Impact of Hourly Wage on Domestic Violence Advocate Financial Well-Being: A Latent Profile Analysis

Advocates are the primary workforce that responds to the needs of domestic violence (DV) survivors. Previous research has indicated that this workforce experiences stressful occupational conditions and chronically low wages, which drive turnover intention. However, few studies have examined the financial status and needs of this population. The purpose of this study was to document the economic experiences of DV advocates in the United States, with a particular focus on hourly wage and overall financial well-being. The national online survey, administered in 2024, used a convenience sampling approach to recruit advocates and other direct practice staff working in DV-focused organizations ( n = 419). Regression analysis was used to examine the association between advocates’ average hourly wage and regional, occupational, and sociodemographic characteristics. This was followed by a latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine compensation profiles among advocates. Advocates had an average hourly wage of $23.36 ( SD = $6.26), 46.17% experienced past-year food insecurity and 40.91% were working at least one additional job. Predictors of hourly wage included education level, speaking at least one additional language (e.g., bilingual), and years in the field. The best-fitting latent class profile model yielded four distinct profiles—mid-career advocates with higher education (Profile 1; n = 55); early-career advocates without children (Profile 2; n = 170); survivor-advocates caring for children at home (Profile 3, n = 165), and (4) late career advocates identifying as straight and female (Profile 4, n = 29). Hourly wages were not equal across profiles. Advocates from Profile 4 had the highest hourly wage ($27.39) and Profile 3 had the lowest ($21.12). Profile 3 had the highest percentage of advocates who met the cut-off for food insecurity and had reported the least financial well-being. Addressing the low wages of advocates, and subsequent impacts, has the potential to not only improve staff wellness, but stabilize and improve client services for survivors.