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Best states for a guidance counselor
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Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.
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It seems like guidance counselors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for guidance counselors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. As guidance counselors are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for guidance counselors. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a guidance counselor, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for guidance counselors. California is the best state for guidance counselors, where the median salary is $61,541.We found that the Midwest is best for guidance counselors, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for guidance counselor jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for guidance counselors in 2025
1. California
Total guidance counselor jobs: 3,656 Average annual salary: $61,541 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
2. Connecticut
Total guidance counselor jobs: 470 Average annual salary: $57,285 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.49
3. Massachusetts
Total guidance counselor jobs: 1,813 Average annual salary: $54,894 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 2.07
4. New Jersey
Total guidance counselor jobs: 854 Average annual salary: $55,590 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
5. District of Columbia
Total guidance counselor jobs: 173 Average annual salary: $59,647 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
6. Maryland
Total guidance counselor jobs: 631 Average annual salary: $55,113 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
7. Alaska
Total guidance counselor jobs: 143 Average annual salary: $49,991 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Location Quotient: 1.8
8. Washington
Total guidance counselor jobs: 948 Average annual salary: $50,380 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
9. North Dakota
Total guidance counselor jobs: 74 Average annual salary: $52,198 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
10. Minnesota
Total guidance counselor jobs: 612 Average annual salary: $49,399 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Guidance counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a guidance counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a guidance counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $61,541 | $45,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,656 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $57,285 | $41,000 | 3,588,184 | 470 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $54,894 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,813 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $55,590 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 854 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $59,647 | $43,000 | 693,972 | 173 |
| 6 | Maryland | $55,113 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 631 |
| 7 | Alaska | $49,991 | $42,000 | 739,795 | 143 |
| 8 | Washington | $50,380 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 948 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $52,198 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 74 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $49,399 | $37,000 | 5,576,606 | 612 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $45,202 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,349 |
| 12 | New York | $50,718 | $36,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,410 |
| 13 | Delaware | $49,817 | $36,000 | 961,939 | 111 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $51,483 | $38,000 | 1,815,857 | 87 |
| 15 | Arizona | $45,532 | $34,000 | 7,016,270 | 705 |
| 16 | Texas | $49,332 | $37,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,318 |
| 17 | Virginia | $50,714 | $37,000 | 8,470,020 | 679 |
| 18 | Vermont | $48,239 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 59 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $44,720 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 182 |
| 20 | Michigan | $44,009 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 728 |
| 21 | Oregon | $45,218 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 433 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $44,944 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 180 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $46,096 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 540 |
| 24 | Georgia | $43,884 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,020 |
| 25 | Maine | $41,947 | $31,000 | 1,335,907 | 218 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $44,715 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 375 |
| 27 | Idaho | $43,321 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 143 |
| 28 | Nevada | $44,320 | $32,000 | 2,998,039 | 146 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $44,163 | $32,000 | 2,984,100 | 128 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $42,470 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 400 |
| 31 | Utah | $42,514 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 232 |
| 32 | Iowa | $40,844 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 294 |
| 33 | Colorado | $41,074 | $30,000 | 5,607,154 | 638 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $40,769 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 90 |
| 35 | Illinois | $40,901 | $30,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,156 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $39,356 | $29,000 | 3,004,279 | 217 |
| 37 | Alabama | $42,477 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 205 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $40,050 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 261 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $39,502 | $29,000 | 579,315 | 47 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $40,606 | $29,000 | 1,342,795 | 127 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $39,054 | $29,000 | 5,024,369 | 359 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $38,846 | $28,000 | 1,059,639 | 103 |
| 43 | Florida | $38,188 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,601 |
| 44 | Montana | $36,796 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 118 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $39,200 | $29,000 | 869,666 | 63 |
| 46 | Missouri | $39,450 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 364 |
| 47 | Kansas | $39,370 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 156 |
| 48 | Indiana | $37,607 | $28,000 | 6,666,818 | 522 |
| 49 | Ohio | $37,811 | $27,000 | 11,658,609 | 634 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $35,588 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 230 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $33,075 | $24,000 | 3,930,864 | 215 |
Highest paying states for guidance counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Guidance Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $61,541 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $57,285 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $54,894 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $55,590 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $59,647 |
| 6 | Maryland | $55,113 |
| 7 | Alaska | $49,991 |
| 8 | Washington | $50,380 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $52,198 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $49,399 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $45,202 |
| 12 | New York | $50,718 |
| 13 | Delaware | $49,817 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $51,483 |
| 15 | Arizona | $45,532 |
| 16 | Texas | $49,332 |
| 17 | Virginia | $50,714 |
| 18 | Vermont | $48,239 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $44,720 |
| 20 | Michigan | $44,009 |
| 21 | Oregon | $45,218 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $44,944 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $46,096 |
| 24 | Georgia | $43,884 |
| 25 | Maine | $41,947 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $44,715 |
| 27 | Idaho | $43,321 |
| 28 | Nevada | $44,320 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $44,163 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $42,470 |
| 31 | Utah | $42,514 |
| 32 | Iowa | $40,844 |
| 33 | Colorado | $41,074 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $40,769 |
| 35 | Illinois | $40,901 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $39,356 |
| 37 | Alabama | $42,477 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $40,050 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $39,502 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $40,606 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $39,054 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $38,846 |
| 43 | Florida | $38,188 |
| 44 | Montana | $36,796 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $39,200 |
| 46 | Missouri | $39,450 |
| 47 | Kansas | $39,370 |
| 48 | Indiana | $37,607 |
| 49 | Ohio | $37,811 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $35,588 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $33,075 |
Expert opinions on the best states for guidance counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for guidance counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.
Professor, Kent State University
COVID-19 and racial violence are global phenomena that cause many mental health challenges for students globally. Schools are scrambling to identify solutions to address the social/emotional needs of their students. Some are investing in curriculum related to Social Emotional Learning, Trauma-Informed Schools, or seeking anti-racism experts to join their staff in conversations.
This emphasis is also illustrated in funding opportunities that have been advertised for schools and school-based researchers to consider innovative ways to address the increased stress our students are under, given the ongoing issues mentioned. While COVID-19 will hopefully, one day, decrease, the impact will be present for decades. As for racial violence against Black and Brown people, this oppression has/continues to harm communities across generations.
I implore schools to lean on school counselors as trained leaders to guide responses to these crises and support students. Due to budget constraints at the moment, we may see a decrease in job postings, but once the economy begins to heal, we will need more school counselors - not less. School counseling graduates awaiting employment should extend their knowledge about instructional based technology that may aid in their facilitation of counseling tasks, examine their bias/stereotypical thinking so they do not harm their BIPOC students, and create toolkits of information that may inform how they foster the development of anti-racist cultures in K-12 settings.
We all must remember that students do not perform well academically if they are not mentally/emotionally healthy or do not feel safe. Because COVID, the mental health challenges that have arisen due to the pandemic, and race-based violence, which causes mental health challenges for many, are global pandemics, school counselors face similar barriers to finding jobs across the nation. In time, given proper professional advocacy by school counselors, we will be acknowledged as leaders in the plight to heal students, schools, and communities.
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Updated January 8, 2025