Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a residence counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Residence counselor opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for residence counselors, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for residence counselors.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for residence counselors. We found that Arizona is the best state in the nation for residence counselors, and people in Longview earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for residence counselors.We found that the South is best for residence counselors, and the West is the worst. Phoenix, AZ is the best city in the country for residence counselor jobs, where as Arizona is the best state in the country.
10 best states for residence counselors in 2026
1. Arizona
Total residence counselor jobs: 644 Average annual salary: $42,950 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
2. Washington
Total residence counselor jobs: 853 Average annual salary: $43,689 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
3. Maine
Total residence counselor jobs: 169 Average annual salary: $39,938 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
4. Oregon
Total residence counselor jobs: 408 Average annual salary: $43,669 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
5. Idaho
Total residence counselor jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $42,362 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
6. North Dakota
Total residence counselor jobs: 87 Average annual salary: $39,856 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
7. Michigan
Total residence counselor jobs: 775 Average annual salary: $39,802 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
8. New York
Total residence counselor jobs: 1,739 Average annual salary: $40,205 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
9. Nevada
Total residence counselor jobs: 163 Average annual salary: $40,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
10. Utah
Total residence counselor jobs: 227 Average annual salary: $40,716 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
Residence counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a residence counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a residence counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $42,950 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 644 |
| 2 | Washington | $43,689 | $35,000 | 7,405,743 | 853 |
| 3 | Maine | $39,938 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 169 |
| 4 | Oregon | $43,669 | $34,000 | 4,142,776 | 408 |
| 5 | Idaho | $42,362 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 149 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $39,856 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 87 |
| 7 | Michigan | $39,802 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 775 |
| 8 | New York | $40,205 | $31,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,739 |
| 9 | Nevada | $40,925 | $31,000 | 2,998,039 | 163 |
| 10 | Utah | $40,716 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 227 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $37,400 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 60 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $39,094 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 77 |
| 13 | Missouri | $40,154 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 410 |
| 14 | California | $40,008 | $30,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,056 |
| 15 | Alaska | $37,045 | $32,000 | 739,795 | 106 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $36,384 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,711 |
| 17 | Montana | $36,390 | $29,000 | 1,050,493 | 137 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $36,960 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 279 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $36,521 | $29,000 | 1,059,639 | 123 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $37,095 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 669 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $37,142 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 194 |
| 22 | Kansas | $38,158 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 191 |
| 23 | Colorado | $36,539 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 581 |
| 24 | Texas | $36,867 | $28,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,578 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $37,970 | $29,000 | 693,972 | 153 |
| 26 | Ohio | $35,720 | $28,000 | 11,658,609 | 782 |
| 27 | Indiana | $35,175 | $28,000 | 6,666,818 | 490 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $35,222 | $28,000 | 4,454,189 | 267 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $34,065 | $26,000 | 4,684,333 | 311 |
| 30 | Vermont | $35,353 | $28,000 | 623,657 | 64 |
| 31 | Virginia | $36,386 | $28,000 | 8,470,020 | 707 |
| 32 | Illinois | $33,678 | $27,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,244 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $31,573 | $24,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,427 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $34,310 | $27,000 | 1,815,857 | 102 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $33,951 | $26,000 | 2,088,070 | 172 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $33,807 | $28,000 | 1,427,538 | 96 |
| 37 | Iowa | $33,381 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 327 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $33,296 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 452 |
| 39 | Alabama | $34,419 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 226 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $34,651 | $27,000 | 5,795,483 | 376 |
| 41 | Connecticut | $31,981 | $25,000 | 3,588,184 | 404 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $32,857 | $25,000 | 9,005,644 | 875 |
| 43 | Maryland | $31,456 | $24,000 | 6,052,177 | 773 |
| 44 | Florida | $31,437 | $24,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,613 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $29,251 | $23,000 | 3,004,279 | 291 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $33,166 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 133 |
| 47 | Delaware | $30,395 | $23,000 | 961,939 | 121 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $30,312 | $23,000 | 2,984,100 | 162 |
| 49 | Georgia | $29,723 | $23,000 | 10,429,379 | 826 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $28,203 | $22,000 | 5,024,369 | 391 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $29,698 | $23,000 | 10,273,419 | 544 |
Highest paying states for residence counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Residence Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $42,950 |
| 2 | Washington | $43,689 |
| 3 | Maine | $39,938 |
| 4 | Oregon | $43,669 |
| 5 | Idaho | $42,362 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $39,856 |
| 7 | Michigan | $39,802 |
| 8 | New York | $40,205 |
| 9 | Nevada | $40,925 |
| 10 | Utah | $40,716 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $37,400 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $39,094 |
| 13 | Missouri | $40,154 |
| 14 | California | $40,008 |
| 15 | Alaska | $37,045 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $36,384 |
| 17 | Montana | $36,390 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $36,960 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $36,521 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $37,095 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $37,142 |
| 22 | Kansas | $38,158 |
| 23 | Colorado | $36,539 |
| 24 | Texas | $36,867 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $37,970 |
| 26 | Ohio | $35,720 |
| 27 | Indiana | $35,175 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $35,222 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $34,065 |
| 30 | Vermont | $35,353 |
| 31 | Virginia | $36,386 |
| 32 | Illinois | $33,678 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $31,573 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $34,310 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $33,951 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $33,807 |
| 37 | Iowa | $33,381 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $33,296 |
| 39 | Alabama | $34,419 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $34,651 |
| 41 | Connecticut | $31,981 |
| 42 | New Jersey | $32,857 |
| 43 | Maryland | $31,456 |
| 44 | Florida | $31,437 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $29,251 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $33,166 |
| 47 | Delaware | $30,395 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $30,312 |
| 49 | Georgia | $29,723 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $28,203 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $29,698 |
Expert opinions on the best states for residence counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for residence 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.
Residence counselor best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
Search for residence counselor jobs
Updated January 8, 2025