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Best states for a therapist
Quoted expert
Amanda Bakian
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to therapist 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. As therapists are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for therapists. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a therapist, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for therapists, 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 Midwest is best for therapists, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for therapist jobs, where as North Dakota is the best state in the country.
10 best states for therapists in 2026
1. North Dakota
Total therapist jobs: 235 Average annual salary: $64,560 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
2. Vermont
Total therapist jobs: 276 Average annual salary: $62,110 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.86
3. Connecticut
Total therapist jobs: 843 Average annual salary: $65,435 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
4. New Jersey
Total therapist jobs: 1,477 Average annual salary: $72,644 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
5. Louisiana
Total therapist jobs: 830 Average annual salary: $61,554 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
6. California
Total therapist jobs: 5,772 Average annual salary: $72,873 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
7. New Hampshire
Total therapist jobs: 558 Average annual salary: $57,638 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
8. Massachusetts
Total therapist jobs: 2,419 Average annual salary: $61,055 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
9. Maine
Total therapist jobs: 327 Average annual salary: $57,955 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
10. Rhode Island
Total therapist jobs: 332 Average annual salary: $57,365 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
Therapist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a therapist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a therapist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $64,560 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 235 |
| 2 | Vermont | $62,110 | $42,000 | 623,657 | 276 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $65,435 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 843 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $72,644 | $47,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,477 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $61,554 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 830 |
| 6 | California | $72,873 | $47,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,772 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $57,638 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 558 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $61,055 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,419 |
| 9 | Maine | $57,955 | $39,000 | 1,335,907 | 327 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $57,365 | $38,000 | 1,059,639 | 332 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $57,838 | $38,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,482 |
| 12 | Nevada | $61,221 | $40,000 | 2,998,039 | 313 |
| 13 | Virginia | $64,529 | $42,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,427 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $54,755 | $36,000 | 2,984,100 | 481 |
| 15 | Washington | $60,328 | $43,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,282 |
| 16 | Maryland | $61,867 | $40,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,084 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $69,044 | $45,000 | 693,972 | 141 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $53,421 | $38,000 | 579,315 | 144 |
| 19 | Arizona | $54,419 | $36,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,417 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $56,025 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 427 |
| 21 | New York | $60,889 | $40,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,133 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $52,313 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 543 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $58,668 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 930 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $51,682 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 366 |
| 25 | Texas | $55,069 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,738 |
| 26 | Idaho | $56,652 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 265 |
| 27 | Alaska | $52,598 | $44,000 | 739,795 | 231 |
| 28 | Alabama | $54,818 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 635 |
| 29 | Illinois | $54,910 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,173 |
| 30 | Michigan | $53,853 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,249 |
| 31 | Oregon | $53,583 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 703 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $52,242 | $33,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,526 |
| 33 | Ohio | $51,000 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,586 |
| 34 | Indiana | $47,539 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,378 |
| 35 | Georgia | $50,155 | $32,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,917 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $48,449 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 543 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $48,615 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 960 |
| 38 | Florida | $45,486 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 4,198 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $47,265 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 982 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $45,830 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 202 |
| 41 | Colorado | $48,615 | $34,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,138 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $44,756 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 243 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $47,088 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 620 |
| 44 | Montana | $46,169 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 219 |
| 45 | Delaware | $49,244 | $32,000 | 961,939 | 209 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $44,782 | $31,000 | 1,920,076 | 478 |
| 47 | Kansas | $44,352 | $31,000 | 2,913,123 | 583 |
| 48 | Utah | $48,736 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 363 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $45,900 | $30,000 | 6,715,984 | 983 |
| 50 | Missouri | $44,095 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,178 |
| 51 | Iowa | $45,910 | $31,000 | 3,145,711 | 605 |
Highest paying states for therapists
| Rank | State | Avg. Therapist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $64,560 |
| 2 | Vermont | $62,110 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $65,435 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $72,644 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $61,554 |
| 6 | California | $72,873 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $57,638 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $61,055 |
| 9 | Maine | $57,955 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $57,365 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $57,838 |
| 12 | Nevada | $61,221 |
| 13 | Virginia | $64,529 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $54,755 |
| 15 | Washington | $60,328 |
| 16 | Maryland | $61,867 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $69,044 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $53,421 |
| 19 | Arizona | $54,419 |
| 20 | Arkansas | $56,025 |
| 21 | New York | $60,889 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $52,313 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $58,668 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $51,682 |
| 25 | Texas | $55,069 |
| 26 | Idaho | $56,652 |
| 27 | Alaska | $52,598 |
| 28 | Alabama | $54,818 |
| 29 | Illinois | $54,910 |
| 30 | Michigan | $53,853 |
| 31 | Oregon | $53,583 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $52,242 |
| 33 | Ohio | $51,000 |
| 34 | Indiana | $47,539 |
| 35 | Georgia | $50,155 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $48,449 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $48,615 |
| 38 | Florida | $45,486 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $47,265 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $45,830 |
| 41 | Colorado | $48,615 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $44,756 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $47,088 |
| 44 | Montana | $46,169 |
| 45 | Delaware | $49,244 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $44,782 |
| 47 | Kansas | $44,352 |
| 48 | Utah | $48,736 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $45,900 |
| 50 | Missouri | $44,095 |
| 51 | Iowa | $45,910 |
Expert opinions on the best states for therapists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for therapists to find work opportunities?
Amanda Bakian
Research Associate Professor, University of Utah
My impression is that the job market for graduates with a degree in statistics is still likely to be strong in 2020 - demand for quantitative skills remain high, and work can be done remotely. In an academic setting, individuals with this skill set are in short supply.
Therapist best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025