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Best states for a counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and community and social services careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to counselor jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for counselors.As counselors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for counselors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a counselor, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
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 counselors.Pennsylvania is the best state, and Monterey is the city with the highest pay for counselors.
10 best states for counselors in 2026
1. Pennsylvania
Total counselor jobs: 924 Average annual salary: $38,462 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
2. Connecticut
Total counselor jobs: 309 Average annual salary: $39,779 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
3. Massachusetts
Total counselor jobs: 1,941 Average annual salary: $38,507 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 3.13
4. New York
Total counselor jobs: 1,058 Average annual salary: $39,761 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
5. Arizona
Total counselor jobs: 509 Average annual salary: $37,039 Lowest 10 percent earn: $21,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
6. New Jersey
Total counselor jobs: 509 Average annual salary: $39,911 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
7. California
Total counselor jobs: 2,149 Average annual salary: $41,223 Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
8. Rhode Island
Total counselor jobs: 72 Average annual salary: $39,339 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
9. Delaware
Total counselor jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $38,407 Lowest 10 percent earn: $19,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
10. Maine
Total counselor jobs: 103 Average annual salary: $34,996 Lowest 10 percent earn: $19,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
Counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $38,462 | $20,000 | 12,805,537 | 924 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $39,779 | $20,000 | 3,588,184 | 309 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $38,507 | $20,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,941 |
| 4 | New York | $39,761 | $20,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,058 |
| 5 | Arizona | $37,039 | $21,000 | 7,016,270 | 509 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $39,911 | $20,000 | 9,005,644 | 509 |
| 7 | California | $41,223 | $23,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,149 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $39,339 | $20,000 | 1,059,639 | 72 |
| 9 | Delaware | $38,407 | $19,000 | 961,939 | 88 |
| 10 | Maine | $34,996 | $19,000 | 1,335,907 | 103 |
| 11 | Nevada | $37,700 | $21,000 | 2,998,039 | 109 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $37,204 | $20,000 | 1,342,795 | 89 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $41,191 | $34,000 | 1,427,538 | 62 |
| 14 | Michigan | $32,785 | $19,000 | 9,962,311 | 478 |
| 15 | Maryland | $36,781 | $19,000 | 6,052,177 | 442 |
| 16 | Vermont | $34,941 | $19,000 | 623,657 | 45 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $33,339 | $18,000 | 4,684,333 | 209 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $33,457 | $19,000 | 2,088,070 | 104 |
| 19 | Texas | $33,932 | $19,000 | 28,304,596 | 951 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $36,273 | $19,000 | 693,972 | 121 |
| 21 | Florida | $32,706 | $18,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,141 |
| 22 | Virginia | $34,936 | $19,000 | 8,470,020 | 478 |
| 23 | Oregon | $32,277 | $20,000 | 4,142,776 | 270 |
| 24 | Washington | $30,946 | $20,000 | 7,405,743 | 592 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $30,440 | $21,000 | 755,393 | 57 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $31,355 | $18,000 | 5,024,369 | 301 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $32,240 | $18,000 | 1,815,857 | 64 |
| 28 | Ohio | $32,006 | $18,000 | 11,658,609 | 476 |
| 29 | Illinois | $30,047 | $19,000 | 12,802,023 | 943 |
| 30 | Alaska | $29,269 | $23,000 | 739,795 | 66 |
| 31 | Montana | $28,831 | $20,000 | 1,050,493 | 87 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $30,391 | $20,000 | 5,576,606 | 419 |
| 33 | Idaho | $30,051 | $19,000 | 1,716,943 | 110 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $30,725 | $19,000 | 5,795,483 | 269 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $31,692 | $18,000 | 2,984,100 | 95 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $30,492 | $18,000 | 6,715,984 | 295 |
| 37 | Indiana | $30,319 | $18,000 | 6,666,818 | 381 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $30,000 | $18,000 | 3,004,279 | 147 |
| 39 | Iowa | $29,158 | $19,000 | 3,145,711 | 224 |
| 40 | Georgia | $31,221 | $18,000 | 10,429,379 | 609 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $31,905 | $18,000 | 10,273,419 | 365 |
| 42 | Alabama | $31,318 | $18,000 | 4,874,747 | 162 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $30,600 | $18,000 | 4,454,189 | 159 |
| 44 | Utah | $29,831 | $19,000 | 3,101,833 | 137 |
| 45 | Colorado | $28,397 | $18,000 | 5,607,154 | 458 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $28,158 | $18,000 | 579,315 | 42 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $29,836 | $18,000 | 3,930,864 | 119 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $28,624 | $19,000 | 869,666 | 35 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $28,505 | $18,000 | 1,920,076 | 129 |
| 50 | Kansas | $28,979 | $18,000 | 2,913,123 | 120 |
| 51 | Missouri | $29,325 | $18,000 | 6,113,532 | 243 |
Highest paying states for counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $38,462 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $39,779 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $38,507 |
| 4 | New York | $39,761 |
| 5 | Arizona | $37,039 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $39,911 |
| 7 | California | $41,223 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $39,339 |
| 9 | Delaware | $38,407 |
| 10 | Maine | $34,996 |
| 11 | Nevada | $37,700 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $37,204 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $41,191 |
| 14 | Michigan | $32,785 |
| 15 | Maryland | $36,781 |
| 16 | Vermont | $34,941 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $33,339 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $33,457 |
| 19 | Texas | $33,932 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $36,273 |
| 21 | Florida | $32,706 |
| 22 | Virginia | $34,936 |
| 23 | Oregon | $32,277 |
| 24 | Washington | $30,946 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $30,440 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $31,355 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $32,240 |
| 28 | Ohio | $32,006 |
| 29 | Illinois | $30,047 |
| 30 | Alaska | $29,269 |
| 31 | Montana | $28,831 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $30,391 |
| 33 | Idaho | $30,051 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $30,725 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $31,692 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $30,492 |
| 37 | Indiana | $30,319 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $30,000 |
| 39 | Iowa | $29,158 |
| 40 | Georgia | $31,221 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $31,905 |
| 42 | Alabama | $31,318 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $30,600 |
| 44 | Utah | $29,831 |
| 45 | Colorado | $28,397 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $28,158 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $29,836 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $28,624 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $28,505 |
| 50 | Kansas | $28,979 |
| 51 | Missouri | $29,325 |
Expert opinions on the best states for counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025