Best States for School Counselors: Salary Adjusted for Cost of Living
Raw salary does not equal purchasing power. Using BEA Regional Price Parities, this page shows where your school counselor salary goes furthest. Some states that look mediocre on paper offer the strongest financial position after expenses.
How This Works
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes Regional Price Parities (RPPs) that measure price level differences across states. The national average is set at 100. A state with an RPP of 90 is 10% cheaper than average; one with 110 is 10% more expensive.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = (Raw Salary / RPP) x 100. A counselor earning $55,000 in a state with an RPP of 87 has an adjusted salary of $63,218, reflecting 13% more purchasing power than the national average.
| Adj Rank | State | Raw Salary | RPP | Adjusted Salary | Raw Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $94,320 | 113.4 | $83,175 | 1 | - |
| 2 | Washington | $82,340 | 106.7 | $77,170 | 2 | - |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $78,460 | 108.5 | $72,313 | 3 | - |
| 4 | Oregon | $72,330 | 101.1 | $71,543 | 8 | +4 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $75,580 | 107.2 | $70,504 | 5 | - |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $68,540 | 100.4 | $68,267 | 12 | +6 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $76,140 | 112.1 | $67,921 | 4 | -3 |
| 8 | Alaska | $71,480 | 105.4 | $67,818 | 9 | +1 |
| 9 | Maryland | $73,210 | 108.7 | $67,351 | 7 | -2 |
| 10 | Illinois | $65,030 | 97.6 | $66,629 | 14 | +4 |
| 11 | Virginia | $68,750 | 103.2 | $66,618 | 11 | - |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $64,200 | 97.5 | $65,846 | 16 | +4 |
| 13 | Texas | $63,380 | 96.5 | $65,679 | 18 | +5 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $64,710 | 98.6 | $65,629 | 15 | +1 |
| 15 | Ohio | $58,460 | 90.3 | $64,740 | 25 | +10 |
| 16 | Georgia | $60,250 | 93.1 | $64,715 | 22 | +6 |
| 17 | Delaware | $66,330 | 102.5 | $64,712 | 13 | -4 |
| 18 | Michigan | $60,420 | 93.5 | $64,620 | 21 | +3 |
| 19 | Nevada | $63,870 | 100.2 | $63,743 | 17 | -2 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $59,410 | 93.4 | $63,608 | 23 | +3 |
| 21 | New York | $73,590 | 115.7 | $63,604 | 6 | -15 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $57,490 | 91.2 | $63,037 | 30 | +8 |
| 23 | Iowa | $56,470 | 89.8 | $62,884 | 35 | +12 |
| 24 | Indiana | $56,610 | 90.8 | $62,346 | 34 | +10 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $57,650 | 92.5 | $62,324 | 28 | +3 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $69,720 | 112.0 | $62,250 | 10 | -16 |
| 27 | Missouri | $55,620 | 89.4 | $62,215 | 40 | +13 |
| 28 | Kansas | $55,820 | 90.3 | $61,816 | 38 | +10 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $57,120 | 93.0 | $61,419 | 32 | +3 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $54,080 | 88.5 | $61,107 | 44 | +14 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $51,720 | 84.7 | $61,063 | 46 | +15 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $55,140 | 90.4 | $60,996 | 41 | +9 |
| 33 | Alabama | $52,770 | 87.1 | $60,586 | 45 | +12 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $57,830 | 95.7 | $60,428 | 27 | -7 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $51,310 | 85.3 | $60,152 | 49 | +14 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $54,350 | 90.6 | $59,989 | 42 | +6 |
| 37 | Colorado | $62,940 | 105.2 | $59,829 | 19 | -18 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $51,530 | 86.5 | $59,572 | 47 | +9 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $62,790 | 105.5 | $59,517 | 20 | -19 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $56,150 | 94.4 | $59,481 | 37 | -3 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $54,190 | 91.3 | $59,354 | 43 | +2 |
| 42 | Montana | $57,130 | 96.3 | $59,325 | 31 | -11 |
| 43 | Idaho | $56,210 | 95.4 | $58,920 | 36 | -7 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $51,140 | 88.6 | $57,720 | 50 | +6 |
| 45 | Maine | $58,210 | 100.9 | $57,691 | 26 | -19 |
| 46 | Utah | $57,020 | 99.1 | $57,538 | 33 | -13 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $51,480 | 90.0 | $57,200 | 48 | +1 |
| 48 | Vermont | $59,140 | 103.7 | $57,030 | 24 | -24 |
| 49 | Florida | $57,640 | 101.1 | $57,013 | 29 | -20 |
| 50 | Arizona | $55,640 | 100.6 | $55,308 | 39 | -11 |
Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024. RPP: BEA Regional Price Parities. Change = raw rank minus adjusted rank (positive = state rose in rankings).
Winners and Losers After Adjustment
States That Rise in Rankings
States with moderate raw salaries and low costs of living gain the most after adjustment. Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Tennessee all climb significantly. These states offer solid school counselor salaries combined with housing, food, and transportation costs well below the national average. For counselors focused on building wealth and financial stability, these states deserve serious consideration.
States That Fall in Rankings
Hawaii, California, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts drop the most. These are the highest raw-salary states, but their elevated costs of living erode much of the premium. California drops from #1 raw to a lower adjusted position. New York falls similarly due to housing costs in the NYC metro area, though upstate New York costs are much lower.
Best Overall Value States
The best value states combine a reasonable raw salary with low cost of living, providing strong purchasing power without the trade-offs of very low-paying states. These states typically offer:
- Raw salaries within 10% of the national median ($65,140)
- Regional Price Parities below 95 (lower than average cost of living)
- Reasonable student-to-counselor ratios and job availability
States like Georgia ($60,250 raw, RPP 93.1), Ohio ($58,460 raw, RPP 90.3), and Indiana ($56,610 raw, RPP 90.8) consistently appear in this value sweet spot. They may not make headlines for high salaries, but the financial reality for a school counselor living in these states is often better than in high-salary, high-cost states.
See detailed cost-of-living data at CostOfLivingByState.com →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best state for school counselors after cost of living?
When adjusted for cost of living using BEA Regional Price Parities, states like Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee offer some of the strongest purchasing power for school counselors. These states combine moderate salaries with low living costs, giving counselors more actual buying power than higher-salary, higher-cost states.
Does California still rank first after cost-of-living adjustment?
California drops significantly in the adjusted rankings. While it pays the highest raw salary at $94,320, the state's Regional Price Parity of 113.4 means the adjusted salary is approximately $83,200. This is still high, but the gap with lower-cost states narrows dramatically. Several states with moderate raw salaries surpass California in purchasing power.
How is the cost-of-living adjustment calculated?
We use BEA Regional Price Parities (RPPs), which measure price level differences across states relative to the national average (set at 100). The adjusted salary is calculated as: Raw Salary divided by RPP, multiplied by 100. For example, a $65,000 salary in a state with an RPP of 90 has an adjusted salary of $72,222, reflecting higher purchasing power in that state.
Which states lose the most ground after cost-of-living adjustment?
Hawaii, California, New York, and New Jersey lose the most ground in adjusted rankings. These states have the highest costs of living (RPPs above 110), which erode the value of their higher raw salaries. Hawaii is particularly dramatic, falling from the top 10 in raw salary to near the middle when adjusted.