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Best states for a consultant
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David Smith
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for consultants in the United States. Consultant positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for consultants.As consultants are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for consultants. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a consultant, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for consultant jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.If you are currently seeking employment as a consultant, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for consultants in 2025
1. New Jersey
Total consultant jobs: 3,056 Average annual salary: $93,100 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
2. Massachusetts
Total consultant jobs: 3,212 Average annual salary: $91,297 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
3. District of Columbia
Total consultant jobs: 1,222 Average annual salary: $95,430 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 2.5
4. Connecticut
Total consultant jobs: 1,328 Average annual salary: $85,585 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
5. Rhode Island
Total consultant jobs: 481 Average annual salary: $81,603 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
6. North Carolina
Total consultant jobs: 3,031 Average annual salary: $80,858 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
7. New Hampshire
Total consultant jobs: 577 Average annual salary: $81,107 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
8. Washington
Total consultant jobs: 1,899 Average annual salary: $86,737 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. Alaska
Total consultant jobs: 184 Average annual salary: $90,651 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
10. Illinois
Total consultant jobs: 4,308 Average annual salary: $80,510 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
Consultant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a consultant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a consultant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $93,100 | $69,000 | 9,005,644 | 3,056 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $91,297 | $68,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,212 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $95,430 | $70,000 | 693,972 | 1,222 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $85,585 | $63,000 | 3,588,184 | 1,328 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $81,603 | $60,000 | 1,059,639 | 481 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $80,858 | $60,000 | 10,273,419 | 3,031 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $81,107 | $60,000 | 1,342,795 | 577 |
| 8 | Washington | $86,737 | $62,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,899 |
| 9 | Alaska | $90,651 | $74,000 | 739,795 | 184 |
| 10 | Illinois | $80,510 | $59,000 | 12,802,023 | 4,308 |
| 11 | New York | $87,380 | $64,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,619 |
| 12 | Maryland | $91,828 | $68,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,474 |
| 13 | Virginia | $83,736 | $62,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,821 |
| 14 | California | $83,756 | $59,000 | 39,536,653 | 11,424 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $78,007 | $58,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,214 |
| 16 | Oregon | $79,866 | $57,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,338 |
| 17 | Vermont | $76,121 | $56,000 | 623,657 | 302 |
| 18 | Texas | $78,983 | $57,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,867 |
| 19 | Ohio | $76,344 | $56,000 | 11,658,609 | 2,457 |
| 20 | Colorado | $82,226 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,326 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $75,871 | $56,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,426 |
| 22 | Michigan | $76,651 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,707 |
| 23 | Alabama | $77,398 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 725 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $75,241 | $55,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,907 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $75,853 | $60,000 | 1,427,538 | 336 |
| 26 | Arizona | $73,682 | $53,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,842 |
| 27 | Missouri | $74,221 | $54,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,811 |
| 28 | Maine | $76,237 | $57,000 | 1,335,907 | 247 |
| 29 | Georgia | $74,586 | $55,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,793 |
| 30 | Delaware | $76,287 | $56,000 | 961,939 | 307 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $72,093 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 316 |
| 32 | Iowa | $72,420 | $53,000 | 3,145,711 | 753 |
| 33 | Nevada | $68,752 | $48,000 | 2,998,039 | 683 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $72,227 | $52,000 | 4,684,333 | 753 |
| 35 | Montana | $66,652 | $48,000 | 1,050,493 | 417 |
| 36 | Florida | $66,985 | $49,000 | 20,984,400 | 5,233 |
| 37 | Indiana | $68,136 | $50,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,409 |
| 38 | Idaho | $65,198 | $46,000 | 1,716,943 | 539 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $69,797 | $50,000 | 3,930,864 | 507 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $65,806 | $48,000 | 1,920,076 | 606 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $65,974 | $49,000 | 755,393 | 238 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $67,220 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,111 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $69,330 | $51,000 | 5,024,369 | 723 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $66,131 | $48,000 | 4,454,189 | 883 |
| 45 | Utah | $59,894 | $42,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,165 |
| 46 | Kansas | $65,375 | $47,000 | 2,913,123 | 814 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $63,922 | $46,000 | 579,315 | 163 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $65,025 | $46,000 | 2,088,070 | 472 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $65,548 | $48,000 | 869,666 | 178 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $65,420 | $48,000 | 2,984,100 | 361 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $55,786 | $40,000 | 3,004,279 | 744 |
Highest paying states for consultants
| Rank | State | Avg. Consultant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $93,100 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $91,297 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $95,430 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $85,585 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $81,603 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $80,858 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $81,107 |
| 8 | Washington | $86,737 |
| 9 | Alaska | $90,651 |
| 10 | Illinois | $80,510 |
| 11 | New York | $87,380 |
| 12 | Maryland | $91,828 |
| 13 | Virginia | $83,736 |
| 14 | California | $83,756 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $78,007 |
| 16 | Oregon | $79,866 |
| 17 | Vermont | $76,121 |
| 18 | Texas | $78,983 |
| 19 | Ohio | $76,344 |
| 20 | Colorado | $82,226 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $75,871 |
| 22 | Michigan | $76,651 |
| 23 | Alabama | $77,398 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $75,241 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $75,853 |
| 26 | Arizona | $73,682 |
| 27 | Missouri | $74,221 |
| 28 | Maine | $76,237 |
| 29 | Georgia | $74,586 |
| 30 | Delaware | $76,287 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $72,093 |
| 32 | Iowa | $72,420 |
| 33 | Nevada | $68,752 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $72,227 |
| 35 | Montana | $66,652 |
| 36 | Florida | $66,985 |
| 37 | Indiana | $68,136 |
| 38 | Idaho | $65,198 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $69,797 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $65,806 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $65,974 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $67,220 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $69,330 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $66,131 |
| 45 | Utah | $59,894 |
| 46 | Kansas | $65,375 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $63,922 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $65,025 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $65,548 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $65,420 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $55,786 |
Expert opinions on the best states for consultants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for consultants to find work opportunities?
David Smith
Consultant, Coach and Speaker, David J. Smith Consulting
My work tends to focus on those seeking careers in conflict-sensitive fields, such as conflict resolution, humanitarian work, local and international development, and peacebuilding. Those working in these areas are driven by the locus of the work, that is, where the needs are and those that need support. In some cases, this is within one's own community, and in others, overseas.
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Updated January 8, 2025