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Best states for an organizational development specialist
Quoted expert
Sue Dahlin
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you thinking of becoming an organizational development specialist and really want to work at Byrnes & Rupkey, Inc? Turns out, your chances to become an organizational development specialist are better in some states than others.We wanted to look at the best states for organizational development specialists -- where there are plenty of organizational development specialist jobs to go around and organizational development specialists get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
The median salary for organizational development specialists in Pennsylvania is $79,529. Compare that to the median salary in Vermont of $55,748, which ranked worst for organizational development specialists, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as an organizational development specialist, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for organizational development specialists in 2025
1. Pennsylvania
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 1,968 Average annual salary: $79,529 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
2. Virginia
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 796 Average annual salary: $93,235 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
3. Nevada
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 326 Average annual salary: $77,132 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
4. New Jersey
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 513 Average annual salary: $102,396 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.53
5. Illinois
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 935 Average annual salary: $81,300 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
6. Montana
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 92 Average annual salary: $78,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
7. Wyoming
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 137 Average annual salary: $69,160 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.86
8. North Carolina
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 664 Average annual salary: $80,442 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 0.56
9. District of Columbia
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 156 Average annual salary: $87,241 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
10. Washington
Total organizational development specialist jobs: 453 Average annual salary: $84,110 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 0.5
Organizational development specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an organizational development specialist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an organizational development specialist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $79,529 | $51,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,968 |
| 2 | Virginia | $93,235 | $60,000 | 8,470,020 | 796 |
| 3 | Nevada | $77,132 | $49,000 | 2,998,039 | 326 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $102,396 | $66,000 | 9,005,644 | 513 |
| 5 | Illinois | $81,300 | $53,000 | 12,802,023 | 935 |
| 6 | Montana | $78,906 | $51,000 | 1,050,493 | 92 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $69,160 | $46,000 | 579,315 | 137 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $80,442 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 664 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $87,241 | $56,000 | 693,972 | 156 |
| 10 | Washington | $84,110 | $53,000 | 7,405,743 | 453 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $68,907 | $46,000 | 869,666 | 202 |
| 12 | Michigan | $69,795 | $45,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,404 |
| 13 | Kansas | $69,592 | $46,000 | 2,913,123 | 530 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $71,479 | $46,000 | 2,984,100 | 273 |
| 15 | Georgia | $69,905 | $45,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,735 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $74,862 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 78 |
| 17 | Indiana | $69,623 | $45,000 | 6,666,818 | 987 |
| 18 | Delaware | $73,236 | $47,000 | 961,939 | 110 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $68,068 | $45,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,355 |
| 20 | California | $81,779 | $53,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,796 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $64,653 | $43,000 | 755,393 | 187 |
| 22 | Oregon | $73,706 | $46,000 | 4,142,776 | 276 |
| 23 | Ohio | $66,092 | $43,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,525 |
| 24 | New York | $75,656 | $49,000 | 19,849,399 | 875 |
| 25 | Texas | $64,979 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,122 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $68,290 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 372 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $73,578 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 202 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $65,506 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 838 |
| 29 | Maryland | $74,330 | $48,000 | 6,052,177 | 466 |
| 30 | Colorado | $71,470 | $47,000 | 5,607,154 | 449 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $62,368 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 411 |
| 32 | Alabama | $64,004 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 533 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $60,765 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 414 |
| 34 | Missouri | $64,524 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 875 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $67,171 | $41,000 | 1,342,795 | 125 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $59,547 | $47,000 | 1,427,538 | 153 |
| 37 | Arizona | $60,924 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,145 |
| 38 | Maine | $67,165 | $41,000 | 1,335,907 | 76 |
| 39 | Iowa | $60,708 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 561 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $59,287 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 453 |
| 41 | Alaska | $56,954 | $41,000 | 739,795 | 157 |
| 42 | Florida | $60,648 | $39,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,562 |
| 43 | Utah | $63,114 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 250 |
| 44 | Idaho | $61,803 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 139 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $57,393 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 952 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $58,809 | $38,000 | 3,930,864 | 454 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $63,690 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 526 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $54,057 | $35,000 | 4,454,189 | 562 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $56,816 | $36,000 | 5,024,369 | 629 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $48,608 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 231 |
| 51 | Vermont | $55,748 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 56 |
Highest paying states for organizational development specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. Organizational Development Specialist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $79,529 |
| 2 | Virginia | $93,235 |
| 3 | Nevada | $77,132 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $102,396 |
| 5 | Illinois | $81,300 |
| 6 | Montana | $78,906 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $69,160 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $80,442 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $87,241 |
| 10 | Washington | $84,110 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $68,907 |
| 12 | Michigan | $69,795 |
| 13 | Kansas | $69,592 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $71,479 |
| 15 | Georgia | $69,905 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $74,862 |
| 17 | Indiana | $69,623 |
| 18 | Delaware | $73,236 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $68,068 |
| 20 | California | $81,779 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $64,653 |
| 22 | Oregon | $73,706 |
| 23 | Ohio | $66,092 |
| 24 | New York | $75,656 |
| 25 | Texas | $64,979 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $68,290 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $73,578 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $65,506 |
| 29 | Maryland | $74,330 |
| 30 | Colorado | $71,470 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $62,368 |
| 32 | Alabama | $64,004 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $60,765 |
| 34 | Missouri | $64,524 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $67,171 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $59,547 |
| 37 | Arizona | $60,924 |
| 38 | Maine | $67,165 |
| 39 | Iowa | $60,708 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $59,287 |
| 41 | Alaska | $56,954 |
| 42 | Florida | $60,648 |
| 43 | Utah | $63,114 |
| 44 | Idaho | $61,803 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $57,393 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $58,809 |
| 47 | Massachusetts | $63,690 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $54,057 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $56,816 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $48,608 |
| 51 | Vermont | $55,748 |
Expert opinions on the best states for organizational development specialists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for organizational development specialists to find work opportunities?
Sue Dahlin
Associate Director of Career and Employer Engagement, University of Puget Sound
As History majors can go a lot of different directions with their degree, that's harder to pinpoint, but I can say this: when job markets tighten, it really helps for a candidate to be flexible about as much as possible, including where (geographically and by type of organization) they'll consider working. Starting in locations where you have a good network can be a good strategy. Always look at that first role out of school as a learning opportunity and a chance to build new skills. You don't have to be tied to it forever.
Organizational development specialist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025