Where is it easiest to open: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 21-1012” (soc) for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 523 | 326.1 | $64,763 | not matched | — |
| FL | 296 | 216.0 | $54,985 | not matched | — |
| NY | 248 | 934.7 | $77,821 | not matched | — |
| TX | 171 | 312.3 | $66,863 | licence | COUNSELOR, PROFESSIONAL |
| PA | 147 | 1107.6 | $56,300 | exam | Professional Counselor |
| IL | 132 | 634.3 | $59,521 | exam | COUNSELOR, PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY; LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR |
| VA | 131 | 204.0 | $45,660 | exam | Counselors, Professional |
| MA | 109 | 1481.5 | $58,992 | not matched | — |
| OH | 92 | 379.7 | $37,151 | exam | Certified School Counselor; Professional Counselor |
| GA | 80 | 392.8 | $77,201 | exam | Associate Professional Counselor; Professional Counselor |
| NC | 77 | 514.7 | $73,454 | exam | Fee-Based Practicing Pastoral Counselo; Fee-Based Practicing Pastoral Counselo |
| MO | 76 | 617.7 | $68,223 | exam | Professional Counselors |
| AZ | 75 | 409.7 | $42,305 | licence | Standard Guidance Counselor |
| NJ | 74 | 380.4 | $56,144 | exam | ASSOCIATE COUNSELOR; CAREER COUNSELOR |
| TN | 59 | 420.6 | $52,174 | not matched | — |
| MI | 54 | 208.1 | $36,478 | exam | Counselor, Licensed Professional; Counselor, Limited Licensed Profession |
| SC | 53 | 161.1 | $34,685 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor; Licensed Professional Counselor - Supe |
| WA | 52 | 310.4 | $36,842 | exam | Counselor |
| MN | 52 | 428.4 | $41,563 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) |
| DC | 47 | 793.5 | $58,414 | not matched | — |
| CO | 47 | 302.9 | $40,870 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor; Registered Pyschotherapist |
| MD | 45 | 902.5 | $75,819 | licence | COUNSELORS; SCHOOL COUNSELOR |
| IN | 44 | 667.6 | $40,073 | exam | School Services Standard License-Couns |
| WI | 40 | 598.8 | $64,706 | exam | COUNSELOR, PROFESSIONAL; SCHOOL COUNSELOR |
| LA | 38 | 398.0 | $53,235 | exam | Rehabilitation Counselor, Vocational |
| UT | 37 | 941.0 | $40,645 | licence | EDUCATIONAL, GUIDANCE, AND CAREER COUN |
| OR | 36 | 216.1 | $36,974 | licence | Professional Counselor; School Counselor |
| AL | 35 | 187.5 | $35,060 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor |
| KY | 31 | 186.6 | $42,714 | exam | Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Co; Licensed Pastoral Counselor |
| CT | 28 | 1744.1 | $65,230 | licence | Professional Counselor; Professional Counselor Associate |
| KS | 28 | 124.9 | $34,244 | exam | Professional Counselor |
| IA | 27 | 365.0 | $33,123 | not matched | — |
| HI | 26 | 185.2 | $32,239 | not matched | — |
| NH | 24 | 582.2 | $57,827 | licence | School Counselor |
| NE | 23 | 380.4 | $45,533 | licence | School Counselor |
| OK | 22 | 256.1 | $37,426 | exam | Counselor, Licensed Professional |
| ME | 19 | 416.0 | $39,048 | exam | Counselor, Pastoral; Counselor, Pastoral (Conditional) |
| NV | 18 | 87.7 | $63,061 | not matched | — |
| MT | 17 | 90.9 | $25,598 | licence | Counselors/School |
| AR | 15 | 113.7 | $26,743 | exam | Elementary and Secondary School Counse; Employment Counselor |
| VT | 14 | 330.9 | $33,381 | exam | Educator |
| NM | 14 | 18.0 | $45,599 | not matched | — |
| RI | 13 | 1420.8 | $47,795 | licence | School Counselor; School Counselor Supervisor |
| DE | 11 | 71.5 | $89,568 | licence | School Career Guidance and Placement C; School Elementary Guidance Counselor |
| AK | 10 | 40.6 | $38,892 | licence | Professional Counselor |
| MS | 9 | 252.4 | $30,089 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor |
| ID | 8 | 26.8 | $77,238 | exam | Counselors (LPC) |
| WY | 7 | 4.3 | $26,400 | exam | PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR |
| ND | 7 | 2.6 | $22,722 | exam | Licensed Associate Professional Counse; Licensed Professional Counselors |
| WV | 6 | 101.7 | $35,143 | not matched | — |
| SD | 6 | 254.3 | $26,089 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor; School Guidance Counselor |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.