Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a student support counselor
Quoted expert
Christine Suniti Bhat
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for student support counselors? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for student support counselor jobs.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 student support counselor jobs.
In order to get you the best states for student support counselors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the South is best for student support counselors, and the Northeast is the worst. Teaneck, NJ is the best city in the country for student support counselor jobs, where as North Dakota is the best state in the country.
10 best states for student support counselors in 2026
1. North Dakota
Total student support counselor jobs: 253 Average annual salary: $49,334 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 2
2. Massachusetts
Total student support counselor jobs: 2,067 Average annual salary: $50,928 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
3. Vermont
Total student support counselor jobs: 206 Average annual salary: $46,303 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
4. California
Total student support counselor jobs: 6,789 Average annual salary: $49,115 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Location Quotient: 1.7
5. Washington
Total student support counselor jobs: 1,833 Average annual salary: $44,617 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Location Quotient: 1.84
6. Alaska
Total student support counselor jobs: 118 Average annual salary: $48,318 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
7. New York
Total student support counselor jobs: 1,647 Average annual salary: $49,009 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
8. New Jersey
Total student support counselor jobs: 790 Average annual salary: $50,876 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
9. Connecticut
Total student support counselor jobs: 420 Average annual salary: $45,467 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
10. Delaware
Total student support counselor jobs: 140 Average annual salary: $45,258 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Student support counselor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a student support counselor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a student support counselor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $49,334 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 253 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $50,928 | $36,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,067 |
| 3 | Vermont | $46,303 | $33,000 | 623,657 | 206 |
| 4 | California | $49,115 | $35,000 | 39,536,653 | 6,789 |
| 5 | Washington | $44,617 | $34,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,833 |
| 6 | Alaska | $48,318 | $42,000 | 739,795 | 118 |
| 7 | New York | $49,009 | $34,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,647 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $50,876 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 790 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $45,467 | $32,000 | 3,588,184 | 420 |
| 10 | Delaware | $45,258 | $31,000 | 961,939 | 140 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $39,081 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 503 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $45,894 | $32,000 | 1,815,857 | 105 |
| 13 | Illinois | $40,346 | $29,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,621 |
| 14 | Maine | $40,479 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 194 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $42,882 | $31,000 | 5,576,606 | 644 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $42,541 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 430 |
| 17 | Nevada | $38,528 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 416 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $38,724 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 380 |
| 19 | Texas | $42,209 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,556 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $46,651 | $32,000 | 693,972 | 150 |
| 21 | Maryland | $42,830 | $30,000 | 6,052,177 | 814 |
| 22 | Virginia | $43,289 | $30,000 | 8,470,020 | 763 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $35,966 | $27,000 | 869,666 | 204 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $37,669 | $26,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,378 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $37,049 | $27,000 | 2,088,070 | 363 |
| 26 | Arizona | $37,744 | $27,000 | 7,016,270 | 756 |
| 27 | Iowa | $37,145 | $27,000 | 3,145,711 | 365 |
| 28 | Michigan | $37,188 | $26,000 | 9,962,311 | 757 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $36,622 | $26,000 | 1,059,639 | 137 |
| 30 | Ohio | $37,216 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 754 |
| 31 | Colorado | $37,582 | $28,000 | 5,607,154 | 603 |
| 32 | Idaho | $37,272 | $28,000 | 1,716,943 | 130 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $34,278 | $26,000 | 579,315 | 79 |
| 34 | Missouri | $34,171 | $25,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,127 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $32,202 | $23,000 | 3,004,279 | 627 |
| 36 | Oregon | $36,886 | $27,000 | 4,142,776 | 418 |
| 37 | Alabama | $33,620 | $24,000 | 4,874,747 | 710 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $34,877 | $25,000 | 6,715,984 | 513 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $31,503 | $25,000 | 1,427,538 | 216 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $35,014 | $25,000 | 2,984,100 | 172 |
| 41 | Montana | $32,716 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 131 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $31,543 | $22,000 | 4,684,333 | 574 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $30,146 | $22,000 | 4,454,189 | 680 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $29,996 | $21,000 | 5,024,369 | 865 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $34,481 | $24,000 | 10,273,419 | 572 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $27,104 | $20,000 | 3,930,864 | 571 |
| 47 | Georgia | $32,348 | $23,000 | 10,429,379 | 851 |
| 48 | Utah | $32,249 | $24,000 | 3,101,833 | 239 |
| 49 | Florida | $30,213 | $21,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,574 |
| 50 | Kansas | $30,545 | $22,000 | 2,913,123 | 204 |
| 51 | Indiana | $28,964 | $21,000 | 6,666,818 | 505 |
Highest paying states for student support counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. Student Support Counselor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $49,334 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $50,928 |
| 3 | Vermont | $46,303 |
| 4 | California | $49,115 |
| 5 | Washington | $44,617 |
| 6 | Alaska | $48,318 |
| 7 | New York | $49,009 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $50,876 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $45,467 |
| 10 | Delaware | $45,258 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $39,081 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $45,894 |
| 13 | Illinois | $40,346 |
| 14 | Maine | $40,479 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $42,882 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $42,541 |
| 17 | Nevada | $38,528 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $38,724 |
| 19 | Texas | $42,209 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $46,651 |
| 21 | Maryland | $42,830 |
| 22 | Virginia | $43,289 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $35,966 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $37,669 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $37,049 |
| 26 | Arizona | $37,744 |
| 27 | Iowa | $37,145 |
| 28 | Michigan | $37,188 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | $36,622 |
| 30 | Ohio | $37,216 |
| 31 | Colorado | $37,582 |
| 32 | Idaho | $37,272 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $34,278 |
| 34 | Missouri | $34,171 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $32,202 |
| 36 | Oregon | $36,886 |
| 37 | Alabama | $33,620 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $34,877 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $31,503 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $35,014 |
| 41 | Montana | $32,716 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $31,543 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $30,146 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $29,996 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $34,481 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $27,104 |
| 47 | Georgia | $32,348 |
| 48 | Utah | $32,249 |
| 49 | Florida | $30,213 |
| 50 | Kansas | $30,545 |
| 51 | Indiana | $28,964 |
Expert opinions on the best states for student support counselors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for student support 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.
Student support counselor best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
Search for student support counselor jobs
Updated January 8, 2025