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Best states for a licensed professional counselor
Quoted expert
Ali Cunningham Abbott Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to licensed professional counselor jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for licensed professional counselors. We found that Maine is the best state in the nation for licensed professional counselors, and people in New York earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for licensed professional counselors. Maine is the best state for licensed professional counselors, where the median salary is $110,234.If you are currently seeking employment as a licensed professional counselor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for licensed professional counselors in 2025
1. Maine
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 383 Average annual salary: $110,234 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
2. Washington
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 2,167 Average annual salary: $111,914 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
3. Arizona
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 1,479 Average annual salary: $109,438 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
4. Oregon
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 1,072 Average annual salary: $110,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
5. Michigan
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 1,939 Average annual salary: $105,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
6. Rhode Island
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 364 Average annual salary: $102,621 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
7. Massachusetts
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 3,176 Average annual salary: $101,722 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.64
8. Missouri
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 1,352 Average annual salary: $102,840 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
9. North Dakota
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 200 Average annual salary: $98,606 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
10. New York
Total licensed professional counselor jobs: 1,806 Average annual salary: $113,909 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.67
Licensed professional counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a licensed professional counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a licensed professional counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $110,234 | $91,000 | 1,335,907 | 383 |
| 2 | Washington | $111,914 | $83,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,167 |
| 3 | Arizona | $109,438 | $79,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,479 |
| 4 | Oregon | $110,925 | $82,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,072 |
| 5 | Michigan | $105,906 | $82,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,939 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $102,621 | $83,000 | 1,059,639 | 364 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $101,722 | $82,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,176 |
| 8 | Missouri | $102,840 | $76,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,352 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $98,606 | $75,000 | 755,393 | 200 |
| 10 | New York | $113,909 | $91,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,806 |
| 11 | California | $103,828 | $76,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,305 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $93,004 | $71,000 | 5,576,606 | 2,379 |
| 13 | Kansas | $95,284 | $69,000 | 2,913,123 | 737 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $109,557 | $85,000 | 693,972 | 270 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $93,132 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 575 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $96,430 | $73,000 | 1,815,857 | 218 |
| 17 | Ohio | $97,726 | $75,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,330 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $97,468 | $73,000 | 869,666 | 140 |
| 19 | Indiana | $94,280 | $71,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,165 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $89,836 | $70,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,850 |
| 21 | Vermont | $96,931 | $79,000 | 623,657 | 109 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $95,736 | $71,000 | 4,454,189 | 406 |
| 23 | Iowa | $85,313 | $64,000 | 3,145,711 | 927 |
| 24 | Delaware | $87,147 | $68,000 | 961,939 | 425 |
| 25 | Alaska | $86,786 | $72,000 | 739,795 | 258 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $93,336 | $74,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,473 |
| 27 | Virginia | $96,838 | $75,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,101 |
| 28 | Nevada | $87,552 | $63,000 | 2,998,039 | 453 |
| 29 | Alabama | $86,301 | $61,000 | 4,874,747 | 801 |
| 30 | Illinois | $87,992 | $66,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,721 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $92,112 | $75,000 | 1,342,795 | 210 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $90,147 | $72,000 | 3,588,184 | 653 |
| 33 | Montana | $81,441 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 309 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $87,054 | $63,000 | 6,715,984 | 742 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $77,669 | $55,000 | 2,088,070 | 509 |
| 36 | Idaho | $81,673 | $59,000 | 1,716,943 | 359 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $82,901 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 227 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $80,261 | $61,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,329 |
| 39 | Colorado | $81,067 | $59,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,499 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $77,805 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 144 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $79,078 | $59,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,192 |
| 42 | Utah | $79,388 | $57,000 | 3,101,833 | 617 |
| 43 | Maryland | $85,070 | $66,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,056 |
| 44 | Florida | $79,030 | $55,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,318 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $72,532 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 638 |
| 46 | Texas | $74,048 | $51,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,771 |
| 47 | Georgia | $76,847 | $55,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,393 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $75,711 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 628 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $74,271 | $52,000 | 2,984,100 | 273 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $71,920 | $49,000 | 4,684,333 | 444 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $72,576 | $51,000 | 3,930,864 | 388 |
Highest paying states for licensed professional counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Licensed Professional Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $110,234 |
| 2 | Washington | $111,914 |
| 3 | Arizona | $109,438 |
| 4 | Oregon | $110,925 |
| 5 | Michigan | $105,906 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $102,621 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $101,722 |
| 8 | Missouri | $102,840 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $98,606 |
| 10 | New York | $113,909 |
| 11 | California | $103,828 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $93,004 |
| 13 | Kansas | $95,284 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $109,557 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $93,132 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $96,430 |
| 17 | Ohio | $97,726 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $97,468 |
| 19 | Indiana | $94,280 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $89,836 |
| 21 | Vermont | $96,931 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $95,736 |
| 23 | Iowa | $85,313 |
| 24 | Delaware | $87,147 |
| 25 | Alaska | $86,786 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $93,336 |
| 27 | Virginia | $96,838 |
| 28 | Nevada | $87,552 |
| 29 | Alabama | $86,301 |
| 30 | Illinois | $87,992 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $92,112 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $90,147 |
| 33 | Montana | $81,441 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $87,054 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $77,669 |
| 36 | Idaho | $81,673 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $82,901 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $80,261 |
| 39 | Colorado | $81,067 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $77,805 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $79,078 |
| 42 | Utah | $79,388 |
| 43 | Maryland | $85,070 |
| 44 | Florida | $79,030 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $72,532 |
| 46 | Texas | $74,048 |
| 47 | Georgia | $76,847 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $75,711 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $74,271 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $71,920 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $72,576 |
Expert opinions on the best states for licensed professional counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for licensed professional counselors to find work opportunities?
Ali Cunningham Abbott Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Lynn University
The expected growth for mental health professionals (of all kinds) is promising in the United States. As national certifications and licensing rules continue to expand, with more legislative support and movement, one of the hopes of this profession is that counseling will no longer be location bound. Therefore, no matter where you are in the country, there will likely be good work opportunities upon graduation. Historically, of course, those living in more metropolitan or urban areas have more opportunities for employment in this field.
But many people who choose or must work in rural areas can be offered positions that sometimes involve stipends or higher salaries to help recruit and retain people in areas where counseling resources are less available. Another consideration, outside of population density, for future counselors to consider, is which state(s) they plan to seek licensure in. Some states have stronger licensing laws that make them better to practice in over others, including legislation that protects professional rights and client access to services.
Our program encourages counselors to do in-depth research on the places they intend to seek licensure to ensure a smooth transition to prosperous work opportunities in the field.
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Updated January 8, 2025