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Best states for a high school counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
High school counselor opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for high school counselors, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for high school counselors.Our research shows that Connecticut is the best state in the country for high school counselors.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for high school counselors. Connecticut is the best state for high school counselors, where the median salary is $52,698.If you are currently seeking employment as a high school counselor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for high school counselors in 2026
1. Connecticut
Total high school counselor jobs: 481 Average annual salary: $52,698 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 2.11
2. Nevada
Total high school counselor jobs: 197 Average annual salary: $50,673 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. District of Columbia
Total high school counselor jobs: 136 Average annual salary: $58,801 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
4. California
Total high school counselor jobs: 1,937 Average annual salary: $59,643 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
5. Pennsylvania
Total high school counselor jobs: 1,058 Average annual salary: $49,065 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
6. Rhode Island
Total high school counselor jobs: 101 Average annual salary: $49,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
7. Washington
Total high school counselor jobs: 467 Average annual salary: $52,069 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
8. Oregon
Total high school counselor jobs: 377 Average annual salary: $48,657 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
9. New Mexico
Total high school counselor jobs: 141 Average annual salary: $47,595 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
10. Kansas
Total high school counselor jobs: 193 Average annual salary: $47,797 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
High school counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a high school counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a high school counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $52,698 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 481 |
| 2 | Nevada | $50,673 | $36,000 | 2,998,039 | 197 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $58,801 | $41,000 | 693,972 | 136 |
| 4 | California | $59,643 | $43,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,937 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $49,065 | $34,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,058 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $49,325 | $34,000 | 1,059,639 | 101 |
| 7 | Washington | $52,069 | $38,000 | 7,405,743 | 467 |
| 8 | Oregon | $48,657 | $35,000 | 4,142,776 | 377 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $47,595 | $34,000 | 2,088,070 | 141 |
| 10 | Kansas | $47,797 | $35,000 | 2,913,123 | 193 |
| 11 | Delaware | $47,380 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 106 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $49,969 | $35,000 | 6,859,819 | 489 |
| 13 | Maryland | $49,830 | $35,000 | 6,052,177 | 510 |
| 14 | Arizona | $44,146 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 614 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $48,146 | $33,000 | 9,005,644 | 738 |
| 16 | Virginia | $49,195 | $35,000 | 8,470,020 | 450 |
| 17 | Vermont | $45,224 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 52 |
| 18 | Texas | $44,788 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,016 |
| 19 | Illinois | $42,776 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,316 |
| 20 | Indiana | $43,528 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 371 |
| 21 | Alaska | $42,968 | $36,000 | 739,795 | 86 |
| 22 | New York | $43,147 | $30,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,381 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $44,552 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 253 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $43,325 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 492 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $42,253 | $30,000 | 1,342,795 | 161 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $42,462 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 218 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $40,687 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 51 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $43,735 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 118 |
| 29 | Iowa | $42,161 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 223 |
| 30 | Utah | $42,481 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 91 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $40,216 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 48 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $40,902 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 106 |
| 33 | Ohio | $40,057 | $28,000 | 11,658,609 | 503 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $39,426 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 299 |
| 35 | Montana | $36,669 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 152 |
| 36 | Missouri | $38,634 | $28,000 | 6,113,532 | 423 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $40,076 | $28,000 | 1,815,857 | 50 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $40,931 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 103 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $44,307 | $38,000 | 1,427,538 | 41 |
| 40 | Colorado | $38,988 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 473 |
| 41 | Idaho | $37,193 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 117 |
| 42 | Georgia | $38,431 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 512 |
| 43 | Maine | $35,724 | $25,000 | 1,335,907 | 96 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $38,750 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 438 |
| 45 | Michigan | $34,297 | $24,000 | 9,962,311 | 601 |
| 46 | Florida | $35,773 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,013 |
| 47 | Alabama | $36,882 | $26,000 | 4,874,747 | 149 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $35,079 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 266 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $34,052 | $24,000 | 3,930,864 | 200 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $35,888 | $26,000 | 4,454,189 | 154 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $30,328 | $22,000 | 869,666 | 35 |
Highest paying states for high school counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. High School Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $52,698 |
| 2 | Nevada | $50,673 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $58,801 |
| 4 | California | $59,643 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $49,065 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $49,325 |
| 7 | Washington | $52,069 |
| 8 | Oregon | $48,657 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $47,595 |
| 10 | Kansas | $47,797 |
| 11 | Delaware | $47,380 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $49,969 |
| 13 | Maryland | $49,830 |
| 14 | Arizona | $44,146 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $48,146 |
| 16 | Virginia | $49,195 |
| 17 | Vermont | $45,224 |
| 18 | Texas | $44,788 |
| 19 | Illinois | $42,776 |
| 20 | Indiana | $43,528 |
| 21 | Alaska | $42,968 |
| 22 | New York | $43,147 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $44,552 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $43,325 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $42,253 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $42,462 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $40,687 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $43,735 |
| 29 | Iowa | $42,161 |
| 30 | Utah | $42,481 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $40,216 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $40,902 |
| 33 | Ohio | $40,057 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $39,426 |
| 35 | Montana | $36,669 |
| 36 | Missouri | $38,634 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $40,076 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $40,931 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $44,307 |
| 40 | Colorado | $38,988 |
| 41 | Idaho | $37,193 |
| 42 | Georgia | $38,431 |
| 43 | Maine | $35,724 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $38,750 |
| 45 | Michigan | $34,297 |
| 46 | Florida | $35,773 |
| 47 | Alabama | $36,882 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $35,079 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $34,052 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $35,888 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $30,328 |
Expert opinions on the best states for high school counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for high school 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