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Disability specialist salary
Average disability specialist salary
$48,662
Understanding the Disability Specialist Salary
A Disability Specialist plays a vital role in advocating for individuals with disabilities, helping them access resources and support. As of October 2025, the average salary for a Disability Specialist is $48,662 per year, or approximately $23 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment.
Salary Variance by State
Different states present varied salary ranges for Disability Specialists. For instance, specialists in states like California and New York often earn higher than those in Midwest regions. Understanding these geographical differences is essential for job seekers in this field.
Experience Level Impact
Experience significantly affects salary; entry-level specialists may start around $35,000, while experienced professionals can reach up to $65,000 depending on their expertise and job responsibilities. This variability highlights the importance of career development in maximizing earning potential.
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Where can a Disability Specialist earn more?
Disability specialist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level disability specialist | $33,800 | $16.23 |
| Mid-level disability specialist | $47,900 | $23.04 |
| Senior-level disability specialist | $55,000 | $26.46 |
Disability specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average disability specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for disability specialists are Illinois, Nevada, and Colorado. The lowest average disability specialist salary states are Montana, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for disability specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $72,747 | $34.97 |
| 2 | Nevada | $67,968 | $32.68 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $61,927 | $29.77 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $62,772 | $30.18 |
| 5 | New York | $62,792 | $30.19 |
| 6 | Washington | $66,607 | $32.02 |
| 7 | Illinois | $70,728 | $34.00 |
| 8 | Colorado | $67,833 | $32.61 |
| 9 | Arizona | $59,492 | $28.60 |
| 10 | Iowa | $56,057 | $26.95 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $60,588 | $29.13 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $61,893 | $29.76 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $57,923 | $27.85 |
| 14 | Delaware | $57,217 | $27.51 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $66,288 | $31.87 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $62,508 | $30.05 |
| 17 | Oregon | $59,443 | $28.58 |
| 18 | California | $66,953 | $32.19 |
| 19 | Maine | $57,471 | $27.63 |
| 20 | Michigan | $56,921 | $27.37 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $52,120 | $25.06 |
| 22 | Kansas | $57,310 | $27.55 |
| 23 | Florida | $54,298 | $26.10 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $58,974 | $28.35 |
| 25 | Idaho | $55,217 | $26.55 |
| 26 | Virginia | $56,721 | $27.27 |
| 27 | Alaska | $54,406 | $26.16 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $60,963 | $29.31 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $52,113 | $25.05 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $56,185 | $27.01 |
| 31 | Vermont | $51,009 | $24.52 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $47,807 | $22.98 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $48,563 | $23.35 |
| 34 | Texas | $51,486 | $24.75 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $52,535 | $25.26 |
| 36 | Maryland | $50,254 | $24.16 |
| 37 | Alabama | $48,187 | $23.17 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $48,425 | $23.28 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $50,075 | $24.07 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $47,794 | $22.98 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $47,340 | $22.76 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $48,229 | $23.19 |
| 43 | Ohio | $48,179 | $23.16 |
| 44 | Montana | $47,666 | $22.92 |
| 45 | Utah | $48,311 | $23.23 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $45,968 | $22.10 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $49,709 | $23.90 |
| 48 | Rhode Island | $48,351 | $23.25 |
| 49 | Missouri | $45,668 | $21.96 |
| 50 | Georgia | $41,583 | $19.99 |
| 51 | Indiana | $42,820 | $20.59 |
Highest paying cities for disability specialists
The highest-paying cities for disability specialists are Washington, DC, Gurnee, IL, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $72,781 | $34.99 |
| 2 | Gurnee, IL | $71,111 | $34.19 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $68,000 | $32.69 |
| 4 | Alameda, CA | $67,919 | $32.65 |
| 5 | Everett, WA | $66,732 | $32.08 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $62,879 | $30.23 |
| 7 | Bridgeport, CT | $62,861 | $30.22 |
| 8 | Attleboro, MA | $62,288 | $29.95 |
| 9 | Cliffside Park, NJ | $61,024 | $29.34 |
| 10 | Eugene, OR | $59,493 | $28.60 |
| 11 | Scottsdale, AZ | $59,486 | $28.60 |
| 12 | Richmond, VA | $56,555 | $27.19 |
| 13 | Clearwater, FL | $54,584 | $26.24 |
| 14 | Cheyenne, WY | $52,022 | $25.01 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $51,889 | $24.95 |
| 16 | Minneapolis, MN | $49,705 | $23.90 |
| 17 | Baton Rouge, LA | $48,505 | $23.32 |
| 18 | Auburn, AL | $48,134 | $23.14 |
| 19 | Bethlehem, PA | $47,985 | $23.07 |
| 20 | Dayton, OH | $47,318 | $22.75 |
Disability specialist salary details
A disability specialist's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $80,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a disability specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| 75th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| Average | $48,662 | $4,055 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying disability specialist jobs
The highest paying types of disability specialists are assessment specialist, specialist, and child life specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addictions Counselor | $47,226 | $3,936 | $22.70 | 79,459 |
| Therapeutic Support Staff | $34,086 | $2,841 | $16.39 | 192,172 |
| Mental Health Consultant | $51,006 | $4,251 | $24.52 | 127,233 |
| School Social Worker | $54,856 | $4,571 | $26.37 | 122,376 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for disability specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Kate Seltzer Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Top companies hiring disability specialists now:
Which companies pay disability specialists the most?
Disability specialist salaries at Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average disability specialist salary at companies like CDC Foundation and RemX are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | $77,523 | $37.27 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $76,920 | $36.98 |
| 3 | CDC Foundation | $71,787 | $34.51 |
| 4 | RemX | $71,009 | $34.14 |
| 5 | Rutgers University | $69,634 | $33.48 |
| 6 | Law School Admission Council | $65,517 | $31.50 |
| 7 | Ibero American Action League | $65,496 | $31.49 |
| 8 | Boeing | $63,737 | $30.64 |
| 9 | The University System of Maryland Foundation | $62,898 | $30.24 |
| 10 | One Vision | $62,298 | $29.95 |
| 11 | Broward County Public Schools | $62,214 | $29.91 |
| 12 | Peoples Health | $59,059 | $28.39 |
| 13 | Universal Health Services | $57,026 | $27.42 |
| 14 | The City University of New York | $56,961 | $27.39 |
| 15 | Washington College | $56,468 | $27.15 |
| 16 | Via of the Lehigh Valley | $55,040 | $26.46 |
| 17 | Deschutes County | $54,020 | $25.97 |
| 18 | The Mosaic Company | $53,816 | $25.87 |
| 19 | Avondale House | $52,315 | $25.15 |
| 20 | Lane County Engineer | $51,866 | $24.94 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Disability specialist salary trends
The average disability specialist salary has risen by $9,771 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average disability specialist earned $38,891 annually, but today, they earn $48,662 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for disability specialists over the last decade.
Compare disability specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average disability specialist salary over time
Compare disability specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Disability specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $48,700 | $23.40 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | $47,400 | $22.81 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $45,700 | $21.96 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $44,800 | $21.55 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $43,000 | $20.70 | +3.1% |
Recently added disability specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County | Disabilities Specialist | Santa Maria, CA | 06/28/2025 | $51,632 |
| Children's Institute, Inc. | Disabilities Specialist | Los Angeles, CA | 06/22/2025 | $55,827 |
| Mainepers | Disability Specialist | Augusta, ME | 06/16/2025 | $65,407 |
| Maine Public Employees | Disability Specialist | Augusta, ME | 06/12/2025 | $65,407 |
| Augsburg University | Disability Specialist | Minneapolis, MN | 06/10/2025 | $44,800 |
| Viaquest | Payeeship Specialist-Developmental Disabilities Bookkeeper | Dublin, OH | 06/06/2025 | $45,000 |
| Wv Secretary of State | Disability Evaluation Specialist-Commerce-Rehabilitation Services-Kanawha CO. | Charleston, WV | 05/26/2025 | $50,589 |
| Pathfinder | Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (Qidp) | Wabash, IN | 05/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| State of North Dakota | Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional Qidp | Grafton, ND | 05/24/2025 | $61,440 |
| Deschutes County, or | Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Specialist I | Bend, OR | 05/23/2025 | $60,662 |
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