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Best states for a mental health practitioner
Quoted expert
Amanda Bakian
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for mental health practitioners? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for mental health practitioner jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.In order to help you decide which state is the best for mental health practitioners, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for mental health practitioner jobs.
Washington is the best state for jobs for mental health practitioners, and Georgia is the worst. The most common pay in Washington is $67,265, while the median pay in Georgia is $38,395.Washington is the best state, and Southampton is the city with the highest pay for mental health practitioners.
10 best states for mental health practitioners in 2026
1. Washington
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 1,930 Average annual salary: $67,265 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
2. California
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 6,290 Average annual salary: $67,000 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. Maine
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 428 Average annual salary: $56,710 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.85
4. New York
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 1,977 Average annual salary: $76,605 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
5. Hawaii
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 184 Average annual salary: $63,907 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
6. New Hampshire
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 293 Average annual salary: $60,227 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
7. Connecticut
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 535 Average annual salary: $63,489 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
8. Rhode Island
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 214 Average annual salary: $58,098 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
9. Nevada
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 339 Average annual salary: $58,830 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
10. Minnesota
Total mental health practitioner jobs: 1,361 Average annual salary: $53,306 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
Mental health practitioner jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a mental health practitioner
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a mental health practitioner
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $67,265 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,930 |
| 2 | California | $67,000 | $44,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,290 |
| 3 | Maine | $56,710 | $39,000 | 1,335,907 | 428 |
| 4 | New York | $76,605 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,977 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $63,907 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 184 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $60,227 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 293 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $63,489 | $42,000 | 3,588,184 | 535 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $58,098 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 214 |
| 9 | Nevada | $58,830 | $39,000 | 2,998,039 | 339 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $53,306 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,361 |
| 11 | Michigan | $49,404 | $34,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,854 |
| 12 | Idaho | $51,407 | $35,000 | 1,716,943 | 346 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $64,092 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,048 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $51,980 | $34,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,801 |
| 15 | Alaska | $51,766 | $42,000 | 739,795 | 195 |
| 16 | Oregon | $58,573 | $39,000 | 4,142,776 | 581 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $48,706 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 106 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $51,855 | $38,000 | 755,393 | 139 |
| 19 | Utah | $51,404 | $35,000 | 3,101,833 | 461 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $58,898 | $39,000 | 693,972 | 259 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $48,814 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,584 |
| 22 | Delaware | $51,382 | $34,000 | 961,939 | 203 |
| 23 | Texas | $49,553 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,010 |
| 24 | Iowa | $46,439 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 677 |
| 25 | Arizona | $47,179 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,303 |
| 26 | Ohio | $46,133 | $32,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,743 |
| 27 | Illinois | $52,146 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,332 |
| 28 | Vermont | $50,388 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 109 |
| 29 | Maryland | $48,828 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,359 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $45,235 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 985 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $49,129 | $34,000 | 2,088,070 | 240 |
| 32 | Indiana | $43,162 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,597 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $42,857 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 715 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $43,630 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 662 |
| 35 | Virginia | $48,176 | $32,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,419 |
| 36 | Kansas | $45,884 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 430 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $45,190 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 155 |
| 38 | Colorado | $45,326 | $32,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,018 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $41,875 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 535 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $43,245 | $31,000 | 2,984,100 | 333 |
| 41 | Montana | $44,195 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 135 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $39,476 | $28,000 | 5,024,369 | 930 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $42,546 | $29,000 | 1,815,857 | 114 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $39,781 | $26,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,825 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $30,308 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 553 |
| 46 | Alabama | $39,444 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 690 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $42,215 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 501 |
| 48 | Missouri | $34,063 | $24,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,020 |
| 49 | Florida | $42,054 | $29,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,859 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $34,972 | $25,000 | 1,920,076 | 327 |
| 51 | Georgia | $38,395 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,172 |
Highest paying states for mental health practitioners
| Rank | State | Avg. Mental Health Practitioner Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $67,265 |
| 2 | California | $67,000 |
| 3 | Maine | $56,710 |
| 4 | New York | $76,605 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $63,907 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $60,227 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $63,489 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $58,098 |
| 9 | Nevada | $58,830 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $53,306 |
| 11 | Michigan | $49,404 |
| 12 | Idaho | $51,407 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $64,092 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $51,980 |
| 15 | Alaska | $51,766 |
| 16 | Oregon | $58,573 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $48,706 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $51,855 |
| 19 | Utah | $51,404 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $58,898 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $48,814 |
| 22 | Delaware | $51,382 |
| 23 | Texas | $49,553 |
| 24 | Iowa | $46,439 |
| 25 | Arizona | $47,179 |
| 26 | Ohio | $46,133 |
| 27 | Illinois | $52,146 |
| 28 | Vermont | $50,388 |
| 29 | Maryland | $48,828 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $45,235 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $49,129 |
| 32 | Indiana | $43,162 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $42,857 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $43,630 |
| 35 | Virginia | $48,176 |
| 36 | Kansas | $45,884 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $45,190 |
| 38 | Colorado | $45,326 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $41,875 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $43,245 |
| 41 | Montana | $44,195 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $39,476 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $42,546 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $39,781 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $30,308 |
| 46 | Alabama | $39,444 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $42,215 |
| 48 | Missouri | $34,063 |
| 49 | Florida | $42,054 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $34,972 |
| 51 | Georgia | $38,395 |
Expert opinions on the best states for mental health practitioners
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for mental health practitioners to find work opportunities?
Amanda Bakian
Research Associate Professor, University of Utah
My impression is that the job market for graduates with a degree in statistics is still likely to be strong in 2020 - demand for quantitative skills remain high, and work can be done remotely. In an academic setting, individuals with this skill set are in short supply.
Mental health practitioner best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025