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Best states for a children's counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
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Do you want to become a children's counselor at Ymca, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for children's counselors that you can check out, before you begin your journey. As children's counselors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for children's counselors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a children's counselor, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for children's counselors. District of Columbia is the best state for children's counselors, where the median salary is $63,243.If you are currently seeking employment as a children's counselor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for children's counselors in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total children's counselor jobs: 90 Average annual salary: $63,243 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
2. New Jersey
Total children's counselor jobs: 376 Average annual salary: $68,485 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
3. Maryland
Total children's counselor jobs: 288 Average annual salary: $62,923 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
4. New York
Total children's counselor jobs: 683 Average annual salary: $48,079 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
5. Virginia
Total children's counselor jobs: 282 Average annual salary: $56,976 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
6. Hawaii
Total children's counselor jobs: 49 Average annual salary: $46,102 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
7. Pennsylvania
Total children's counselor jobs: 578 Average annual salary: $41,216 Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
8. California
Total children's counselor jobs: 1,229 Average annual salary: $47,748 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
9. Minnesota
Total children's counselor jobs: 289 Average annual salary: $42,117 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
10. Delaware
Total children's counselor jobs: 59 Average annual salary: $43,127 Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
Children's counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a children's counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a children's counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $63,243 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 90 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $68,485 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 376 |
| 3 | Maryland | $62,923 | $37,000 | 6,052,177 | 288 |
| 4 | New York | $48,079 | $30,000 | 19,849,399 | 683 |
| 5 | Virginia | $56,976 | $33,000 | 8,470,020 | 282 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $46,102 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 49 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $41,216 | $25,000 | 12,805,537 | 578 |
| 8 | California | $47,748 | $28,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,229 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $42,117 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 289 |
| 10 | Delaware | $43,127 | $25,000 | 961,939 | 59 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $38,608 | $25,000 | 3,588,184 | 235 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $47,832 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 257 |
| 13 | Texas | $48,182 | $28,000 | 28,304,596 | 544 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $37,743 | $26,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,163 |
| 15 | Nevada | $42,253 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 67 |
| 16 | Illinois | $37,054 | $26,000 | 12,802,023 | 612 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $44,344 | $27,000 | 1,815,857 | 37 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $37,398 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 36 |
| 19 | Florida | $39,080 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 759 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $38,396 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 56 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $37,644 | $24,000 | 2,088,070 | 65 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $37,822 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 157 |
| 23 | Maine | $34,589 | $27,000 | 1,335,907 | 49 |
| 24 | Arizona | $33,625 | $20,000 | 7,016,270 | 319 |
| 25 | Ohio | $37,063 | $24,000 | 11,658,609 | 246 |
| 26 | Iowa | $32,939 | $25,000 | 3,145,711 | 139 |
| 27 | Kansas | $34,958 | $26,000 | 2,913,123 | 74 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $32,723 | $19,000 | 4,684,333 | 145 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $33,102 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 188 |
| 30 | Idaho | $31,841 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 68 |
| 31 | Vermont | $32,896 | $25,000 | 623,657 | 26 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $33,796 | $24,000 | 5,795,483 | 157 |
| 33 | Michigan | $31,663 | $21,000 | 9,962,311 | 324 |
| 34 | Washington | $31,329 | $25,000 | 7,405,743 | 349 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $29,606 | $24,000 | 579,315 | 29 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $33,273 | $22,000 | 1,059,639 | 40 |
| 37 | Montana | $28,778 | $24,000 | 1,050,493 | 67 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $31,178 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 29 |
| 39 | Colorado | $29,632 | $23,000 | 5,607,154 | 294 |
| 40 | Alaska | $25,439 | $22,000 | 739,795 | 53 |
| 41 | Oregon | $29,986 | $23,000 | 4,142,776 | 149 |
| 42 | Alabama | $30,875 | $20,000 | 4,874,747 | 105 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $28,634 | $19,000 | 4,454,189 | 104 |
| 44 | Indiana | $28,625 | $19,000 | 6,666,818 | 187 |
| 45 | Georgia | $26,917 | $17,000 | 10,429,379 | 389 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $29,021 | $22,000 | 1,920,076 | 56 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $27,655 | $19,000 | 3,004,279 | 69 |
| 48 | Missouri | $28,745 | $21,000 | 6,113,532 | 133 |
| 49 | Utah | $27,527 | $21,000 | 3,101,833 | 67 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $25,862 | $16,000 | 2,984,100 | 38 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $25,658 | $18,000 | 3,930,864 | 68 |
Highest paying states for children's counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Children's Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $63,243 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $68,485 |
| 3 | Maryland | $62,923 |
| 4 | New York | $48,079 |
| 5 | Virginia | $56,976 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $46,102 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $41,216 |
| 8 | California | $47,748 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $42,117 |
| 10 | Delaware | $43,127 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $38,608 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $47,832 |
| 13 | Texas | $48,182 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $37,743 |
| 15 | Nevada | $42,253 |
| 16 | Illinois | $37,054 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $44,344 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $37,398 |
| 19 | Florida | $39,080 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $38,396 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $37,644 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $37,822 |
| 23 | Maine | $34,589 |
| 24 | Arizona | $33,625 |
| 25 | Ohio | $37,063 |
| 26 | Iowa | $32,939 |
| 27 | Kansas | $34,958 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $32,723 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $33,102 |
| 30 | Idaho | $31,841 |
| 31 | Vermont | $32,896 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $33,796 |
| 33 | Michigan | $31,663 |
| 34 | Washington | $31,329 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $29,606 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $33,273 |
| 37 | Montana | $28,778 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $31,178 |
| 39 | Colorado | $29,632 |
| 40 | Alaska | $25,439 |
| 41 | Oregon | $29,986 |
| 42 | Alabama | $30,875 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $28,634 |
| 44 | Indiana | $28,625 |
| 45 | Georgia | $26,917 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $29,021 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $27,655 |
| 48 | Missouri | $28,745 |
| 49 | Utah | $27,527 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $25,862 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $25,658 |
Expert opinions on the best states for children's counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for children's counselors to find work opportunities?
Christine Suniti Bhat
Counseling and Higher Education, Ohio University
Regions and states experiencing a growth in population would be the places for graduates to find work opportunities in the field upon graduation. In the past year, for example, I noticed that there were several job openings in Nashville, Tennessee. In prior years, there seemed to be many opportunities for our graduates in North Carolina.
If students are not restricted geographically, there will continue to be opportunities for them in the country as well as internationally. Further, graduates of school counseling programs should be aware of related jobs that they may be well-suited for, including positions such as Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, and Career Counselor at universities.
Children's counselor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025