of $34,866, which ranked worst for human service specialists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Northeast is best for human service specialists, and the West is the worst. Oakland, CA is the best city in the country for human service specialist jobs, where as District of Columbia is the best state in the country.
10 best states for human service specialists in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total human service specialist jobs: 361 Average annual salary: $76,075 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
2. Nevada
Total human service specialist jobs: 466 Average annual salary: $60,281 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
3. Washington
Total human service specialist jobs: 1,531 Average annual salary: $62,029 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
4. Pennsylvania
Total human service specialist jobs: 2,533 Average annual salary: $56,711 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. Hawaii
Total human service specialist jobs: 184 Average annual salary: $67,007 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
6. Texas
Total human service specialist jobs: 3,814 Average annual salary: $61,612 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
7. New York
Total human service specialist jobs: 3,153 Average annual salary: $55,616 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
8. Alaska
Total human service specialist jobs: 193 Average annual salary: $56,212 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
9. California
Total human service specialist jobs: 5,890 Average annual salary: $61,012 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
10. Oregon
Total human service specialist jobs: 863 Average annual salary: $54,596 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
Human service specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a human service specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a human service specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $76,075 | $46,000 | 693,972 | 361 |
| 2 | Nevada | $60,281 | $40,000 | 2,998,039 | 466 |
| 3 | Washington | $62,029 | $41,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,531 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $56,711 | $34,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,533 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $67,007 | $54,000 | 1,427,538 | 184 |
| 6 | Texas | $61,612 | $39,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,814 |
| 7 | New York | $55,616 | $33,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,153 |
| 8 | Alaska | $56,212 | $45,000 | 739,795 | 193 |
| 9 | California | $61,012 | $41,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,890 |
| 10 | Oregon | $54,596 | $36,000 | 4,142,776 | 863 |
| 11 | Illinois | $52,611 | $35,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,572 |
| 12 | Maryland | $55,896 | $34,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,448 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $52,537 | $34,000 | 3,930,864 | 616 |
| 14 | Delaware | $52,363 | $31,000 | 961,939 | 305 |
| 15 | Idaho | $56,006 | $38,000 | 1,716,943 | 303 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $50,697 | $35,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,415 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $49,384 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 542 |
| 18 | Arizona | $48,782 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,457 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $53,156 | $38,000 | 755,393 | 176 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $50,111 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 391 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $55,158 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,536 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $54,138 | $32,000 | 3,588,184 | 655 |
| 23 | Michigan | $47,230 | $30,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,668 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $47,781 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 424 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $48,585 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 643 |
| 26 | Indiana | $48,910 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,133 |
| 27 | Kansas | $49,165 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 551 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $46,271 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 484 |
| 29 | Virginia | $51,814 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,827 |
| 30 | Ohio | $45,676 | $29,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,014 |
| 31 | Colorado | $48,583 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,144 |
| 32 | Maine | $42,377 | $27,000 | 1,335,907 | 319 |
| 33 | Utah | $46,279 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 609 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $46,242 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,007 |
| 35 | Montana | $39,790 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 301 |
| 36 | Florida | $43,110 | $26,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,223 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $45,517 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,754 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $37,663 | $22,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,514 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $45,656 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 102 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $41,897 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,145 |
| 41 | Iowa | $39,236 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 760 |
| 42 | Missouri | $45,131 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,005 |
| 43 | Georgia | $41,969 | $26,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,950 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $39,844 | $23,000 | 1,059,639 | 243 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $38,533 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 203 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $40,084 | $25,000 | 1,815,857 | 273 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $37,433 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 854 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $39,945 | $25,000 | 4,454,189 | 616 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $34,009 | $20,000 | 1,342,795 | 342 |
| 50 | Alabama | $38,169 | $24,000 | 4,874,747 | 644 |
| 51 | Vermont | $34,866 | $21,000 | 623,657 | 134 |
Highest paying states for human service specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Human Service Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $76,075 |
| 2 | Nevada | $60,281 |
| 3 | Washington | $62,029 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $56,711 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $67,007 |
| 6 | Texas | $61,612 |
| 7 | New York | $55,616 |
| 8 | Alaska | $56,212 |
| 9 | California | $61,012 |
| 10 | Oregon | $54,596 |
| 11 | Illinois | $52,611 |
| 12 | Maryland | $55,896 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $52,537 |
| 14 | Delaware | $52,363 |
| 15 | Idaho | $56,006 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $50,697 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $49,384 |
| 18 | Arizona | $48,782 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $53,156 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $50,111 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $55,158 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $54,138 |
| 23 | Michigan | $47,230 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $47,781 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $48,585 |
| 26 | Indiana | $48,910 |
| 27 | Kansas | $49,165 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $46,271 |
| 29 | Virginia | $51,814 |
| 30 | Ohio | $45,676 |
| 31 | Colorado | $48,583 |
| 32 | Maine | $42,377 |
| 33 | Utah | $46,279 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $46,242 |
| 35 | Montana | $39,790 |
| 36 | Florida | $43,110 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $45,517 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $37,663 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $45,656 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $41,897 |
| 41 | Iowa | $39,236 |
| 42 | Missouri | $45,131 |
| 43 | Georgia | $41,969 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $39,844 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $38,533 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $40,084 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $37,433 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $39,945 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $34,009 |
| 50 | Alabama | $38,169 |
| 51 | Vermont | $34,866 |
Expert opinions on the best states for human service specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for human service specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Joseph Constantine Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, California University of Pennsylvania
Florida, California, and New Mexico will continue to be hot markets for speech-language pathologists. The Midwest U.S. is also expected to see an increased demand for licensed and certified professionals.
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Updated January 8, 2025