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Best states for a family counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
- Rank 1 - 10
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Family counselor opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for family counselors, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for family counselors.As family counselors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for family counselors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a family counselor, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
The median salary for family counselors in Pennsylvania is $53,404. Compare that to the median salary in Missouri of $33,766, which ranked worst for family counselors, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the South is best for family counselors, and the Northeast is the worst. New York, NY is the best city in the country for family counselor jobs, where as Pennsylvania is the best state in the country.
10 best states for family counselors in 2025
1. Pennsylvania
Total family counselor jobs: 1,786 Average annual salary: $53,404 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
2. Oregon
Total family counselor jobs: 573 Average annual salary: $51,611 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
3. New York
Total family counselor jobs: 2,130 Average annual salary: $53,690 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
4. Minnesota
Total family counselor jobs: 829 Average annual salary: $50,614 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
5. Alaska
Total family counselor jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $49,027 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
6. Texas
Total family counselor jobs: 1,847 Average annual salary: $50,112 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
7. New Jersey
Total family counselor jobs: 1,038 Average annual salary: $48,858 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
8. North Dakota
Total family counselor jobs: 105 Average annual salary: $44,701 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
9. Wyoming
Total family counselor jobs: 59 Average annual salary: $46,842 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
10. Colorado
Total family counselor jobs: 709 Average annual salary: $46,150 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
Family counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a family counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a family counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $53,404 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,786 |
| 2 | Oregon | $51,611 | $36,000 | 4,142,776 | 573 |
| 3 | New York | $53,690 | $31,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,130 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $50,614 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 829 |
| 5 | Alaska | $49,027 | $43,000 | 739,795 | 157 |
| 6 | Texas | $50,112 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,847 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $48,858 | $28,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,038 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $44,701 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 105 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $46,842 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 59 |
| 10 | Colorado | $46,150 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 709 |
| 11 | Illinois | $45,112 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,400 |
| 12 | Iowa | $45,231 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 359 |
| 13 | Alabama | $47,448 | $34,000 | 4,874,747 | 243 |
| 14 | Maryland | $45,112 | $27,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,049 |
| 15 | Idaho | $43,705 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 167 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $44,990 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 103 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $44,395 | $24,000 | 1,059,639 | 135 |
| 18 | Michigan | $41,447 | $27,000 | 9,962,311 | 914 |
| 19 | Washington | $41,265 | $30,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,234 |
| 20 | Arizona | $41,177 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 810 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $43,388 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 295 |
| 22 | Georgia | $41,563 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,114 |
| 23 | Kansas | $43,233 | $32,000 | 2,913,123 | 224 |
| 24 | Maine | $37,026 | $19,000 | 1,335,907 | 337 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $40,565 | $23,000 | 3,588,184 | 521 |
| 26 | Indiana | $39,655 | $28,000 | 6,666,818 | 755 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $41,839 | $29,000 | 5,795,483 | 522 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $40,949 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 240 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | $37,245 | $20,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,480 |
| 30 | Utah | $42,276 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 273 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $38,954 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 279 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $44,936 | $28,000 | 693,972 | 167 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $41,610 | $33,000 | 1,427,538 | 131 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $40,773 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 296 |
| 35 | Virginia | $43,533 | $27,000 | 8,470,020 | 819 |
| 36 | Nevada | $40,259 | $28,000 | 2,998,039 | 213 |
| 37 | California | $39,565 | $27,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,107 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $36,663 | $20,000 | 1,342,795 | 190 |
| 39 | Montana | $35,762 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 164 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $37,130 | $27,000 | 4,684,333 | 361 |
| 41 | Vermont | $36,496 | $20,000 | 623,657 | 84 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $39,112 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 185 |
| 43 | Delaware | $39,889 | $24,000 | 961,939 | 116 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $36,710 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 277 |
| 45 | Ohio | $37,269 | $25,000 | 11,658,609 | 839 |
| 46 | Florida | $35,452 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,821 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $36,257 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 486 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $37,269 | $25,000 | 10,273,419 | 754 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $34,322 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 95 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $30,770 | $21,000 | 5,024,369 | 481 |
| 51 | Missouri | $33,766 | $25,000 | 6,113,532 | 500 |
Highest paying states for family counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Family Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $53,404 |
| 2 | Oregon | $51,611 |
| 3 | New York | $53,690 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $50,614 |
| 5 | Alaska | $49,027 |
| 6 | Texas | $50,112 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $48,858 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $44,701 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $46,842 |
| 10 | Colorado | $46,150 |
| 11 | Illinois | $45,112 |
| 12 | Iowa | $45,231 |
| 13 | Alabama | $47,448 |
| 14 | Maryland | $45,112 |
| 15 | Idaho | $43,705 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $44,990 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $44,395 |
| 18 | Michigan | $41,447 |
| 19 | Washington | $41,265 |
| 20 | Arizona | $41,177 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $43,388 |
| 22 | Georgia | $41,563 |
| 23 | Kansas | $43,233 |
| 24 | Maine | $37,026 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $40,565 |
| 26 | Indiana | $39,655 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $41,839 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $40,949 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | $37,245 |
| 30 | Utah | $42,276 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $38,954 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $44,936 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $41,610 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $40,773 |
| 35 | Virginia | $43,533 |
| 36 | Nevada | $40,259 |
| 37 | California | $39,565 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $36,663 |
| 39 | Montana | $35,762 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $37,130 |
| 41 | Vermont | $36,496 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $39,112 |
| 43 | Delaware | $39,889 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $36,710 |
| 45 | Ohio | $37,269 |
| 46 | Florida | $35,452 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $36,257 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $37,269 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $34,322 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $30,770 |
| 51 | Missouri | $33,766 |
Expert opinions on the best states for family counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for family 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