Best states for a corrections counselor

Q: What is the best state for corrections counselors?

The best state to be a corrections counselor is California based on corrections counselor salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for corrections counselors?

The highest paying state for corrections counselors is West Virginia based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for corrections counselors?

The worst state for corrections counselors is West Virginia, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Christine Suniti Bhat

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Do you want to become a corrections counselor at Corrections Corporation Of America, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for corrections counselors that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that California is the best state in the country for corrections counselors.

To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for corrections counselors. California is the best state for corrections counselors, where the median salary is $65,020.We found that California is the best state for corrections counselor jobs, whereas West Virginia is the worst.

10 best states for corrections counselors in 2025

1. California
Total corrections counselor jobs: 3,538
Average annual salary: $65,020
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000
Location Quotient:
1.25
Corrections counselor jobs in California
2. Washington
Total corrections counselor jobs: 976
Average annual salary: $54,099
Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Location Quotient:
1.38
Corrections counselor jobs in Washington
3. Georgia
Total corrections counselor jobs: 951
Average annual salary: $53,798
Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000
Location Quotient:
0.95
Corrections counselor jobs in Georgia
4. Alaska
Total corrections counselor jobs: 117
Average annual salary: $54,382
Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Location Quotient:
1.45
Corrections counselor jobs in Alaska
5. Oregon
Total corrections counselor jobs: 416
Average annual salary: $52,183
Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Location Quotient:
1.04
Corrections counselor jobs in Oregon
6. Connecticut
Total corrections counselor jobs: 447
Average annual salary: $49,796
Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Location Quotient:
1.39
Corrections counselor jobs in Connecticut
7. District of Columbia
Total corrections counselor jobs: 173
Average annual salary: $56,578
Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
Corrections counselor jobs in District of Columbia
8. Arkansas
Total corrections counselor jobs: 267
Average annual salary: $46,541
Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Location Quotient:
1.05
Corrections counselor jobs in Arkansas
9. Nevada
Total corrections counselor jobs: 154
Average annual salary: $51,485
Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000
Location Quotient:
0.76
Corrections counselor jobs in Nevada
10. New York
Total corrections counselor jobs: 1,537
Average annual salary: $50,473
Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Location Quotient:
1.24
Corrections counselor jobs in New York

Corrections counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a corrections counselor

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a corrections counselor

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	California	$65,020	$46,000	39,536,653	3,538
2	Washington	$54,099	$41,000	7,405,743	976
3	Georgia	$53,798	$38,000	10,429,379	951
4	Alaska	$54,382	$47,000	739,795	117
5	Oregon	$52,183	$39,000	4,142,776	416
6	Connecticut	$49,796	$35,000	3,588,184	447
7	District of Columbia	$56,578	$40,000	693,972	173
8	Arkansas	$46,541	$33,000	3,004,279	267
9	Nevada	$51,485	$37,000	2,998,039	154
10	New York	$50,473	$36,000	19,849,399	1,537
11	Kansas	$51,469	$37,000	2,913,123	178
12	Arizona	$46,428	$33,000	7,016,270	709
13	Rhode Island	$47,259	$33,000	1,059,639	123
14	Pennsylvania	$46,103	$32,000	12,805,537	1,389
15	Colorado	$48,476	$35,000	5,607,154	620
16	Maryland	$47,538	$33,000	6,052,177	883
17	Iowa	$46,900	$34,000	3,145,711	302
18	Virginia	$50,643	$35,000	8,470,020	688
19	Massachusetts	$46,291	$33,000	6,859,819	1,429
20	Illinois	$47,393	$34,000	12,802,023	1,169
21	Texas	$47,783	$34,000	28,304,596	1,427
22	Florida	$46,131	$32,000	20,984,400	1,694
23	Wyoming	$45,520	$34,000	579,315	52
24	Indiana	$45,787	$33,000	6,666,818	503
25	North Carolina	$47,345	$33,000	10,273,419	525
26	Nebraska	$44,552	$33,000	1,920,076	201
27	New Mexico	$45,456	$32,000	2,088,070	176
28	Hawaii	$47,066	$40,000	1,427,538	99
29	Minnesota	$45,209	$34,000	5,576,606	628
30	South Carolina	$44,356	$31,000	5,024,369	386
31	Louisiana	$44,684	$31,000	4,684,333	267
32	New Jersey	$44,893	$32,000	9,005,644	801
33	Delaware	$44,317	$31,000	961,939	117
34	Vermont	$44,759	$33,000	623,657	59
35	North Dakota	$42,439	$33,000	755,393	78
36	Ohio	$43,935	$31,000	11,658,609	696
37	Wisconsin	$43,588	$32,000	5,795,483	397
38	Mississippi	$42,965	$30,000	2,984,100	163
39	Tennessee	$42,036	$30,000	6,715,984	433
40	Montana	$40,105	$31,000	1,050,493	115
41	Maine	$35,221	$26,000	1,335,907	210
42	Utah	$43,411	$31,000	3,101,833	214
43	New Hampshire	$41,521	$30,000	1,342,795	148
44	Idaho	$39,202	$29,000	1,716,943	146
45	Missouri	$40,482	$29,000	6,113,532	401
46	Michigan	$34,217	$25,000	9,962,311	737
47	Oklahoma	$36,272	$26,000	3,930,864	257
48	Alabama	$38,863	$27,000	4,874,747	228
49	Kentucky	$37,452	$26,000	4,454,189	234
50	South Dakota	$32,813	$24,000	869,666	78
51	West Virginia	$29,972	$21,000	1,815,857	90

Highest paying states for corrections counselors

Rank	State	Avg. Corrections Counselor Salary
1	California	$65,020
2	Washington	$54,099
3	Georgia	$53,798
4	Alaska	$54,382
5	Oregon	$52,183
6	Connecticut	$49,796
7	District of Columbia	$56,578
8	Arkansas	$46,541
9	Nevada	$51,485
10	New York	$50,473
11	Kansas	$51,469
12	Arizona	$46,428
13	Rhode Island	$47,259
14	Pennsylvania	$46,103
15	Colorado	$48,476
16	Maryland	$47,538
17	Iowa	$46,900
18	Virginia	$50,643
19	Massachusetts	$46,291
20	Illinois	$47,393
21	Texas	$47,783
22	Florida	$46,131
23	Wyoming	$45,520
24	Indiana	$45,787
25	North Carolina	$47,345
26	Nebraska	$44,552
27	New Mexico	$45,456
28	Hawaii	$47,066
29	Minnesota	$45,209
30	South Carolina	$44,356
31	Louisiana	$44,684
32	New Jersey	$44,893
33	Delaware	$44,317
34	Vermont	$44,759
35	North Dakota	$42,439
36	Ohio	$43,935
37	Wisconsin	$43,588
38	Mississippi	$42,965
39	Tennessee	$42,036
40	Montana	$40,105
41	Maine	$35,221
42	Utah	$43,411
43	New Hampshire	$41,521
44	Idaho	$39,202
45	Missouri	$40,482
46	Michigan	$34,217
47	Oklahoma	$36,272
48	Alabama	$38,863
49	Kentucky	$37,452
50	South Dakota	$32,813
51	West Virginia	$29,972

Expert opinions on the best states for corrections counselors

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for corrections 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.

Corrections counselor best states FAQs

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Search for corrections counselor jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs

Total corrections counselor jobs:	3,538
Average annual salary:	$65,020
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$46,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$90,000
Location Quotient:	1.25

Best states for a corrections counselor

10 best states for corrections counselors in 2025

1. California

2. Washington

3. Georgia

4. Alaska

5. Oregon

6. Connecticut

7. District of Columbia

8. Arkansas

9. Nevada

10. New York