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Best states for a youth development professional
Quoted expert
Dr. Carla Alphonso
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Do you want to become a youth development professional at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for youth development professionals that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research found that North Carolina is the best state for youth development professionals, while New Jersey and Virginia are ranked highest in terms of median salary. North Carolina has a median salary of $66,210 and New Jersey has the highest median salary among all 50 states for youth development professionals.
In order to get you the best states for youth development professionals, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the West is best for youth development professionals, and the South is the worst. Jersey City, NJ is the best city in the country for youth development professional jobs, where as North Carolina is the best state in the country.
10 best states for youth development professionals in 2026
1. North Carolina
Total youth development professional jobs: 1,536 Average annual salary: $66,210 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
2. West Virginia
Total youth development professional jobs: 275 Average annual salary: $60,560 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
3. New Jersey
Total youth development professional jobs: 647 Average annual salary: $85,042 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 0.68
4. New Mexico
Total youth development professional jobs: 360 Average annual salary: $51,361 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
5. Maryland
Total youth development professional jobs: 607 Average annual salary: $67,075 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
6. Michigan
Total youth development professional jobs: 1,208 Average annual salary: $53,234 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
7. New Hampshire
Total youth development professional jobs: 305 Average annual salary: $52,367 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
8. Pennsylvania
Total youth development professional jobs: 2,267 Average annual salary: $51,206 Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.63
9. District of Columbia
Total youth development professional jobs: 105 Average annual salary: $73,272 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.52
10. Nevada
Total youth development professional jobs: 314 Average annual salary: $54,899 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
Youth development professional jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a youth development professional
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a youth development professional
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | $66,210 | $31,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,536 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $60,560 | $28,000 | 1,815,857 | 275 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $85,042 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 647 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $51,361 | $27,000 | 2,088,070 | 360 |
| 5 | Maryland | $67,075 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 607 |
| 6 | Michigan | $53,234 | $26,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,208 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $52,367 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 305 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $51,206 | $23,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,267 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $73,272 | $35,000 | 693,972 | 105 |
| 10 | Nevada | $54,899 | $29,000 | 2,998,039 | 314 |
| 11 | Virginia | $70,684 | $33,000 | 8,470,020 | 510 |
| 12 | South Carolina | $53,978 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 599 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $49,517 | $28,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,534 |
| 14 | Texas | $63,730 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,068 |
| 15 | Indiana | $48,208 | $24,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,124 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $47,816 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 453 |
| 17 | California | $61,324 | $32,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,893 |
| 18 | Illinois | $58,517 | $30,000 | 12,802,023 | 681 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $47,257 | $23,000 | 6,715,984 | 896 |
| 20 | Georgia | $48,074 | $23,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,578 |
| 21 | New York | $54,238 | $25,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,354 |
| 22 | Delaware | $51,561 | $23,000 | 961,939 | 162 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $53,028 | $25,000 | 3,588,184 | 321 |
| 24 | Kansas | $45,309 | $24,000 | 2,913,123 | 465 |
| 25 | Ohio | $45,373 | $22,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,392 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $38,378 | $25,000 | 755,393 | 219 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $42,262 | $22,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,064 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $36,281 | $31,000 | 1,427,538 | 193 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | $46,288 | $22,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,317 |
| 30 | Iowa | $41,635 | $22,000 | 3,145,711 | 591 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $46,954 | $22,000 | 1,059,639 | 108 |
| 32 | Arizona | $47,222 | $24,000 | 7,016,270 | 467 |
| 33 | Maine | $44,181 | $23,000 | 1,335,907 | 156 |
| 34 | Alabama | $43,079 | $21,000 | 4,874,747 | 575 |
| 35 | Florida | $41,919 | $19,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,645 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $43,808 | $21,000 | 4,684,333 | 384 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $41,131 | $20,000 | 4,454,189 | 522 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $34,400 | $20,000 | 869,666 | 206 |
| 39 | Alaska | $26,646 | $23,000 | 739,795 | 241 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $33,840 | $19,000 | 1,920,076 | 376 |
| 41 | Vermont | $42,832 | $22,000 | 623,657 | 55 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $36,029 | $17,000 | 2,984,100 | 288 |
| 43 | Washington | $37,959 | $25,000 | 7,405,743 | 455 |
| 44 | Colorado | $36,909 | $21,000 | 5,607,154 | 658 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $35,263 | $18,000 | 3,930,864 | 381 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $32,295 | $20,000 | 579,315 | 77 |
| 47 | Missouri | $30,588 | $16,000 | 6,113,532 | 775 |
| 48 | Oregon | $34,955 | $21,000 | 4,142,776 | 263 |
| 49 | Montana | $28,618 | $20,000 | 1,050,493 | 122 |
| 50 | Idaho | $33,109 | $21,000 | 1,716,943 | 104 |
| 51 | Utah | $32,757 | $19,000 | 3,101,833 | 219 |
Highest paying states for youth development professionals
| Rank | State | Avg. Youth Development Professional Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | $66,210 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $60,560 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $85,042 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $51,361 |
| 5 | Maryland | $67,075 |
| 6 | Michigan | $53,234 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $52,367 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $51,206 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $73,272 |
| 10 | Nevada | $54,899 |
| 11 | Virginia | $70,684 |
| 12 | South Carolina | $53,978 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $49,517 |
| 14 | Texas | $63,730 |
| 15 | Indiana | $48,208 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $47,816 |
| 17 | California | $61,324 |
| 18 | Illinois | $58,517 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $47,257 |
| 20 | Georgia | $48,074 |
| 21 | New York | $54,238 |
| 22 | Delaware | $51,561 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $53,028 |
| 24 | Kansas | $45,309 |
| 25 | Ohio | $45,373 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $38,378 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $42,262 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $36,281 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | $46,288 |
| 30 | Iowa | $41,635 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $46,954 |
| 32 | Arizona | $47,222 |
| 33 | Maine | $44,181 |
| 34 | Alabama | $43,079 |
| 35 | Florida | $41,919 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $43,808 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $41,131 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $34,400 |
| 39 | Alaska | $26,646 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $33,840 |
| 41 | Vermont | $42,832 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $36,029 |
| 43 | Washington | $37,959 |
| 44 | Colorado | $36,909 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $35,263 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $32,295 |
| 47 | Missouri | $30,588 |
| 48 | Oregon | $34,955 |
| 49 | Montana | $28,618 |
| 50 | Idaho | $33,109 |
| 51 | Utah | $32,757 |
Expert opinions on the best states for youth development professionals
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for youth development professionals to find work opportunities?
Dr. Carla Alphonso
Professor of Sociology, Presbyterian College
Sociology students can easily find work wherever there are people and wherever there are social problems. In other words, just about anywhere! Again, due to the aging of the babyboom generation, I would recommend areas that have large proportions of elderly including Florida, Maine, and West Virginia. More jobs may be available in urban areas, but there are needs for workers with sociology skills in rural areas, too. More social services and non-profits are located in urban areas and especially in/around state capitals.
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Updated January 8, 2025