Average Adoption Specialist Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Adoption Specialist salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does an Adoption Specialist Make in United States?

An Adoption Specialist working in United States will typically earn around 109,700 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 52,600 USD to the highest average salary of 172,100 USD.

Average Annual Salary
109,700 USD
Average Monthly Salary
9,141 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
52,600 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
4,383 USD

Highest Annual Salary
172,100 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
14,341 USD

These are average salaries for an Adoption Specialist in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Adoption Specialist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Adoption Specialist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Adoption Specialist Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries an Adoption Specialist will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Adoption Specialist can earn between 52,600 USD and 172,100 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Adoption Specialist in United States is 114,300 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 114,300 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 114,300 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Adoption Specialist salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 77,000 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 77,000 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 152,900 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 152,900 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Adoption Specialist Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average adoption specialist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Adoption Specialist in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 59,200 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Adoption Specialist salary would increase to 81,600 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Adoption Specialist, the average salary would be 114,300 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 140,200 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Adoption Specialist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 151,800 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Adoption Specialist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 164,100 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
59,200 USD
2-5 Years +38%
81,600 USD
5-10 Years +42%
114,300 USD
10-15 Years +22%
140,200 USD
15-20 Years +6%
151,800 USD
20+ Years +9%
164,100 USD

Adoption Specialist Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Adoption Specialist in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. An Adoption Specialist in United States with a high school education can earn an average salary of 71,400 USD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. An Adoption Specialist in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 87,300 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. An Adoption Specialist in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 125,400 USD.

  • Master's Degree. An Adoption Specialist in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 164,100 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
71,400 USD
Certificate or Diploma +17%
87,300 USD
Bachelor's Degree +45%
125,400 USD
Master's Degree +31%
164,100 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Adoption Specialist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male adoption specialist will earn an average of 112,700 USD, while a female adoption specialist will earn around 107,700 USD.

This means that a male adoption specialist earns approximately 5% more than a female adoption specialist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
112,700 USD
Female -5%
107,700 USD

Adoption Specialist Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Adoption Specialist in United States is around 10% every 18 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 10 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that an Adoption Specialist in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Adoption Specialist Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Adoption Specialist is a moderate bonus based job, with 60% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

40% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7%.

Received Bonus
60%
No Bonus
40%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Adoption Specialist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Adoption Specialist in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Activity Aide Fundraising and Non Profit 35,000 USD
Activity Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 30,800 USD
Activity Leader Fundraising and Non Profit 60,100 USD
Assistant Programme Officer Fundraising and Non Profit 61,200 USD
Campaign Manager Fundraising and Non Profit 121,800 USD
Charities Administrator Fundraising and Non Profit 69,400 USD
Charities Fundraiser Fundraising and Non Profit 74,200 USD
Civil Servant Fundraising and Non Profit 35,500 USD
Civil Service Administrator Fundraising and Non Profit 48,500 USD
Community Health Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 30,000 USD
Community Relations Representative Fundraising and Non Profit 51,300 USD
Community Service Manager Fundraising and Non Profit 105,800 USD
Community Volunteer Fundraising and Non Profit 29,600 USD
Community Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 27,300 USD
Custodial Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 35,600 USD
Education Planning Specialist Fundraising and Non Profit 105,800 USD
Foundation Assistant Fundraising and Non Profit 46,200 USD
Foundation Director Fundraising and Non Profit 142,100 USD
Foundation Program Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 88,500 USD
Fundraiser Fundraising and Non Profit 78,200 USD
Fundraising Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 49,800 USD
Fundraising Director Fundraising and Non Profit 151,800 USD
Fundraising Manager Fundraising and Non Profit 130,400 USD
Grant Writer Fundraising and Non Profit 40,300 USD
Healthcare Social Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 34,300 USD
Homeless Shelter Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 30,800 USD
Major Gift Officer Fundraising and Non Profit 34,000 USD
Orphan Program Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 48,300 USD
Rehab Aide Fundraising and Non Profit 39,800 USD
Rehabilitation Aide Fundraising and Non Profit 34,800 USD
Social Worker Fundraising and Non Profit 30,100 USD
Sponsorship Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 46,700 USD
Volunteer Coordinator Fundraising and Non Profit 41,000 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 103,600 USD
Austin 123,000 USD
Baltimore 105,800 USD
Boston 107,700 USD
Bristol 86,100 USD
Chicago 125,400 USD
Cincinnati 92,100 USD
Cleveland 92,400 USD
Dallas 118,900 USD
Denver 107,700 USD
Detroit 111,700 USD
Honolulu 87,600 USD
Houston 127,700 USD
Indianapolis 115,600 USD
Iowa City 90,900 USD
Jacksonville 114,600 USD
Kansas City 100,700 USD
Kent 86,800 USD
Las Vegas 107,300 USD
Long Beach 105,200 USD
Los Angeles 125,400 USD
Memphis 109,700 USD
Miami 99,700 USD
Minneapolis 94,300 USD
New Orleans 95,300 USD
New York 130,400 USD
Oakland 94,800 USD
Oklahoma City 103,600 USD
Orlando 94,500 USD
Philadelphia 128,200 USD
Phoenix 121,800 USD
Sacramento 102,700 USD
San Antonio 114,300 USD
San Diego 124,500 USD
San Francisco 114,300 USD
San Jose 114,900 USD
Seattle 112,700 USD
Tampa 89,200 USD
Vancouver 92,900 USD
Washington D.C. 114,900 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 108,200 USD
Alaska 100,900 USD
Arizona 112,700 USD
Arkansas 109,700 USD
California 115,600 USD
Colorado 111,700 USD
Connecticut 100,700 USD
Delaware 100,200 USD
District of Columbia 90,600 USD
Florida 118,900 USD
Georgia 123,000 USD
Hawaii 97,300 USD
Idaho 102,700 USD
Illinois 116,400 USD
Indiana 116,400 USD
Iowa 99,700 USD
Kansas 105,800 USD
Kentucky 114,600 USD
Louisiana 107,700 USD
Maine 103,600 USD
Maryland 109,700 USD
Massachusetts 114,900 USD
Michigan 112,700 USD
Minnesota 111,700 USD
Mississippi 100,200 USD
Missouri 111,700 USD
Montana 103,600 USD
Nebraska 98,300 USD
Nevada 107,300 USD
New Hampshire 98,100 USD
New Jersey 115,600 USD
New Mexico 97,300 USD
New York 119,700 USD
North Carolina 108,200 USD
North Dakota 95,300 USD
Ohio 123,000 USD
Oklahoma 105,800 USD
Oregon 109,700 USD
Pennsylvania 116,400 USD
Rhode Island 98,700 USD
South Carolina 105,200 USD
South Dakota 95,600 USD
Tennessee 117,100 USD
Texas 118,900 USD
Utah 107,300 USD
Vermont 92,100 USD
Virginia 117,100 USD
Washington 108,200 USD
West Virginia 103,600 USD
Wisconsin 107,300 USD
Wyoming 94,800 USD

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