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Best states for a student services counselor
Quoted expert
John Potter
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It seems like student services counselors are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for student services counselors aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of student services counselors in America is $60,000.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for student services counselors. Massachusetts is the best state for student services counselors, where the median salary is $48,618.If you are currently seeking employment as a student services counselor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for student services counselors in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total student services counselor jobs: 2,079 Average annual salary: $48,618 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.352. New Jersey
Total student services counselor jobs: 1,438 Average annual salary: $50,124 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.083. District of Columbia
Total student services counselor jobs: 309 Average annual salary: $51,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.14. New York
Total student services counselor jobs: 2,854 Average annual salary: $44,576 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.335. Connecticut
Total student services counselor jobs: 629 Average annual salary: $44,435 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.136. Maryland
Total student services counselor jobs: 1,062 Average annual salary: $48,233 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 17. Pennsylvania
Total student services counselor jobs: 2,078 Average annual salary: $39,853 Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 1.068. Virginia
Total student services counselor jobs: 1,455 Average annual salary: $46,983 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 0.929. Delaware
Total student services counselor jobs: 206 Average annual salary: $44,230 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 0.9810. California
Total student services counselor jobs: 4,771 Average annual salary: $47,993 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
Student services counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a student services counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a student services counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $48,618 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,079 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $50,124 | $31,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,438 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $51,995 | $33,000 | 693,972 | 309 |
| 4 | New York | $44,576 | $28,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,854 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $44,435 | $28,000 | 3,588,184 | 629 |
| 6 | Maryland | $48,233 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,062 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $39,853 | $25,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,078 |
| 8 | Virginia | $46,983 | $30,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,455 |
| 9 | Delaware | $44,230 | $28,000 | 961,939 | 206 |
| 10 | California | $47,993 | $31,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,771 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $35,975 | $24,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,511 |
| 12 | Maine | $37,629 | $25,000 | 1,335,907 | 236 |
| 13 | Vermont | $43,061 | $29,000 | 623,657 | 116 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $42,817 | $28,000 | 1,815,857 | 203 |
| 15 | Illinois | $35,981 | $24,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,155 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $38,484 | $26,000 | 755,393 | 141 |
| 17 | Alaska | $33,617 | $23,000 | 739,795 | 164 |
| 18 | Arizona | $33,173 | $22,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,096 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $35,412 | $23,000 | 1,059,639 | 194 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $32,240 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,025 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $36,556 | $24,000 | 1,342,795 | 251 |
| 22 | Michigan | $34,176 | $22,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,247 |
| 23 | Iowa | $31,036 | $21,000 | 3,145,711 | 908 |
| 24 | Ohio | $35,106 | $23,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,389 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $32,393 | $22,000 | 1,920,076 | 385 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $36,410 | $24,000 | 5,795,483 | 377 |
| 27 | Florida | $32,481 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,688 |
| 28 | Georgia | $33,477 | $23,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,553 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $32,852 | $23,000 | 2,984,100 | 291 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $31,803 | $21,000 | 2,088,070 | 325 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $30,652 | $25,000 | 1,427,538 | 177 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $33,039 | $22,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,330 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $29,344 | $20,000 | 3,004,279 | 493 |
| 34 | Washington | $30,690 | $21,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,408 |
| 35 | Colorado | $31,757 | $22,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,010 |
| 36 | Nevada | $30,721 | $20,000 | 2,998,039 | 356 |
| 37 | Oregon | $30,006 | $20,000 | 4,142,776 | 785 |
| 38 | Alabama | $31,958 | $22,000 | 4,874,747 | 480 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $29,802 | $20,000 | 4,684,333 | 551 |
| 40 | Texas | $31,185 | $21,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,887 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $29,331 | $20,000 | 5,024,369 | 731 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $27,230 | $19,000 | 579,315 | 108 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $28,828 | $20,000 | 869,666 | 163 |
| 44 | Idaho | $28,274 | $19,000 | 1,716,943 | 286 |
| 45 | Missouri | $29,723 | $20,000 | 6,113,532 | 881 |
| 46 | Montana | $24,363 | $17,000 | 1,050,493 | 233 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $27,605 | $18,000 | 4,454,189 | 534 |
| 48 | Indiana | $25,697 | $17,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,070 |
| 49 | Kansas | $26,458 | $18,000 | 2,913,123 | 427 |
| 50 | Utah | $25,659 | $17,000 | 3,101,833 | 475 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $24,242 | $16,000 | 3,930,864 | 439 |
Highest paying states for student services counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Student Services Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $48,618 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $50,124 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $51,995 |
| 4 | New York | $44,576 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $44,435 |
| 6 | Maryland | $48,233 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $39,853 |
| 8 | Virginia | $46,983 |
| 9 | Delaware | $44,230 |
| 10 | California | $47,993 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $35,975 |
| 12 | Maine | $37,629 |
| 13 | Vermont | $43,061 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $42,817 |
| 15 | Illinois | $35,981 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $38,484 |
| 17 | Alaska | $33,617 |
| 18 | Arizona | $33,173 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $35,412 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $32,240 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $36,556 |
| 22 | Michigan | $34,176 |
| 23 | Iowa | $31,036 |
| 24 | Ohio | $35,106 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $32,393 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $36,410 |
| 27 | Florida | $32,481 |
| 28 | Georgia | $33,477 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $32,852 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $31,803 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $30,652 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $33,039 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $29,344 |
| 34 | Washington | $30,690 |
| 35 | Colorado | $31,757 |
| 36 | Nevada | $30,721 |
| 37 | Oregon | $30,006 |
| 38 | Alabama | $31,958 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $29,802 |
| 40 | Texas | $31,185 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $29,331 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $27,230 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $28,828 |
| 44 | Idaho | $28,274 |
| 45 | Missouri | $29,723 |
| 46 | Montana | $24,363 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $27,605 |
| 48 | Indiana | $25,697 |
| 49 | Kansas | $26,458 |
| 50 | Utah | $25,659 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $24,242 |
Expert opinions on the best states for student services counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for student services counselors to find work opportunities?
John Potter
Clinical Associate Professor, Southern Methodist University
Anywhere. Let me unpack that word, though. Many of our graduates are in the workplace and study dispute resolution and conflict management to expand their opportunities with the skills they learn. So, wherever the work will be is where they will excel, or perhaps move on to another growth opportunity in another workplace elsewhere. Other students seek the degree and the skills that come with it to create a new opportunity in an environment that does not have a core dispute resolution and conflict management already in place. So, anywhere there is conflict, our graduates can excel.
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Updated January 8, 2025