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Best states for a mental health counselor
Quoted expert
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to mental health 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. Our research shows that Arizona is the best state in the country for mental health counselors.
In order to get you the best states for mental health counselors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Arizona is the best state for mental health counselor jobs, whereas South Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for mental health counselors in 2026
1. Arizona
Total mental health counselor jobs: 1,246 Average annual salary: $55,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
2. Idaho
Total mental health counselor jobs: 346 Average annual salary: $55,832 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
3. Maine
Total mental health counselor jobs: 297 Average annual salary: $53,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
4. Michigan
Total mental health counselor jobs: 1,724 Average annual salary: $51,576 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
5. Nevada
Total mental health counselor jobs: 308 Average annual salary: $57,395 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
6. Missouri
Total mental health counselor jobs: 1,034 Average annual salary: $52,621 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
7. Utah
Total mental health counselor jobs: 461 Average annual salary: $54,462 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
8. Maryland
Total mental health counselor jobs: 1,234 Average annual salary: $54,983 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
9. Washington
Total mental health counselor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $58,089 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 0
10. California
Total mental health counselor jobs: 5,742 Average annual salary: $54,747 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
Mental health counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a mental health counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a mental health counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $55,995 | $39,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,246 |
| 2 | Idaho | $55,832 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 346 |
| 3 | Maine | $53,379 | $34,000 | 1,335,907 | 297 |
| 4 | Michigan | $51,576 | $36,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,724 |
| 5 | Nevada | $57,395 | $40,000 | 2,998,039 | 308 |
| 6 | Missouri | $52,621 | $38,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,034 |
| 7 | Utah | $54,462 | $38,000 | 3,101,833 | 461 |
| 8 | Maryland | $54,983 | $37,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,234 |
| 9 | Washington | $58,089 | $41,000 | 7,405,743 | 0 |
| 10 | California | $54,747 | $38,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,742 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $49,596 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 546 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $51,344 | $33,000 | 1,059,639 | 191 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $54,029 | $35,000 | 3,588,184 | 481 |
| 14 | Ohio | $47,691 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,888 |
| 15 | Texas | $50,804 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,927 |
| 16 | Indiana | $46,468 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,415 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $47,940 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 109 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $51,864 | $38,000 | 1,427,538 | 177 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $48,613 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 157 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $53,239 | $36,000 | 693,972 | 275 |
| 21 | Oregon | $51,905 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 525 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $48,678 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 141 |
| 23 | Kansas | $49,811 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 0 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $47,484 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 616 |
| 25 | Vermont | $47,120 | $30,000 | 623,657 | 160 |
| 26 | Alaska | $47,471 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 166 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $46,978 | $33,000 | 4,684,333 | 634 |
| 28 | Alabama | $46,955 | $34,000 | 4,874,747 | 651 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $47,244 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 344 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $45,763 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,401 |
| 31 | Virginia | $48,986 | $33,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,432 |
| 32 | New York | $50,527 | $33,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,821 |
| 33 | Colorado | $47,761 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,001 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $46,868 | $32,000 | 1,815,857 | 86 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $46,992 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 0 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | $42,904 | $27,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,064 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $44,302 | $31,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,662 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $47,022 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 0 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $45,637 | $29,000 | 1,342,795 | 245 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $44,104 | $29,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,771 |
| 41 | Montana | $46,313 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 151 |
| 42 | Iowa | $42,235 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 654 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $46,332 | $30,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,060 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $43,531 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 468 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $39,188 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 509 |
| 46 | Florida | $44,530 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,737 |
| 47 | Delaware | $42,730 | $28,000 | 961,939 | 196 |
| 48 | Illinois | $43,615 | $31,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,300 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $41,318 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 0 |
| 50 | Georgia | $40,641 | $29,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,092 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $38,845 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 473 |
Highest paying states for mental health counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Mental Health Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $55,995 |
| 2 | Idaho | $55,832 |
| 3 | Maine | $53,379 |
| 4 | Michigan | $51,576 |
| 5 | Nevada | $57,395 |
| 6 | Missouri | $52,621 |
| 7 | Utah | $54,462 |
| 8 | Maryland | $54,983 |
| 9 | Washington | $58,089 |
| 10 | California | $54,747 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $49,596 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $51,344 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $54,029 |
| 14 | Ohio | $47,691 |
| 15 | Texas | $50,804 |
| 16 | Indiana | $46,468 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $47,940 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $51,864 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $48,613 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $53,239 |
| 21 | Oregon | $51,905 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $48,678 |
| 23 | Kansas | $49,811 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $47,484 |
| 25 | Vermont | $47,120 |
| 26 | Alaska | $47,471 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $46,978 |
| 28 | Alabama | $46,955 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $47,244 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $45,763 |
| 31 | Virginia | $48,986 |
| 32 | New York | $50,527 |
| 33 | Colorado | $47,761 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $46,868 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $46,992 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | $42,904 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $44,302 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $47,022 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $45,637 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $44,104 |
| 41 | Montana | $46,313 |
| 42 | Iowa | $42,235 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $46,332 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $43,531 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $39,188 |
| 46 | Florida | $44,530 |
| 47 | Delaware | $42,730 |
| 48 | Illinois | $43,615 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $41,318 |
| 50 | Georgia | $40,641 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $38,845 |
Expert opinions on the best states for mental health counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for mental health counselors to find work opportunities?
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Comparative American Studies and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies, Oberlin College
One great thing about a degree in these interdisciplinary fields is that it opens many job possibilities. Graduates from these fields may do all sorts of different work for nonprofits or NGOs in the education sector, politics, research, writing and editing, and healthcare settings.
With the pandemic, there has been so much variability state-by-state in terms of spread, plans for reopening, and what remains closed, that it's hard to say which places may be better to look for work. I know some recent graduates are still landing jobs and making big moves all over the United States for those jobs, while others are taking on remote work and choosing where they will live. I recommend, if one is able, casting a wide net, being open to new places or job possibilities you might not have initially imagined for yourself.
Mental health counselor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025