Community Development Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Community Development Specialist make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Community Development Specialist in the United States is $74,853 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

However, a Community Development Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $89,577
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $68,500 to $82,560
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $62,716
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View as table View as graph 25% $68,500 10% $62,716 90% $89,577 75% $82,560 $74,853 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Community Development Specialist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $82,560 $6,880 $1,588 $40
Average $74,853 $6,238 $1,439 $36
25th Percentile $68,500 $5,708 $1,317 $33
Check out Community Development Specialist Job Openings in the United States
Youth Development Specialist

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio - Macedonia, OH

Training and Development Specialist

Christian Healthcare Ministries - Barberton, OH

Business Development Internet Sales Specialist

Mike Bass Ford - Avon, OH

Sales and Marketing Specialist Business Development

Sinclair Broadcast Group - Columbus, OH

Search More Community Development Specialist Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Community Development Specialist Salaries

A Community Development Specialist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Community Development Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Community Development Specialist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $60,920
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $75,294
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $94,554
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $117,903
  • Expert (over 8 years): $133,024
Levels Salary
Public Re... Level Community Development Specialist$60,920
Community... Level Community Development Specialist$75,294
Public Re... Level Community Development Specialist$94,554
Public Re... Level Community Development Specialist$117,903
Public Re... Level Community Development Specialist$133,024
$60,920 0 yr
$75,294 < 2 yrs
$94,554 2-4 yrs
$117,903 5-8 yrs
$133,024 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Community Development Specialist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Community Development Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $82,878.
  • California: $82,563.
  • Massachusetts: $81,463.

Top Paying Cities for Community Development Specialists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $94,412
  • San Francisco: $93,484
  • Oakland: $91,411

What Skills Can Increase a Community Development Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 6.94% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 1.91% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Marketing Research (Mentioned in 1.35% Job Postings): Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the producers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications." It is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to marketing products and services. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behavior. The term is commonly interchanged with market research; however, expert practitioners may wish to draw a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically with markets, while marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 6.94%
Microsoft Office 1.91%
Marketing Research 1.35%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Community Development Specialist's salary.
  • Marketing Research: Can increase your salary by up to 27%.
  • Corporate Communications: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • CRM: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Marketing Research
$95,064
27%
Corporate Communications
$86,830
16%
CRM
$84,584
13%
Relationship Management
$83,087
11%
Campaign Management
$83,087
11%
Building Relationships
$81,590
9%
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How Education impacts a Community Development Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Community Development Specialists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Community Development Specialist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $73,381 and $78,099).

Community Development Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Community Development Specialist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.0%
High School 1.0%
Associates 1.0%
Bachelors 73.6%
Masters 23.3%
Doctorate 1.2%
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Community Development Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Community Development Specialist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Community Development Specialist

Salaries for a Community Development Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $73,796 in 2023 to around $73,657 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Community Development Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Community Development Specialist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$73,796
2024
$74,000
2025
$73,657
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $73,796
2024 $74,000
2025 $73,657
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Community Development Specialist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Community Development Specialist

Here are companies hiring for Community Development Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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