Best states for a professional consultant

Q: What is the best state for professional consultants?

The best state to be a professional consultant is New Jersey based on professional consultant salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for professional consultants?

The highest paying state for professional consultants is Arkansas based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for professional consultants?

The worst state for professional consultants is Arkansas, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

David Smith

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Are you thinking of becoming a professional consultant and really want to work at Infosys Public Services? Turns out, your chances to become a professional consultant are better in some states than others.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for professional consultant jobs.

We figured that the best places for professional consultant jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.New Jersey is the best state, and Atlantic City is the city with the highest pay for professional consultants.

10 best states for professional consultants in 2025

1. New Jersey
Total professional consultant jobs: 1,667
Average annual salary: $91,529
Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000
Location Quotient:
1.28
Professional consultant jobs in New Jersey
2. Oklahoma
Total professional consultant jobs: 580
Average annual salary: $84,807
Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Professional consultant jobs in Oklahoma
3. Massachusetts
Total professional consultant jobs: 1,921
Average annual salary: $86,831
Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000
Location Quotient:
1.28
Professional consultant jobs in Massachusetts
4. Rhode Island
Total professional consultant jobs: 348
Average annual salary: $80,488
Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000
Location Quotient:
1.75
Professional consultant jobs in Rhode Island
5. Minnesota
Total professional consultant jobs: 1,569
Average annual salary: $81,730
Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000
Location Quotient:
1.44
Professional consultant jobs in Minnesota
6. District of Columbia
Total professional consultant jobs: 549
Average annual salary: $88,714
Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000
Location Quotient:
2
Professional consultant jobs in District of Columbia
7. Pennsylvania
Total professional consultant jobs: 2,632
Average annual salary: $78,391
Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000
Location Quotient:
1.38
Professional consultant jobs in Pennsylvania
8. South Dakota
Total professional consultant jobs: 231
Average annual salary: $77,504
Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000
Location Quotient:
1.32
Professional consultant jobs in South Dakota
9. Washington
Total professional consultant jobs: 951
Average annual salary: $89,688
Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000
Location Quotient:
0.8
Professional consultant jobs in Washington
10. Texas
Total professional consultant jobs: 2,993
Average annual salary: $82,150
Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000
Location Quotient:
0.9
Professional consultant jobs in Texas

Professional consultant jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a professional consultant

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a professional consultant

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New Jersey	$91,529	$79,000	9,005,644	1,667
2	Oklahoma	$84,807	$73,000	3,930,864	580
3	Massachusetts	$86,831	$76,000	6,859,819	1,921
4	Rhode Island	$80,488	$70,000	1,059,639	348
5	Minnesota	$81,730	$71,000	5,576,606	1,569
6	District of Columbia	$88,714	$76,000	693,972	549
7	Pennsylvania	$78,391	$67,000	12,805,537	2,632
8	South Dakota	$77,504	$67,000	869,666	231
9	Washington	$89,688	$76,000	7,405,743	951
10	Texas	$82,150	$70,000	28,304,596	2,993
11	Colorado	$87,444	$75,000	5,607,154	842
12	Connecticut	$83,219	$72,000	3,588,184	610
13	California	$88,568	$73,000	39,536,653	4,867
14	New Hampshire	$80,343	$70,000	1,342,795	292
15	North Carolina	$80,776	$69,000	10,273,419	1,500
16	Michigan	$83,848	$72,000	9,962,311	964
17	Oregon	$80,931	$68,000	4,142,776	811
18	Illinois	$80,531	$69,000	12,802,023	2,135
19	West Virginia	$77,555	$66,000	1,815,857	245
20	Maryland	$88,567	$76,000	6,052,177	812
21	Virginia	$82,062	$70,000	8,470,020	1,538
22	Maine	$76,357	$67,000	1,335,907	246
23	Ohio	$76,670	$66,000	11,658,609	1,506
24	New York	$86,023	$74,000	19,849,399	1,547
25	Wyoming	$74,706	$64,000	579,315	125
26	Alabama	$74,977	$65,000	4,874,747	706
27	Missouri	$77,045	$67,000	6,113,532	835
28	Georgia	$77,983	$67,000	10,429,379	1,350
29	Nevada	$74,784	$62,000	2,998,039	345
30	Wisconsin	$74,236	$64,000	5,795,483	913
31	Alaska	$79,042	$72,000	739,795	115
32	Hawaii	$76,288	$67,000	1,427,538	169
33	Kentucky	$75,870	$65,000	4,454,189	439
34	Delaware	$73,379	$63,000	961,939	266
35	Arizona	$73,550	$62,000	7,016,270	861
36	Vermont	$70,184	$61,000	623,657	183
37	Indiana	$67,766	$58,000	6,666,818	1,699
38	Utah	$69,817	$59,000	3,101,833	614
39	Iowa	$70,893	$61,000	3,145,711	514
40	Montana	$70,076	$60,000	1,050,493	209
41	South Carolina	$72,988	$63,000	5,024,369	573
42	North Dakota	$65,295	$57,000	755,393	202
43	Kansas	$70,240	$61,000	2,913,123	424
44	Idaho	$68,244	$58,000	1,716,943	256
45	Florida	$69,832	$61,000	20,984,400	2,260
46	Nebraska	$69,430	$60,000	1,920,076	303
47	Mississippi	$65,306	$56,000	2,984,100	379
48	Tennessee	$66,176	$57,000	6,715,984	743
49	Louisiana	$68,773	$59,000	4,684,333	336
50	New Mexico	$60,696	$51,000	2,088,070	270
51	Arkansas	$60,679	$52,000	3,004,279	331

Highest paying states for professional consultants

Rank	State	Avg. Professional Consultant Salary
1	New Jersey	$91,529
2	Oklahoma	$84,807
3	Massachusetts	$86,831
4	Rhode Island	$80,488
5	Minnesota	$81,730
6	District of Columbia	$88,714
7	Pennsylvania	$78,391
8	South Dakota	$77,504
9	Washington	$89,688
10	Texas	$82,150
11	Colorado	$87,444
12	Connecticut	$83,219
13	California	$88,568
14	New Hampshire	$80,343
15	North Carolina	$80,776
16	Michigan	$83,848
17	Oregon	$80,931
18	Illinois	$80,531
19	West Virginia	$77,555
20	Maryland	$88,567
21	Virginia	$82,062
22	Maine	$76,357
23	Ohio	$76,670
24	New York	$86,023
25	Wyoming	$74,706
26	Alabama	$74,977
27	Missouri	$77,045
28	Georgia	$77,983
29	Nevada	$74,784
30	Wisconsin	$74,236
31	Alaska	$79,042
32	Hawaii	$76,288
33	Kentucky	$75,870
34	Delaware	$73,379
35	Arizona	$73,550
36	Vermont	$70,184
37	Indiana	$67,766
38	Utah	$69,817
39	Iowa	$70,893
40	Montana	$70,076
41	South Carolina	$72,988
42	North Dakota	$65,295
43	Kansas	$70,240
44	Idaho	$68,244
45	Florida	$69,832
46	Nebraska	$69,430
47	Mississippi	$65,306
48	Tennessee	$66,176
49	Louisiana	$68,773
50	New Mexico	$60,696
51	Arkansas	$60,679

Expert opinions on the best states for professional consultants

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for professional consultants to find work opportunities?
David Smith
Consultant, Coach and Speaker, David J. Smith Consulting
My work tends to focus on those seeking careers in conflict-sensitive fields, such as conflict resolution, humanitarian work, local and international development, and peacebuilding. Those working in these areas are driven by the locus of the work, that is, where the needs are and those that need support. In some cases, this is within one's own community, and in others, overseas.

Professional consultant best states FAQs

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What is the highest paying state for professional consultants?

What is the worst state for professional consultants?

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Best states for Professional Consultants

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total professional consultant jobs:	1,667
Average annual salary:	$91,529
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$79,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$105,000
Location Quotient:	1.28

Best states for a professional consultant

10 best states for professional consultants in 2025

1. New Jersey

2. Oklahoma

3. Massachusetts

4. Rhode Island

5. Minnesota

6. District of Columbia

7. Pennsylvania

8. South Dakota

9. Washington

10. Texas