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Best states for a counseling psychologist
Quoted expert
Kris Vasquez Ph.D.
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Do you want to become a counseling psychologist at University of California, Berkeley, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for counseling psychologists that you can check out, before you begin your journey. In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for counseling psychologists in America. The best city in America for counseling psychologists with the highest pay is Berkeley, CA.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for counseling psychologists.We found that California is the best state for counseling psychologist jobs, whereas Alabama is the worst.
10 best states for counseling psychologists in 2026
1. California
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 623 Average annual salary: $125,030 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $186,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
2. Nevada
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 33 Average annual salary: $122,302 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
3. Delaware
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 35 Average annual salary: $101,142 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.98
4. Maryland
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 130 Average annual salary: $100,585 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
5. Connecticut
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 50 Average annual salary: $100,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
6. Utah
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $105,952 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
7. Montana
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 18 Average annual salary: $99,086 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
8. Rhode Island
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $100,550 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
9. Alaska
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $98,709 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
10. District of Columbia
Total counseling psychologist jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $100,452 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
Counseling psychologist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a counseling psychologist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a counseling psychologist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $125,030 | $84,000 | 39,536,653 | 623 |
| 2 | Nevada | $122,302 | $82,000 | 2,998,039 | 33 |
| 3 | Delaware | $101,142 | $71,000 | 961,939 | 35 |
| 4 | Maryland | $100,585 | $71,000 | 6,052,177 | 130 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $100,995 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 50 |
| 6 | Utah | $105,952 | $73,000 | 3,101,833 | 29 |
| 7 | Montana | $99,086 | $70,000 | 1,050,493 | 18 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $100,550 | $71,000 | 1,059,639 | 12 |
| 9 | Alaska | $98,709 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 12 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $100,452 | $71,000 | 693,972 | 25 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $98,091 | $70,000 | 1,342,795 | 23 |
| 12 | Ohio | $97,761 | $70,000 | 11,658,609 | 109 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $99,638 | $71,000 | 6,859,819 | 105 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $94,402 | $69,000 | 869,666 | 14 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $92,867 | $68,000 | 1,920,076 | 38 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $98,114 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 8 |
| 17 | Colorado | $96,795 | $68,000 | 5,607,154 | 86 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $94,420 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 12 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $87,485 | $58,000 | 5,024,369 | 76 |
| 20 | Oregon | $83,776 | $57,000 | 4,142,776 | 84 |
| 21 | Vermont | $95,452 | $69,000 | 623,657 | 6 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $79,302 | $53,000 | 2,088,070 | 33 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $93,597 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 17 |
| 24 | New York | $79,381 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 263 |
| 25 | Missouri | $91,598 | $65,000 | 6,113,532 | 50 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $86,078 | $55,000 | 4,684,333 | 31 |
| 27 | Washington | $77,689 | $53,000 | 7,405,743 | 117 |
| 28 | Arizona | $71,391 | $48,000 | 7,016,270 | 103 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $79,502 | $56,000 | 9,005,644 | 104 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $84,622 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 10 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $66,913 | $46,000 | 3,930,864 | 74 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $66,020 | $47,000 | 579,315 | 13 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $69,488 | $49,000 | 12,805,537 | 148 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $73,671 | $60,000 | 1,427,538 | 16 |
| 35 | Idaho | $73,127 | $50,000 | 1,716,943 | 15 |
| 36 | Illinois | $64,734 | $47,000 | 12,802,023 | 320 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $64,691 | $44,000 | 10,273,419 | 199 |
| 38 | Michigan | $71,990 | $51,000 | 9,962,311 | 63 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $65,841 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 75 |
| 40 | Indiana | $65,669 | $47,000 | 6,666,818 | 77 |
| 41 | Texas | $68,746 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 237 |
| 42 | Virginia | $68,420 | $47,000 | 8,470,020 | 107 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $67,235 | $46,000 | 3,004,279 | 14 |
| 44 | Maine | $65,568 | $47,000 | 1,335,907 | 12 |
| 45 | Georgia | $62,109 | $40,000 | 10,429,379 | 135 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $65,340 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 27 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $65,165 | $47,000 | 5,576,606 | 60 |
| 48 | Iowa | $63,451 | $46,000 | 3,145,711 | 16 |
| 49 | Florida | $58,501 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 129 |
| 50 | Kansas | $62,167 | $44,000 | 2,913,123 | 15 |
| 51 | Alabama | $57,381 | $37,000 | 4,874,747 | 15 |
Highest paying states for counseling psychologists
| Rank | State | Avg. Counseling Psychologist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $125,030 |
| 2 | Nevada | $122,302 |
| 3 | Delaware | $101,142 |
| 4 | Maryland | $100,585 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $100,995 |
| 6 | Utah | $105,952 |
| 7 | Montana | $99,086 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $100,550 |
| 9 | Alaska | $98,709 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $100,452 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $98,091 |
| 12 | Ohio | $97,761 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $99,638 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $94,402 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $92,867 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $98,114 |
| 17 | Colorado | $96,795 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $94,420 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $87,485 |
| 20 | Oregon | $83,776 |
| 21 | Vermont | $95,452 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $79,302 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $93,597 |
| 24 | New York | $79,381 |
| 25 | Missouri | $91,598 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $86,078 |
| 27 | Washington | $77,689 |
| 28 | Arizona | $71,391 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $79,502 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $84,622 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $66,913 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $66,020 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $69,488 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $73,671 |
| 35 | Idaho | $73,127 |
| 36 | Illinois | $64,734 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $64,691 |
| 38 | Michigan | $71,990 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $65,841 |
| 40 | Indiana | $65,669 |
| 41 | Texas | $68,746 |
| 42 | Virginia | $68,420 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $67,235 |
| 44 | Maine | $65,568 |
| 45 | Georgia | $62,109 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $65,340 |
| 47 | Minnesota | $65,165 |
| 48 | Iowa | $63,451 |
| 49 | Florida | $58,501 |
| 50 | Kansas | $62,167 |
| 51 | Alabama | $57,381 |
Expert opinions on the best states for counseling psychologists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for counseling psychologists to find work opportunities?
Kris Vasquez Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Alverno College
I don't have national data on employment for psychology graduates in 2020, and I assume you can look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as quickly as possible. We do know that there are communities that are underserved by available mental health resources, often the same places where physical health resources are scarce.
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Updated January 8, 2025