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Best states for a social services manager
Quoted expert
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for social services managers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for social services manager jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.In fact, our research shows that District of Columbia is the best state for social services managers in America. The best city in America for social services managers with the highest pay is Washington, DC.
District of Columbia is the best state for jobs for social services managers, and Missouri is the worst. The most common pay in District of Columbia is $80,952, while the median pay in Missouri is $40,900.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for social services manager jobs, whereas Missouri is the worst.
10 best states for social services managers in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total social services manager jobs: 552 Average annual salary: $80,952 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
2. Connecticut
Total social services manager jobs: 879 Average annual salary: $70,583 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
3. New York
Total social services manager jobs: 3,133 Average annual salary: $71,812 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
4. Nevada
Total social services manager jobs: 425 Average annual salary: $74,111 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
5. California
Total social services manager jobs: 8,030 Average annual salary: $67,427 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
6. Arizona
Total social services manager jobs: 1,505 Average annual salary: $61,950 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
7. New Mexico
Total social services manager jobs: 380 Average annual salary: $68,008 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
8. New Jersey
Total social services manager jobs: 1,620 Average annual salary: $67,304 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
9. Maryland
Total social services manager jobs: 1,443 Average annual salary: $65,279 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
10. Pennsylvania
Total social services manager jobs: 2,425 Average annual salary: $61,903 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
Social services manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a social services manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a social services manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $80,952 | $49,000 | 693,972 | 552 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $70,583 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 879 |
| 3 | New York | $71,812 | $44,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,133 |
| 4 | Nevada | $74,111 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 425 |
| 5 | California | $67,427 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 8,030 |
| 6 | Arizona | $61,950 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,505 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $68,008 | $43,000 | 2,088,070 | 380 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $67,304 | $41,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,620 |
| 9 | Maryland | $65,279 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,443 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $61,903 | $37,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,425 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $62,584 | $39,000 | 1,342,795 | 371 |
| 12 | Washington | $55,394 | $34,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,122 |
| 13 | Delaware | $62,164 | $38,000 | 961,939 | 233 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $54,221 | $34,000 | 3,004,279 | 593 |
| 15 | Maine | $53,296 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 382 |
| 16 | Michigan | $54,991 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,589 |
| 17 | Virginia | $60,672 | $37,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,847 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $54,078 | $33,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,696 |
| 19 | Colorado | $57,058 | $37,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,334 |
| 20 | Idaho | $52,131 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 432 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $51,496 | $31,000 | 1,059,639 | 346 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $54,556 | $40,000 | 1,427,538 | 296 |
| 23 | Florida | $52,368 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,600 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $54,320 | $33,000 | 2,984,100 | 337 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $55,126 | $36,000 | 5,795,483 | 689 |
| 26 | Iowa | $48,808 | $32,000 | 3,145,711 | 937 |
| 27 | Texas | $53,013 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,839 |
| 28 | Oregon | $51,563 | $32,000 | 4,142,776 | 954 |
| 29 | Kansas | $51,667 | $34,000 | 2,913,123 | 519 |
| 30 | Illinois | $49,803 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,897 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $46,768 | $29,000 | 1,815,857 | 331 |
| 32 | Ohio | $50,096 | $31,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,703 |
| 33 | Utah | $48,193 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 717 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $50,935 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 145 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $46,526 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 143 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $49,156 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 784 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $48,331 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 619 |
| 38 | Alaska | $43,885 | $30,000 | 739,795 | 226 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $48,989 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,616 |
| 40 | Vermont | $47,104 | $29,000 | 623,657 | 155 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $46,341 | $29,000 | 4,454,189 | 674 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $42,940 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,511 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $42,045 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 452 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $45,358 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 572 |
| 45 | Georgia | $43,677 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,055 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $44,449 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 995 |
| 47 | Montana | $40,552 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 263 |
| 48 | Alabama | $45,738 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 563 |
| 49 | Indiana | $39,751 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,223 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $38,814 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 181 |
| 51 | Missouri | $40,900 | $26,000 | 6,113,532 | 943 |
Highest paying states for social services managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Social Services Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $80,952 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $70,583 |
| 3 | New York | $71,812 |
| 4 | Nevada | $74,111 |
| 5 | California | $67,427 |
| 6 | Arizona | $61,950 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $68,008 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $67,304 |
| 9 | Maryland | $65,279 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $61,903 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $62,584 |
| 12 | Washington | $55,394 |
| 13 | Delaware | $62,164 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $54,221 |
| 15 | Maine | $53,296 |
| 16 | Michigan | $54,991 |
| 17 | Virginia | $60,672 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $54,078 |
| 19 | Colorado | $57,058 |
| 20 | Idaho | $52,131 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $51,496 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $54,556 |
| 23 | Florida | $52,368 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $54,320 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $55,126 |
| 26 | Iowa | $48,808 |
| 27 | Texas | $53,013 |
| 28 | Oregon | $51,563 |
| 29 | Kansas | $51,667 |
| 30 | Illinois | $49,803 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $46,768 |
| 32 | Ohio | $50,096 |
| 33 | Utah | $48,193 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $50,935 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $46,526 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $49,156 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $48,331 |
| 38 | Alaska | $43,885 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $48,989 |
| 40 | Vermont | $47,104 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $46,341 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $42,940 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $42,045 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $45,358 |
| 45 | Georgia | $43,677 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $44,449 |
| 47 | Montana | $40,552 |
| 48 | Alabama | $45,738 |
| 49 | Indiana | $39,751 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $38,814 |
| 51 | Missouri | $40,900 |
Expert opinions on the best states for social services managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for social services managers to find work opportunities?
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Comparative American Studies and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, Oberlin College
One great thing about a degree in these interdisciplinary fields is that it opens many job possibilities. Graduates from these fields may do all sorts of different work for nonprofits or NGOs in the education sector, politics, research, writing and editing, and healthcare settings.
With the pandemic, there has been so much variability state-by-state in terms of spread, plans for reopening, and what remains closed, that it's hard to say which places may be better to look for work. I know some recent graduates are still landing jobs and making big moves all over the United States for those jobs, while others are taking on remote work and choosing where they will live. I recommend, if one is able, casting a wide net, being open to new places or job possibilities you might not have initially imagined for yourself.
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Updated January 8, 2025