Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other Salary

SOC Code: 21-1099 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$54,940
Mean Salary
$58,360
Employment
110,390
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$36,470
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$83,210

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$36,470 25th percentile
$45,420 Median (50th)
$54,940 75th percentile
$67,590 90th percentile
$83,210

Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
North Dakota$74,700$73,340220$44,810$103,460
Wyoming$74,060$66,36080$39,960$74,150
Virginia$70,300$69,9502,110$49,620$90,850
District of Columbia$67,440$74,220440$48,770$105,930
New York$63,850$68,750N/A$49,280$91,660
Washington$61,980$67,3904,790$44,830$97,590
Massachusetts$61,650$64,6001,600$43,970$86,620
New Jersey$60,930$62,7705,290$41,370$83,730
Rhode Island$60,020$63,460360$46,260$98,160
California$56,820$62,69016,040$38,280$96,890
Colorado$56,700$59,3306,040$38,520$82,150
Florida$54,840$58,4304,720$37,500$83,390
Wisconsin$54,670$54,160740$35,040$70,880
Connecticut$54,560$59,8901,290$36,410$100,010
Indiana$54,530$54,380380$34,610$73,760
Pennsylvania$54,450$59,4502,990$44,270$87,960
Hawaii$54,430$57,3001,260$37,010$83,380
Delaware$54,230$56,050400$42,130$79,040
New Hampshire$53,860$57,1101,660$41,860$78,920
North Carolina$53,860$56,8603,510$37,910$77,590
Ohio$53,810$58,320730$32,040$90,790
Tennessee$52,210$51,6002,050$35,290$66,760
Nebraska$52,130$52,620260$42,530$62,730
New Mexico$51,810$52,290130$42,920$63,040
Minnesota$51,750$56,9302,950$38,120$81,240
Arizona$51,590$54,960480$39,760$71,470
Vermont$51,540$54,6302,540$44,840$67,350
Nevada$51,210$50,390310$31,660$75,090
Oregon$50,200$54,8801,620$40,310$76,680
South Carolina$49,990$51,390370$32,380$73,100
Michigan$49,970$52,9002,460$34,960$70,390
Missouri$49,440$52,9201,330$38,790$79,640
Kentucky$49,320$51,610170$37,420$70,140
Maryland$49,300$54,6303,390$35,060$86,620
Alaska$49,050$60,170380$33,480$82,410
Texas$48,240$49,8306,570$30,490$69,930
Montana$47,100$50,690570$37,230$73,870
Idaho$46,650$49,730110$32,780$69,780
Louisiana$46,120$47,4405,720$28,100$68,340
Maine$45,140$47,94070$34,480$60,690
Kansas$44,910$44,770730$24,660$63,590
Iowa$44,530$41,990330$25,000$57,660
Oklahoma$43,200$44,69040$36,990$59,970
Georgia$42,650$49,2604,040$31,490$78,490
Utah$42,210$50,210290$34,170$76,560
Mississippi$41,660$44,580880$29,080$63,410
Arkansas$40,610$42,020480$28,480$57,300
West Virginia$40,260$46,480330$29,610$73,840
Illinois$40,050$43,8302,850$32,860$57,720
Alabama$24,340$30,77070$20,040$48,950

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
State College, PA$87,960$78,350170
Grand Forks, ND-MN$84,610$73,40050
Columbus, OH$79,160$77,440250
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$77,720$75,190260
Ithaca, NY$76,010$75,640140
Bismarck, ND$75,630$77,22050
Richmond, VA$74,890$74,3801,150
Kingston, NY$71,970$71,23040
Utica-Rome, NY$70,370$68,380100
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$69,570$72,040220
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$69,400$71,590580
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA$69,080$73,410250
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$67,480$73,1602,110
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$66,060$67,0901,010
Glens Falls, NY$65,920$63,74030
Rochester, NY$65,700$67,540440
Roanoke, VA$65,430$64,27070
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$63,810$69,6802,770
Syracuse, NY$63,790$68,030250
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$63,760$72,3201,020

About Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of community and social service specialists, all others earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.