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Community development specialist salary
Average community development specialist salary
$39,476
Average Community Development Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Community Development Specialist stands at $39,476 per year, translating to around $19 per hour. This position plays a crucial role in enhancing community initiatives and fostering civic engagement. Salaries can differ significantly based on factors such as geographical location and level of experience. For example, those in urban areas or with advanced degrees often earn more.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level specialists typically start around $30,000, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $50,000. In addition to salary, benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans are often included. Understanding the salary landscape allows professionals to negotiate effectively and seek careers that align with their financial goals.
Where Can You Earn More?
States like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries due to higher living costs and demand for community services. Researching local job markets can help specialists find positions that provide competitive compensation. Utilizing resources like Zippia can aid in job searches, salary comparisons, and career advancement strategies.
Let Zippia find your next community development specialist job
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Where can a Community Development Specialist earn more?
Community development specialist salaries by experience level
Community development specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average community development specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for community development specialists are New Jersey, California, and Pennsylvania. The lowest average community development specialist salary states are New Mexico, Florida, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for community development specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $52,999 | $25.48 |
| 2 | Montana | $43,061 | $20.70 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $59,240 | $28.48 |
| 4 | Delaware | $49,560 | $23.83 |
| 5 | Michigan | $42,683 | $20.52 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $67,077 | $32.25 |
| 7 | Nevada | $42,618 | $20.49 |
| 8 | Maryland | $50,427 | $24.24 |
| 9 | California | $55,780 | $26.82 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $37,440 | $18.00 |
| 11 | Ohio | $40,822 | $19.63 |
| 12 | Illinois | $46,769 | $22.49 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $37,576 | $18.07 |
| 14 | New York | $46,020 | $22.13 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $43,902 | $21.11 |
| 16 | Washington | $46,421 | $22.32 |
| 17 | Virginia | $47,001 | $22.60 |
| 18 | Texas | $35,263 | $16.95 |
| 19 | Maine | $40,794 | $19.61 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $35,524 | $17.08 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $44,911 | $21.59 |
| 22 | Indiana | $36,576 | $17.58 |
| 23 | Colorado | $42,406 | $20.39 |
| 24 | Kansas | $35,265 | $16.95 |
| 25 | Oregon | $39,461 | $18.97 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $38,655 | $18.58 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $33,007 | $15.87 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $37,127 | $17.85 |
| 29 | Alaska | $32,370 | $15.56 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $32,913 | $15.82 |
| 31 | Iowa | $33,046 | $15.89 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $36,823 | $17.70 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $34,953 | $16.80 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $33,606 | $16.16 |
| 35 | Georgia | $32,853 | $15.79 |
| 36 | Arizona | $31,044 | $14.93 |
| 37 | Missouri | $32,807 | $15.77 |
| 38 | Idaho | $33,632 | $16.17 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $29,826 | $14.34 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $31,105 | $14.95 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $32,481 | $15.62 |
| 42 | Vermont | $33,414 | $16.06 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $31,164 | $14.98 |
| 44 | Utah | $33,509 | $16.11 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $29,956 | $14.40 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $28,094 | $13.51 |
| 47 | Florida | $29,301 | $14.09 |
| 48 | Alabama | $30,067 | $14.46 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $28,324 | $13.62 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $28,235 | $13.57 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $27,291 | $13.12 |
Highest paying cities for community development specialists
The highest-paying cities for community development specialists are Trenton, NJ, Santa Rosa, CA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trenton, NJ | $68,459 | $32.91 |
| 2 | Santa Rosa, CA | $62,750 | $30.17 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $59,202 | $28.46 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $53,563 | $25.75 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $47,292 | $22.74 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $46,769 | $22.49 |
| 7 | Spokane, WA | $44,171 | $21.24 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | $43,261 | $20.80 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $42,536 | $20.45 |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | $40,667 | $19.55 |
| 11 | Hillsboro, OR | $39,412 | $18.95 |
| 12 | Fort Wayne, IN | $39,003 | $18.75 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $37,027 | $17.80 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $33,473 | $16.09 |
| 15 | Kenosha, WI | $33,457 | $16.09 |
| 16 | Florissant, MO | $33,422 | $16.07 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $32,798 | $15.77 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $31,213 | $15.01 |
| 19 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $31,135 | $14.97 |
| 20 | Chattanooga, TN | $30,878 | $14.85 |
Community development specialist salary details
A community development specialist's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $61,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a community development specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| Average | $39,476 | $3,290 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying community development specialist jobs
The highest paying types of community development specialists are senior technician specialist, development officer, and training specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trainer | $47,574 | $3,964 | $22.87 | 40,650 |
| Certified Trainer | $54,770 | $4,564 | $26.33 | 54,839 |
| Team Trainer | $31,576 | $2,631 | $15.18 | 54,150 |
| Facilitator | $44,851 | $3,738 | $21.56 | 30,474 |
| Corporate Trainer | $58,803 | $4,900 | $28.27 | 52,090 |
| Trainer Lead | $72,175 | $6,015 | $34.70 | 43,216 |
Top companies hiring community development specialists now:
Which companies pay community development specialists the most?
Community development specialist salaries at Fifth Third Bank and Deloitte are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average community development specialist salary at companies like Ibuypower and The PNC Financial Services Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fifth Third Bank | $93,904 | $45.15 |
| 2 | Deloitte | $76,816 | $36.93 |
| 3 | Ibuypower | $72,128 | $34.68 |
| 4 | The PNC Financial Services Group | $66,958 | $32.19 |
| 5 | Aftermath Services | $66,381 | $31.91 |
| 6 | Wikimedia Foundation | $54,243 | $26.08 |
| 7 | City of San Diego | $49,451 | $23.77 |
| 8 | City of Spokane | $45,418 | $21.84 |
| 9 | NC.gov | $45,158 | $21.71 |
| 10 | MSA Professional Services | $44,343 | $21.32 |
| 11 | City of Modesto | $44,018 | $21.16 |
| 12 | City of Henderson | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| 13 | City of St. Louis | $41,465 | $19.94 |
| 14 | State University of New York at Oswego | $40,922 | $19.67 |
| 15 | City Of Kenosha | $40,862 | $19.65 |
| 16 | City of Bakersfield | $40,498 | $19.47 |
| 17 | Youth Villages | $40,435 | $19.44 |
| 18 | Buncombe County Government | $40,416 | $19.43 |
| 19 | Cornerstone Care | $38,781 | $18.64 |
| 20 | Canadian Imperial Holdings, Inc. | $36,602 | $17.60 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Community Development Specialist salary by industry
The average community development specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average community development specialist salary in the professional industry is $50,329, the highest of any industry.
- The average community development specialist salary in the finance industry is $48,230.
- Community development specialists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $31,223, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for community development specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $50,329 | $24.20 |
| 2 | Government | $48,230 | $23.19 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $38,882 | $18.69 |
| 4 | Start-up | $36,952 | $17.77 |
| 5 | Health Care | $35,716 | $17.17 |
| 6 | Retail | $31,223 | $15.01 |
High paying community development specialist jobs
Community development specialist salary trends
The average community development specialist salary has risen by $4,753 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average community development specialist earned $34,723 annually, but today, they earn $39,476 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for community development specialists over the last decade.
Compare community development specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average community development specialist salary over time
Compare community development specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Community development specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $39,500 | $18.98 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $38,500 | $18.53 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | $38,300 | $18.42 | +0.8% |
| 2023 | $38,000 | $18.27 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $37,200 | $17.86 | +1.4% |
Recently added community development specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Independent School District | Parent/Community Specialist 1 (Multiple Positions) | Houston, TX | 05/23/2025 | $45,000 |
| Nphs | Community Lending Specialist | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 05/20/2025 | $50,000 |
| City of Arcata | Community Development Specialist I/II | Arcata, CA | 05/11/2025 | $53,141 |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc. | Community Specialist | Apache Mall | Rochester, MN | 04/24/2025 | $43,827 |
| Molina Healthcare | Community Engagement & Growth Specialist (Hesperia CA, Spanish Speaking) | Victorville, CA | 04/23/2025 | $47,604 |
| Chicago Board Options Exchange | Community Impact Specialist | Chicago, IL | 04/19/2025 | $72,250 |
| Molina Healthcare | Growth & Community Engagement Specialist, Madison WI | Madison, WI | 04/06/2025 | $37,649 |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc. | Community Specialist | Grayton Beach | Miramar Beach, FL | 04/05/2025 | $45,914 |
| Eliot Community Human Services | Stabilization Specialist, Community Crisis Stabilization (CCS)-FFS | Lynn, MA | 04/04/2025 | $48,001 |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc. | Community Specialist | Tacoma Mall | Tacoma, WA | 04/03/2025 | $46,958 |
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