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The average salary for a shelter advocate is approximately $36,889 per year, which translates to about $18 per hour. Salaries can differ based on several factors, including years of experience and geographic location. For instance, those with more years in the field typically earn higher wages. Additionally, urban areas often offer better pay due to a higher cost of living.
In terms of location, states like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries for shelter advocates, reflecting the demand for services in these regions. For example, a shelter advocate in California might earn significantly more than the national average. This highlights the importance of considering job location when assessing potential earnings.
As the demand for social services grows, the need for shelter advocates continues to rise. Exploring job opportunities available in various sectors, such as non-profits and government agencies, can provide insight into potential earnings and career advancement. By understanding the salary landscape, you can better navigate your career path as a shelter advocate.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level shelter advocate | $25,600 | $12.31 |
| Mid-level shelter advocate | $36,300 | $17.47 |
| Senior-level shelter advocate | $41,700 | $20.05 |
The average shelter advocate salary in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average shelter advocate salary states are Georgia, Oklahoma, and Montana.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $42,660 | $20.51 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $43,283 | $20.81 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $42,495 | $20.43 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $42,911 | $20.63 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $44,101 | $21.20 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $41,810 | $20.10 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $38,927 | $18.71 |
| 8 | Texas | $39,315 | $18.90 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $50,097 | $24.09 |
| 10 | Illinois | $37,584 | $18.07 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $40,585 | $19.51 |
| 12 | Maine | $41,279 | $19.85 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $36,919 | $17.75 |
| 14 | Maryland | $40,187 | $19.32 |
| 15 | New York | $38,918 | $18.71 |
| 16 | Washington | $37,776 | $18.16 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $38,108 | $18.32 |
| 18 | Colorado | $37,371 | $17.97 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $36,219 | $17.41 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $40,288 | $19.37 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $37,315 | $17.94 |
| 22 | Kansas | $37,450 | $18.00 |
| 23 | Virginia | $38,753 | $18.63 |
| 24 | Iowa | $36,793 | $17.69 |
| 25 | Ohio | $33,925 | $16.31 |
| 26 | Delaware | $38,109 | $18.32 |
| 27 | Michigan | $33,349 | $16.03 |
| 28 | Oregon | $37,868 | $18.21 |
| 29 | Florida | $34,682 | $16.67 |
| 30 | California | $36,209 | $17.41 |
| 31 | Alaska | $37,108 | $17.84 |
| 32 | Idaho | $35,335 | $16.99 |
| 33 | Arizona | $33,473 | $16.09 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $35,000 | $16.83 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $34,213 | $16.45 |
| 36 | Vermont | $36,049 | $17.33 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $33,615 | $16.16 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $33,368 | $16.04 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $32,018 | $15.39 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $31,790 | $15.28 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $33,596 | $16.15 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $32,084 | $15.43 |
| 43 | Indiana | $30,462 | $14.65 |
| 44 | Alabama | $32,087 | $15.43 |
| 45 | Missouri | $31,415 | $15.10 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $29,992 | $14.42 |
| 47 | Georgia | $31,038 | $14.92 |
| 48 | Montana | $30,730 | $14.77 |
| 49 | Utah | $28,227 | $13.57 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $31,416 | $15.10 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $30,980 | $14.89 |
The highest-paying cities for shelter advocates are Boston, MA, Hilo, HI, and Austin, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $43,340 | $20.84 |
| 2 | Hilo, HI | $40,345 | $19.40 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $39,496 | $18.99 |
| 4 | Milwaukee, WI | $38,914 | $18.71 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $37,877 | $18.21 |
| 6 | Lawrence, KS | $37,500 | $18.03 |
| 7 | Saint Paul, MN | $36,909 | $17.74 |
| 8 | Norristown, PA | $36,458 | $17.53 |
| 9 | Oakland, CA | $36,303 | $17.45 |
| 10 | Burlington, VT | $35,916 | $17.27 |
| 11 | Tampa, FL | $34,554 | $16.61 |
| 12 | Bowling Green, OH | $33,905 | $16.30 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $33,435 | $16.07 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $28,202 | $13.56 |
A shelter advocate's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $36,889 | $3,074 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
The highest paying types of shelter advocates are resident, liaison, and outreach coordinator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liaison | $53,737 | $4,478 | $25.84 | 34,074 |
| Resident | $60,589 | $5,049 | $29.13 | 14,186 |
| Social Work Internship | $37,178 | $3,098 | $17.87 | 142,426 |
| Outreach Coordinator | $45,897 | $3,825 | $22.07 | 37,996 |
| Community Service Volunteer | $26,775 | $2,231 | $12.87 | 19,389 |
| Program Coordinator | $45,068 | $3,756 | $21.67 | 102,464 |
Top companies hiring shelter advocates now:
Shelter advocate salaries at Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking and S A F E Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average shelter advocate salary at companies like The Spring of Tampa Bay and The Women's Center are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking | $41,069 | $19.74 |
| 2 | S A F E Inc | $39,066 | $18.78 |
| 3 | The Spring of Tampa Bay | $38,750 | $18.63 |
| 4 | The Women's Center | $38,502 | $18.51 |
| 5 | Catholic Community Services of Lane County | $37,813 | $18.18 |
| 6 | Kings Community Action Organization | $37,651 | $18.10 |
| 7 | Catholic Community Services of Utah | $37,575 | $18.06 |
| 8 | ywcacentralmass | $37,541 | $18.05 |
| 9 | Community Advocates | $37,477 | $18.02 |
| 10 | Covenant House California | $36,748 | $17.67 |
| 11 | Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio | $36,632 | $17.61 |
| 12 | Harbor House of Central Florida | $36,582 | $17.59 |
| 13 | Americorps | $36,266 | $17.44 |
| 14 | Child & Family Service | $36,264 | $17.43 |
| 15 | Avalon Center | $36,077 | $17.34 |
| 16 | YWCA | $35,297 | $16.97 |
| 17 | Simpson Housing LLLP | $34,924 | $16.79 |
| 18 | The Salvation Army | $34,083 | $16.39 |
The average shelter advocate salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $38,256 | $18.39 |
| 2 | Professional | $38,140 | $18.34 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $37,107 | $17.84 |
| 4 | Health Care | $36,455 | $17.53 |
| 5 | Retail | $34,511 | $16.59 |
The average shelter advocate salary has risen by $7,407 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average shelter advocate earned $29,482 annually, but today, they earn $36,889 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for shelter advocates over the last decade.
Compare shelter advocate salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare shelter advocate salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,900 | $17.73 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $36,000 | $17.29 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $34,600 | $16.64 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $34,000 | $16.33 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $32,600 | $15.69 | +3.1% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sojourner Family Peace Center | Shelter and Hotline Advocate (FRI, SAT 4Pm-12Am) | Milwaukee, WI | 06/29/2025 | $38,610 |
| Insight Housing | Men's Shelter Resident Advocate (Sat/Sun, Day Shift) | Berkeley, CA | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| YWCA Clark County | Shelter Advocate-Temporary | Vancouver, WA | 06/27/2025 | $52,092 |
| Churches United for The Homeless | Shelter Advocate Float Hours As Available | Moorhead, MN | 06/26/2025 | $42,784 |
| Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities | Shelter Advocate | Saint Paul, MN | 06/22/2025 | $40,697 |
| Neighborimpact | Shelter Advocate | Bend, OR | 06/20/2025 | $55,243 |
| The Womens Center | Shelter Advocate Weekdays 2Nd Shift | Waukesha, WI | 06/19/2025 | $30,360 |
| Homeless Alliance | Day Shelter Advocate | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/19/2025 | $31,305 |
| Catholic Charities Twin Cities | Shelter Advocate Coordinator-Mary Frey Minneapolis | Minneapolis, MN | 06/17/2025 | $40,905 |
| Catholic Charities of The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis | Shelter Advocate Coordinator-Mary Frey Minneapolis | Minneapolis, MN | 06/16/2025 | $40,905 |
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