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 | New Mexico | $77,880 | 94.4 | $82,500 | 6 | +5 |
| 2 | Alaska | $82,900 | 105.4 | $78,653 | 2 | - |
| 3 | Washington | $82,670 | 106.7 | $77,479 | 3 | - |
| 4 | California | $86,500 | 113.4 | $76,279 | 1 | -3 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $75,000 | 100.4 | $74,701 | 8 | +3 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $79,930 | 108.5 | $73,668 | 4 | -2 |
| 7 | Kentucky | $64,350 | 88.5 | $72,712 | 20 | +13 |
| 8 | Delaware | $74,070 | 102.5 | $72,263 | 9 | +1 |
| 9 | Texas | $67,900 | 96.5 | $70,363 | 13 | +4 |
| 10 | Maryland | $75,820 | 108.7 | $69,752 | 7 | -3 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $77,910 | 112.1 | $69,500 | 5 | -6 |
| 12 | Arkansas | $59,770 | 86.5 | $69,098 | 34 | +22 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $73,910 | 107.2 | $68,946 | 10 | -3 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $58,710 | 85.3 | $68,828 | 39 | +25 |
| 15 | Nebraska | $62,500 | 91.2 | $68,531 | 24 | +9 |
| 16 | Georgia | $63,720 | 93.1 | $68,443 | 21 | +5 |
| 17 | Ohio | $61,760 | 90.3 | $68,394 | 27 | +10 |
| 18 | Alabama | $59,570 | 87.1 | $68,393 | 35 | +17 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $61,870 | 90.6 | $68,289 | 26 | +7 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $71,080 | 105.5 | $67,374 | 12 | -8 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $62,690 | 93.4 | $67,120 | 23 | +2 |
| 22 | Nevada | $66,710 | 100.2 | $66,577 | 15 | -7 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $59,960 | 90.4 | $66,327 | 33 | +10 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $63,430 | 95.7 | $66,280 | 22 | -2 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $60,340 | 91.3 | $66,090 | 31 | +6 |
| 26 | Oregon | $66,690 | 101.1 | $65,964 | 16 | -10 |
| 27 | Virginia | $67,660 | 103.2 | $65,562 | 14 | -13 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $55,520 | 84.7 | $65,549 | 47 | +19 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $64,600 | 98.6 | $65,517 | 18 | -11 |
| 30 | Indiana | $59,260 | 90.8 | $65,264 | 37 | +7 |
| 31 | Missouri | $58,040 | 89.4 | $64,922 | 42 | +11 |
| 32 | Illinois | $62,420 | 97.6 | $63,955 | 25 | -7 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $58,960 | 92.5 | $63,741 | 38 | +5 |
| 34 | Michigan | $59,440 | 93.5 | $63,572 | 36 | +2 |
| 35 | Idaho | $60,320 | 95.4 | $63,229 | 32 | -3 |
| 36 | Iowa | $56,540 | 89.8 | $62,962 | 46 | +10 |
| 37 | Kansas | $56,590 | 90.3 | $62,669 | 45 | +8 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $60,880 | 97.5 | $62,441 | 30 | -8 |
| 39 | Vermont | $64,570 | 103.7 | $62,266 | 19 | -20 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $57,630 | 93.0 | $61,968 | 44 | +4 |
| 41 | New York | $71,610 | 115.7 | $61,893 | 11 | -30 |
| 42 | Utah | $61,320 | 99.1 | $61,877 | 29 | -13 |
| 43 | Colorado | $64,780 | 105.2 | $61,578 | 17 | -26 |
| 44 | Montana | $57,900 | 96.3 | $60,125 | 43 | -1 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $52,040 | 88.6 | $58,736 | 49 | +4 |
| 46 | Maine | $58,630 | 100.9 | $58,107 | 40 | -6 |
| 47 | Arizona | $58,250 | 100.6 | $57,903 | 41 | -6 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $51,830 | 90.0 | $57,589 | 50 | +2 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $61,730 | 112.0 | $55,116 | 28 | -21 |
| 50 | Florida | $53,140 | 101.1 | $52,562 | 48 | -2 |
Salary: BLS OEWS May 2025. 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-to-low raw salaries and low costs of living gain the most after adjustment. Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, and West Virginia all climb sharply, each rising well over a dozen places. These states pair below-average school counselor salaries with housing, food, and transportation costs far below the national average. For counselors focused on building wealth and financial stability, the value sweet spot rewards looking past the headline salary.
States That Fall in Rankings
New York, Colorado, Hawaii, and Vermont drop the most. Their costs of living outrun their salaries: New York carries the highest price level in the nation (RPP 115.7) and falls about 30 places. California still slips from #1 raw to roughly #4 adjusted, but its salary is high enough to stay near the top rather than collapsing the way New York does on NYC-metro housing costs.
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 ($64,330)
- Regional Price Parities below 95 (lower than average cost of living)
- Reasonable student-to-counselor ratios and job availability
States like Georgia ($63,720 raw, RPP 93.1), Ohio ($61,760 raw, RPP 90.3), and Indiana ($59,260 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, New Mexico ranks first for school counselor purchasing power, with Alaska, Washington, and California close behind. Lower-cost states climb sharply once adjusted: Mississippi, Arkansas, and Kentucky each jump more than a dozen places versus their raw salary ranking, because moderate living costs stretch a mid-range salary further.
Does California still rank first after cost-of-living adjustment?
California slips from first to about fourth after adjustment. While it pays the highest raw salary at $86,500, the state's Regional Price Parity of 113.4 trims the adjusted value to roughly $76,300. New Mexico, Alaska, and Washington edge ahead on purchasing power, and the gap with lower-cost states narrows sharply, though California's salary is high enough to keep it near the top.
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?
New York, Colorado, Hawaii, and Vermont lose the most ground in adjusted rankings. New York is the most dramatic, falling about 30 places: its top-in-the-nation price level (RPP 115.7) erodes a strong raw salary. Hawaii combines a high cost of living with a mid-range salary, while Colorado and Vermont pay only moderately against above-average costs.