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Best states for a social services assistant
Quoted expert
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you want to become a social services assistant at The Salvation Army, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for social services assistants that you can check out, before you begin your journey. 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 social services assistant jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for social services assistants. Washington is the best state for social services assistants, where the median salary is $46,821.We found that Washington is the best state for social services assistant jobs, whereas Georgia is the worst.
10 best states for social services assistants in 2026
1. Washington
Total social services assistant jobs: 1,774 Average annual salary: $46,821 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
2. New York
Total social services assistant jobs: 2,998 Average annual salary: $43,149 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. New Mexico
Total social services assistant jobs: 366 Average annual salary: $45,725 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
4. North Dakota
Total social services assistant jobs: 170 Average annual salary: $42,862 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
5. California
Total social services assistant jobs: 6,480 Average annual salary: $43,674 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
6. Nevada
Total social services assistant jobs: 375 Average annual salary: $41,366 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
7. Arizona
Total social services assistant jobs: 1,262 Average annual salary: $38,950 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
8. Arkansas
Total social services assistant jobs: 549 Average annual salary: $37,642 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. New Hampshire
Total social services assistant jobs: 356 Average annual salary: $39,322 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
10. Minnesota
Total social services assistant jobs: 1,744 Average annual salary: $37,746 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
Social services assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a social services assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a social services assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $46,821 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,774 |
| 2 | New York | $43,149 | $33,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,998 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $45,725 | $34,000 | 2,088,070 | 366 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $42,862 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 170 |
| 5 | California | $43,674 | $32,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,480 |
| 6 | Nevada | $41,366 | $31,000 | 2,998,039 | 375 |
| 7 | Arizona | $38,950 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,262 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $37,642 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 549 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $39,322 | $32,000 | 1,342,795 | 356 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $37,746 | $30,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,744 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $39,045 | $31,000 | 3,588,184 | 726 |
| 12 | Oregon | $40,052 | $31,000 | 4,142,776 | 799 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $42,049 | $32,000 | 693,972 | 354 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $36,330 | $28,000 | 579,315 | 132 |
| 15 | Texas | $38,621 | $28,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,504 |
| 16 | Illinois | $39,317 | $30,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,234 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $36,997 | $28,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,278 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $38,328 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 352 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $39,899 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 607 |
| 20 | Maine | $36,049 | $30,000 | 1,335,907 | 391 |
| 21 | Alaska | $37,464 | $33,000 | 739,795 | 264 |
| 22 | Colorado | $38,172 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,302 |
| 23 | Montana | $37,057 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 239 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $36,378 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 436 |
| 25 | Maryland | $37,604 | $28,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,490 |
| 26 | Idaho | $36,678 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 336 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $36,384 | $29,000 | 1,059,639 | 251 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $37,752 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 708 |
| 29 | Delaware | $37,735 | $28,000 | 961,939 | 219 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $35,617 | $28,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,527 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $36,960 | $28,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,558 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $36,327 | $28,000 | 1,427,538 | 214 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $36,577 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,405 |
| 34 | Kansas | $36,118 | $27,000 | 2,913,123 | 398 |
| 35 | Florida | $34,860 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,226 |
| 36 | Iowa | $33,534 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 775 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $34,729 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 500 |
| 38 | Michigan | $33,731 | $26,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,483 |
| 39 | Utah | $34,005 | $26,000 | 3,101,833 | 626 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $32,015 | $24,000 | 1,815,857 | 338 |
| 41 | Virginia | $36,088 | $27,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,566 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $33,682 | $25,000 | 6,715,984 | 974 |
| 43 | Missouri | $35,374 | $27,000 | 6,113,532 | 919 |
| 44 | Ohio | $33,253 | $25,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,680 |
| 45 | Indiana | $32,865 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,159 |
| 46 | Vermont | $32,599 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 149 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $32,096 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 201 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $32,504 | $23,000 | 4,684,333 | 572 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $31,612 | $24,000 | 4,454,189 | 664 |
| 50 | Alabama | $31,448 | $23,000 | 4,874,747 | 530 |
| 51 | Georgia | $31,190 | $23,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,687 |
Highest paying states for social services assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Social Services Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $46,821 |
| 2 | New York | $43,149 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $45,725 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $42,862 |
| 5 | California | $43,674 |
| 6 | Nevada | $41,366 |
| 7 | Arizona | $38,950 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $37,642 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $39,322 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $37,746 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $39,045 |
| 12 | Oregon | $40,052 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $42,049 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $36,330 |
| 15 | Texas | $38,621 |
| 16 | Illinois | $39,317 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $36,997 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $38,328 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $39,899 |
| 20 | Maine | $36,049 |
| 21 | Alaska | $37,464 |
| 22 | Colorado | $38,172 |
| 23 | Montana | $37,057 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $36,378 |
| 25 | Maryland | $37,604 |
| 26 | Idaho | $36,678 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $36,384 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $37,752 |
| 29 | Delaware | $37,735 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $35,617 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $36,960 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $36,327 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $36,577 |
| 34 | Kansas | $36,118 |
| 35 | Florida | $34,860 |
| 36 | Iowa | $33,534 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $34,729 |
| 38 | Michigan | $33,731 |
| 39 | Utah | $34,005 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $32,015 |
| 41 | Virginia | $36,088 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $33,682 |
| 43 | Missouri | $35,374 |
| 44 | Ohio | $33,253 |
| 45 | Indiana | $32,865 |
| 46 | Vermont | $32,599 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $32,096 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $32,504 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $31,612 |
| 50 | Alabama | $31,448 |
| 51 | Georgia | $31,190 |
Expert opinions on the best states for social services assistants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for social services assistants to find work opportunities?
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella
Professor, MSW Program Coordinator, Southern Connecticut State University
Social workers are needed everywhere -- from rural settings to small towns, to large cities. Social work is one of the fastest-growing professions in the U.S.
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Updated January 8, 2025