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Best states for a residential counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
- Rank 1 - 10
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to residential 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 residential counselors. We found that Washington is the best state in the nation for residential counselors, and people in Bellingham 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 residential counselors.We found that Washington is the best state for residential counselor jobs, whereas North Carolina is the worst.
10 best states for residential counselors in 2025
1. Washington
Total residential counselor jobs: 811 Average annual salary: $42,905 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
2. Minnesota
Total residential counselor jobs: 665 Average annual salary: $38,067 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
3. North Dakota
Total residential counselor jobs: 75 Average annual salary: $39,344 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
4. Alaska
Total residential counselor jobs: 106 Average annual salary: $36,627 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
5. Iowa
Total residential counselor jobs: 297 Average annual salary: $37,500 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
6. New Mexico
Total residential counselor jobs: 157 Average annual salary: $38,644 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
7. California
Total residential counselor jobs: 2,877 Average annual salary: $39,508 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. Oregon
Total residential counselor jobs: 395 Average annual salary: $36,815 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
9. Utah
Total residential counselor jobs: 238 Average annual salary: $38,165 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
10. Maine
Total residential counselor jobs: 173 Average annual salary: $33,164 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
Residential counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a residential counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a residential counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $42,905 | $33,000 | 7,405,743 | 811 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $38,067 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 665 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $39,344 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 75 |
| 4 | Alaska | $36,627 | $32,000 | 739,795 | 106 |
| 5 | Iowa | $37,500 | $28,000 | 3,145,711 | 297 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $38,644 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 157 |
| 7 | California | $39,508 | $29,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,877 |
| 8 | Oregon | $36,815 | $28,000 | 4,142,776 | 395 |
| 9 | Utah | $38,165 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 238 |
| 10 | Maine | $33,164 | $27,000 | 1,335,907 | 173 |
| 11 | Colorado | $36,074 | $27,000 | 5,607,154 | 584 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $33,525 | $26,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,615 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $34,901 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 466 |
| 14 | Nevada | $35,252 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 160 |
| 15 | Kansas | $36,125 | $27,000 | 2,913,123 | 185 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $35,430 | $26,000 | 1,815,857 | 100 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $32,677 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 314 |
| 18 | Ohio | $33,995 | $25,000 | 11,658,609 | 765 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $32,243 | $25,000 | 3,588,184 | 413 |
| 20 | Montana | $32,042 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 137 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $34,921 | $26,000 | 5,795,483 | 352 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $31,537 | $24,000 | 579,315 | 56 |
| 23 | New York | $32,381 | $24,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,723 |
| 24 | Arizona | $30,931 | $23,000 | 7,016,270 | 616 |
| 25 | Idaho | $31,745 | $24,000 | 1,716,943 | 147 |
| 26 | Vermont | $33,644 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 53 |
| 27 | Texas | $32,407 | $24,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,532 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $30,331 | $23,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,478 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $32,363 | $27,000 | 1,427,538 | 99 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $32,513 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 119 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $29,555 | $22,000 | 5,024,369 | 496 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $32,522 | $24,000 | 693,972 | 149 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $31,199 | $24,000 | 869,666 | 64 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $30,831 | $23,000 | 1,920,076 | 178 |
| 35 | Alabama | $30,852 | $23,000 | 4,874,747 | 255 |
| 36 | Missouri | $31,467 | $23,000 | 6,113,532 | 414 |
| 37 | Florida | $29,539 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,629 |
| 38 | Virginia | $31,466 | $23,000 | 8,470,020 | 725 |
| 39 | New Jersey | $30,031 | $22,000 | 9,005,644 | 844 |
| 40 | Michigan | $29,146 | $22,000 | 9,962,311 | 727 |
| 41 | Maryland | $29,470 | $22,000 | 6,052,177 | 682 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $29,110 | $22,000 | 1,059,639 | 121 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $26,898 | $20,000 | 3,004,279 | 273 |
| 44 | Illinois | $28,870 | $21,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,141 |
| 45 | Delaware | $28,183 | $21,000 | 961,939 | 117 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $27,297 | $20,000 | 2,984,100 | 185 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $28,116 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 214 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $27,278 | $20,000 | 4,454,189 | 262 |
| 49 | Indiana | $27,448 | $20,000 | 6,666,818 | 467 |
| 50 | Georgia | $26,468 | $19,000 | 10,429,379 | 800 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $25,057 | $18,000 | 10,273,419 | 553 |
Highest paying states for residential counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Residential Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $42,905 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $38,067 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $39,344 |
| 4 | Alaska | $36,627 |
| 5 | Iowa | $37,500 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $38,644 |
| 7 | California | $39,508 |
| 8 | Oregon | $36,815 |
| 9 | Utah | $38,165 |
| 10 | Maine | $33,164 |
| 11 | Colorado | $36,074 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $33,525 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $34,901 |
| 14 | Nevada | $35,252 |
| 15 | Kansas | $36,125 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $35,430 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $32,677 |
| 18 | Ohio | $33,995 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $32,243 |
| 20 | Montana | $32,042 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $34,921 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $31,537 |
| 23 | New York | $32,381 |
| 24 | Arizona | $30,931 |
| 25 | Idaho | $31,745 |
| 26 | Vermont | $33,644 |
| 27 | Texas | $32,407 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $30,331 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $32,363 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $32,513 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $29,555 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $32,522 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $31,199 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $30,831 |
| 35 | Alabama | $30,852 |
| 36 | Missouri | $31,467 |
| 37 | Florida | $29,539 |
| 38 | Virginia | $31,466 |
| 39 | New Jersey | $30,031 |
| 40 | Michigan | $29,146 |
| 41 | Maryland | $29,470 |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $29,110 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $26,898 |
| 44 | Illinois | $28,870 |
| 45 | Delaware | $28,183 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $27,297 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $28,116 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $27,278 |
| 49 | Indiana | $27,448 |
| 50 | Georgia | $26,468 |
| 51 | North Carolina | $25,057 |
Expert opinions on the best states for residential counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for residential 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025