Education, Social Impact and Public Sector Salaries by State
Compare education, teaching, social services, public policy, government, defense, and public safety salary ranges by U.S. state and metro. Choose a role and market to see employer-posted base salary ranges. See methodology.
Role Salaries by State
Each cell shows the mid listed salary for a selected role in a state or metro when enough postings include salary ranges.
Role Salary Range
Bars show lower to higher listed salary ranges. The marker shows the mid listed salary.
Top Salary Markets
States by median salary
| Market | Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $128K |
| Alabama | $97K |
| Virginia | $90K |
| Maryland | $78K |
| Colorado | $76K |
| Utah | $75K |
| California | $69K |
| Mississippi | $67K |
States after cost of living adjustment
| Market | Adjusted |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $116K |
| Alabama | $109K |
| Virginia | $89K |
| Mississippi | $77K |
| Utah | $76K |
| Maryland | $74K |
| Colorado | $73K |
| Missouri | $66K |
Metros by median salary
| Market | Salary |
|---|---|
| Decatur, AL | $126K |
| Huntsville, AL | $126K |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $115K |
| Dayton-Kettering, OH | $112K |
| Springfield, OH | $110K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $107K |
| Toledo, OH | $94K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $93K |
Role Salary Highlights
| Role | Lower | Mid | Higher | Top state shown | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Salaries Roles focused on shaping, advising, and managing interactions between organizations and governmental bodies to influence public policy and regulatory frameworks. |
$117K | $166K | $213K | Illinois ($209K) | 696 |
| Defense Analyst Salaries Defense And Security Analyst |
$95K | $126K | $160K | Washington ($146K) | 4,486 |
| Instructional Design Salaries Learning And Instructional Design |
$75K | $96K | $122K | Indiana ($157K) | 999 |
| Nonprofit Development Salaries Roles focused on building and managing relationships to support non-profit growth and sustainability. |
$65K | $86K | $124K | District of Columbia ($108K) | 1,668 |
| Teaching Salaries This category encompasses roles focused on teaching and supporting students in various subjects across elementary, middle, and high school levels. |
$53K | $70K | $86K | New York ($91K) | 1,021 |
| Special Education Salaries This category encompasses roles focused on supporting and educating students with special needs, including teaching, counseling, and psychological services in educational settings. |
$48K | $60K | $86K | Indiana ($131K) | 2,597 |
| Youth Development Salaries Roles focused on guiding, coaching, and supporting youth in educational and extracurricular settings. |
$42K | $53K | $70K | Connecticut ($83K) | 2,786 |
| Education Administration Salaries Roles focused on managing and supporting educational institutions and student services. |
$41K | $52K | $70K | Connecticut ($69K) | 3,204 |
| Social Services Salaries Jobs focused on providing support and assistance to individuals and communities in need, including foster care, outreach, case management, and protective services. |
$42K | $52K | $66K | Limited state coverage | 7,829 |
| Education Support Salaries Roles focused on assisting and supporting teachers and students in educational settings. |
$37K | $47K | $66K | Limited state coverage | 7,522 |
| Education & Training Salaries Roles focused on teaching, tutoring, and facilitating learning across various subjects and languages. |
$36K | $47K | $70K | Limited state coverage | 1,602 |
| Direct Support Salaries Professionals providing care and support to individuals with disabilities in various community and home settings. |
$38K | $42K | $49K | Limited state coverage | 3,702 |
| Summer Camp Counseling Salaries Roles focused on guiding and supervising children in various summer camp activities, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience. |
$36K | $41K | $50K | Limited state coverage | 702 |
| Montessori Education Salaries A specialized teaching approach focusing on child-centered learning in Montessori environments, often involving roles like guides and teachers for infants and elementary levels. |
$37K | $41K | $46K | Limited state coverage | 1,020 |
| Toddler Teaching Salaries Professionals specializing in early childhood education, focusing on nurturing and guiding toddlers through developmental milestones. |
$35K | $40K | $45K | Limited state coverage | 1,627 |
How to Read Salary Ranges
Salary ranges show what employers are currently advertising for a role. Start with the exact role or closest role group, compare pay across states and metros, and treat lower, mid, and higher values as market anchors rather than a strict experience ladder. Role scope, location, seniority, contract type, travel work, industry demand, and sample size can all move the numbers.
Using Salary Ranges in a Salary Conversation
- Lower salary range
- Useful for early-career roles, narrower scope, or stretch opportunities.
- Mid listed salary
- A practical anchor when your background closely matches the posting.
- Higher salary range
- Stronger anchor for scarce skills, senior experience, management responsibility, specialized expertise, or competing offers.
- Location salary gap
- Useful for discussing local market pay, relocation, remote compensation, or cost-of-living adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How should I use this salary tool?
- Compare pay across states and cities, then set a realistic target before applying or negotiating. State views show broad regional differences; metro views compare specific cities.
- What do lower, mid, and higher salaries mean?
- They show how advertised pay is distributed for a role. Lower is near the bottom of listed ranges, mid is around the middle, and higher is toward the top.
- Where does the salary data come from?
- Current U.S. job postings where employers list pay. The data is grouped by job type, state, metro area, and pay level; it does not use Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates.
- Does the salary data include bonuses, equity, or benefits?
- No. It reflects listed base pay. Tips, bonuses, commissions, equity, benefits, and other compensation are excluded when listed separately.
- Why do salaries differ by state and city?
- Markets differ by employer mix, industry, labor demand, competition, and cost of living. Higher pay in one city may not mean higher purchasing power.
How the Salary Numbers Are Calculated
Figures reflect base pay listed in job postings, not guaranteed pay, actual total earnings, Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates, or official wage statistics. Salaries are converted to yearly U.S. dollars where possible and grouped by role, location, and pay level. Lower is the lower listed range, mid is the middle listed salary, and higher is the higher listed range. Hourly wages are annualized using a 2,080-hour work year; cost-of-living adjustment uses Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, or BEA RPP. Tips, bonuses, equity, commissions, and benefits are excluded when listed separately from base pay.
Important Notes About the Data
Only postings that list salary information are included, so coverage is stronger in some states than others. Current role mix can affect results, including contract work, travel work, senior roles, junior roles, specialized jobs, and industry-specific demand. On mobile, regional charts may default to areas with the most available data so the view stays readable.