Where is it easiest to open: Vocational Rehabilitation Services
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 | 732 | 38.7 | $34,559 | not matched | — |
| NY | 319 | 41.5 | $31,531 | not matched | — |
| FL | 318 | 22.4 | $31,636 | not matched | — |
| PA | 257 | 29.9 | $25,640 | exam | Professional Counselor |
| TX | 241 | 32.5 | $30,939 | licence | COUNSELOR, PROFESSIONAL |
| IL | 239 | 32.2 | $35,409 | exam | COUNSELOR, PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY; LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR |
| WA | 238 | 26.0 | $51,237 | exam | Counselor |
| OH | 229 | 40.9 | $26,389 | exam | Certified School Counselor; Professional Counselor |
| WI | 211 | 35.4 | $28,116 | exam | COUNSELOR, PROFESSIONAL; SCHOOL COUNSELOR |
| MN | 207 | 32.5 | $29,720 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) |
| MA | 197 | 37.9 | $35,508 | not matched | — |
| MI | 186 | 43.2 | $34,062 | exam | Counselor, Licensed Professional; Counselor, Limited Licensed Profession |
| OR | 136 | 25.8 | $39,211 | licence | Professional Counselor; School Counselor |
| MD | 134 | 36.8 | $46,163 | licence | COUNSELORS; SCHOOL COUNSELOR |
| IN | 126 | 27.3 | $33,587 | exam | School Services Standard License-Couns |
| MO | 118 | 43.2 | $22,679 | exam | Professional Counselors |
| NJ | 118 | 39.6 | $30,397 | exam | ASSOCIATE COUNSELOR; CAREER COUNSELOR |
| VA | 114 | 45.4 | $47,141 | exam | Counselors, Professional |
| LA | 112 | 14.5 | $24,688 | exam | Rehabilitation Counselor, Vocational |
| GA | 110 | 22.3 | $37,355 | exam | Associate Professional Counselor; Professional Counselor |
| CT | 106 | 35.8 | $36,225 | licence | Professional Counselor; Professional Counselor Associate |
| AZ | 95 | 40.9 | $28,435 | licence | Standard Guidance Counselor |
| NC | 91 | 34.9 | $27,622 | exam | Fee-Based Practicing Pastoral Counselo; Fee-Based Practicing Pastoral Counselo |
| IA | 91 | 24.5 | $32,292 | not matched | — |
| CO | 86 | 22.1 | $38,819 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor; Registered Pyschotherapist |
| TN | 70 | 23.8 | $34,518 | not matched | — |
| OK | 64 | 41.3 | $26,664 | exam | Counselor, Licensed Professional |
| SC | 53 | 21.5 | $29,796 | licence | Licensed Professional Counselor; Licensed Professional Counselor - Supe |
| NV | 51 | 38.7 | $31,037 | not matched | — |
| KY | 45 | 40.0 | $26,973 | exam | Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Co; Licensed Pastoral Counselor |
| AR | 43 | 20.8 | $30,059 | exam | Elementary and Secondary School Counse; Employment Counselor |
| ME | 41 | 15.6 | $41,366 | exam | Counselor, Pastoral; Counselor, Pastoral (Conditional) |
| WV | 40 | 23.7 | $20,038 | not matched | — |
| HI | 39 | 25.9 | $32,813 | not matched | — |
| NE | 37 | 16.5 | $32,777 | licence | School Counselor |
| UT | 36 | 34.4 | $29,925 | licence | EDUCATIONAL, GUIDANCE, AND CAREER COUN |
| AL | 36 | 34.8 | $39,408 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor |
| MT | 32 | 22.0 | $28,311 | licence | Counselors/School |
| KS | 32 | 32.5 | $27,382 | exam | Professional Counselor |
| DC | 30 | 19.3 | $56,712 | not matched | — |
| ID | 30 | 19.6 | $25,732 | exam | Counselors (LPC) |
| NH | 28 | 17.7 | $33,931 | licence | School Counselor |
| NM | 24 | 32.5 | $34,000 | not matched | — |
| RI | 21 | 20.9 | $43,690 | licence | School Counselor; School Counselor Supervisor |
| DE | 19 | 35.2 | $33,090 | licence | School Career Guidance and Placement C; School Elementary Guidance Counselor |
| AK | 15 | 21.9 | $42,695 | licence | Professional Counselor |
| MS | 10 | 31.1 | $49,026 | exam | Licensed Professional Counselor |
| ND | 7 | 79.4 | $39,937 | exam | Licensed Associate Professional Counse; Licensed Professional Counselors |
| VT | 6 | 46.0 | $42,486 | exam | Educator |
| WY | 6 | 23.0 | $29,507 | exam | PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR |
| SD | 4 | 7.5 | $38,467 | 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.