The average salary for a school counselor in the United States is around $37,733 per year.
Avg Salary
School counselors earn an average yearly salary of $37,733.
Wages typically start from $24,544 and go up to $58,010.
40% below national average Updated in 2023
School counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$27.89 per hour
$58,010 per year
Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$22.75 per hour
$47,318 per year
Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$18.14 per hour
$37,733 per year
Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$14.47 per hour
$30,090 per year
Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:
$11.80 per hour
$24,544 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
School counselor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $76,630 |
| California | $76,310 |
| Washington | $75,780 |
| Massachusetts | $74,780 |
| Delaware | $71,980 |
| Maryland | $64,280 |
| District of Columbia | $63,340 |
| Nevada | $63,100 |
| Virginia | $62,540 |
| Hawaii | $62,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,860 |
| Connecticut | $61,730 |
| New York | $61,660 |
| Alaska | $61,510 |
| Oregon | $61,330 |
| Rhode Island | $61,280 |
| Guam | $61,190 |
| Nebraska | $61,190 |
| Ohio | $61,140 |
| Texas | $61,100 |
| Wyoming | $60,790 |
| North Dakota | $60,760 |
| Colorado | $60,510 |
| Louisiana | $60,510 |
| New Mexico | $60,510 |
| Georgia | $60,250 |
| Kentucky | $60,040 |
| Vermont | $59,360 |
| Alabama | $59,260 |
| Minnesota | $58,160 |
| Maine | $50,250 |
| Tennessee | $49,980 |
| Wisconsin | $49,980 |
| Arkansas | $49,890 |
| Kansas | $49,590 |
| Mississippi | $49,590 |
| North Carolina | $49,560 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $49,560 |
| Illinois | $49,510 |
| Arizona | $49,430 |
| West Virginia | $49,360 |
| Indiana | $49,340 |
| Michigan | $49,300 |
| Oklahoma | $49,300 |
| Florida | $49,290 |
| Iowa | $49,290 |
| South Carolina | $49,130 |
| New Hampshire | $48,680 |
| Idaho | $48,560 |
| Utah | $48,520 |
| Montana | $47,760 |
| South Dakota | $47,760 |
| Missouri | $47,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,190 |
How do school counselor salaries compare to similar careers?
School counselors earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than career counselors but more than family social workers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Career counselor salary | $48K |
| High school teacher salary | $47K |
| Rehabilitation counselor salary | $41K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $40K |
| Art teacher salary | $45K |
| School counselor salary | $38K |
| Teacher salary | $38K |
| Clergy member salary | $36K |
| Childcare program administrator salary | $31K |
| Family social worker salary | $28K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)