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Best states for a social work internship
Quoted expert
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for social work interns? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for social work internship jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for social work interns. We found that Alaska is the best state in the nation for social work interns, and people in Fairbanks earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for social work interns, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a social work internship, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for social work interns in 2026
1. Alaska
Total social work internship jobs: 225 Average annual salary: $65,442 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 2.43
2. North Dakota
Total social work internship jobs: 140 Average annual salary: $53,664 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
3. Idaho
Total social work internship jobs: 292 Average annual salary: $45,664 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
4. Washington
Total social work internship jobs: 1,039 Average annual salary: $49,623 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
5. Connecticut
Total social work internship jobs: 533 Average annual salary: $45,939 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
6. Oregon
Total social work internship jobs: 509 Average annual salary: $49,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
7. Rhode Island
Total social work internship jobs: 192 Average annual salary: $43,819 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
8. Hawaii
Total social work internship jobs: 158 Average annual salary: $49,797 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Location Quotient: 1.7
9. Massachusetts
Total social work internship jobs: 1,604 Average annual salary: $43,231 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
10. Vermont
Total social work internship jobs: 160 Average annual salary: $41,343 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.88
Social work internship jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a social work internship
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a social work internship
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $65,442 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 225 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $53,664 | $41,000 | 755,393 | 140 |
| 3 | Idaho | $45,664 | $34,000 | 1,716,943 | 292 |
| 4 | Washington | $49,623 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,039 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $45,939 | $32,000 | 3,588,184 | 533 |
| 6 | Oregon | $49,410 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 509 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $43,819 | $31,000 | 1,059,639 | 192 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $49,797 | $43,000 | 1,427,538 | 158 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $43,231 | $31,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,604 |
| 10 | Vermont | $41,343 | $30,000 | 623,657 | 160 |
| 11 | Iowa | $42,757 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 398 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $41,908 | $30,000 | 1,342,795 | 243 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $39,045 | $29,000 | 579,315 | 112 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $45,362 | $31,000 | 693,972 | 215 |
| 15 | Maine | $38,808 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 316 |
| 16 | California | $43,782 | $31,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,621 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $43,140 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 482 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $42,936 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 604 |
| 19 | Illinois | $41,844 | $30,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,264 |
| 20 | New York | $40,254 | $28,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,891 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $36,598 | $27,000 | 869,666 | 178 |
| 22 | Nevada | $40,837 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 205 |
| 23 | Montana | $37,463 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 170 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $37,560 | $27,000 | 1,920,076 | 255 |
| 25 | Colorado | $38,593 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 731 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $38,850 | $27,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,136 |
| 27 | Michigan | $36,336 | $26,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,000 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $39,413 | $27,000 | 9,005,644 | 815 |
| 29 | Arizona | $35,780 | $26,000 | 7,016,270 | 669 |
| 30 | Ohio | $36,846 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 734 |
| 31 | Maryland | $36,200 | $25,000 | 6,052,177 | 827 |
| 32 | Kansas | $36,400 | $26,000 | 2,913,123 | 268 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $33,562 | $24,000 | 2,088,070 | 266 |
| 34 | Utah | $34,093 | $25,000 | 3,101,833 | 392 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $34,175 | $25,000 | 3,930,864 | 320 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $33,049 | $23,000 | 1,815,857 | 162 |
| 37 | Florida | $34,672 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,590 |
| 38 | Virginia | $35,633 | $25,000 | 8,470,020 | 870 |
| 39 | Delaware | $30,349 | $21,000 | 961,939 | 196 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $31,010 | $22,000 | 4,454,189 | 365 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $32,802 | $23,000 | 10,273,419 | 764 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $29,902 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 294 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $31,289 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 467 |
| 44 | Missouri | $32,036 | $23,000 | 6,113,532 | 476 |
| 45 | Georgia | $30,465 | $22,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,085 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $29,895 | $21,000 | 2,984,100 | 223 |
| 47 | Texas | $31,177 | $22,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,612 |
| 48 | Indiana | $30,268 | $21,000 | 6,666,818 | 593 |
| 49 | Alabama | $30,097 | $22,000 | 4,874,747 | 320 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $27,529 | $19,000 | 4,684,333 | 342 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $30,279 | $22,000 | 5,024,369 | 322 |
Highest paying states for social work interns
| Rank | State | Avg. Social Work Internship Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $65,442 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $53,664 |
| 3 | Idaho | $45,664 |
| 4 | Washington | $49,623 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $45,939 |
| 6 | Oregon | $49,410 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $43,819 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $49,797 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $43,231 |
| 10 | Vermont | $41,343 |
| 11 | Iowa | $42,757 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $41,908 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $39,045 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $45,362 |
| 15 | Maine | $38,808 |
| 16 | California | $43,782 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $43,140 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $42,936 |
| 19 | Illinois | $41,844 |
| 20 | New York | $40,254 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $36,598 |
| 22 | Nevada | $40,837 |
| 23 | Montana | $37,463 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $37,560 |
| 25 | Colorado | $38,593 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $38,850 |
| 27 | Michigan | $36,336 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $39,413 |
| 29 | Arizona | $35,780 |
| 30 | Ohio | $36,846 |
| 31 | Maryland | $36,200 |
| 32 | Kansas | $36,400 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $33,562 |
| 34 | Utah | $34,093 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $34,175 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $33,049 |
| 37 | Florida | $34,672 |
| 38 | Virginia | $35,633 |
| 39 | Delaware | $30,349 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $31,010 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $32,802 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $29,902 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $31,289 |
| 44 | Missouri | $32,036 |
| 45 | Georgia | $30,465 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $29,895 |
| 47 | Texas | $31,177 |
| 48 | Indiana | $30,268 |
| 49 | Alabama | $30,097 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $27,529 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $30,279 |
Expert opinions on the best states for social work interns
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for social work internships 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