The average salary for a school counselor in the United States is around $64,330 per year.
Avg Salary
School counselors earn an average yearly salary of $64,330.
Wages typically start from $45,020 and go up to $104,770.
4% above national average Updated in 2025
School counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$50.37 per hour
$104,770 per year
Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$39.84 per hour
$82,870 per year
Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$30.93 per hour
$64,330 per year
Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$24.65 per hour
$51,270 per year
Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:
$21.65 per hour
$45,020 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
School counselor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $86,500 |
| Alaska | $82,900 |
| Washington | $82,670 |
| District of Columbia | $80,470 |
| Massachusetts | $79,930 |
| New Jersey | $77,910 |
| New Mexico | $77,880 |
| Maryland | $75,820 |
| Rhode Island | $75,000 |
| Delaware | $74,070 |
| Connecticut | $73,910 |
| New York | $71,610 |
| New Hampshire | $71,080 |
| Texas | $67,900 |
| Virginia | $67,660 |
| Nevada | $66,710 |
| Oregon | $66,690 |
| Colorado | $64,780 |
| Minnesota | $64,600 |
| Vermont | $64,570 |
| Kentucky | $64,350 |
| Georgia | $63,720 |
| Wyoming | $63,430 |
| Wisconsin | $62,690 |
| Nebraska | $62,500 |
| Illinois | $62,420 |
| Louisiana | $61,870 |
| Ohio | $61,760 |
| Hawaii | $61,730 |
| Utah | $61,320 |
| Guam | $61,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,880 |
| South Carolina | $60,340 |
| Idaho | $60,320 |
| Tennessee | $59,960 |
| Arkansas | $59,770 |
| Alabama | $59,570 |
| Michigan | $59,440 |
| Indiana | $59,260 |
| North Dakota | $58,960 |
| Mississippi | $58,710 |
| Maine | $58,630 |
| Arizona | $58,250 |
| Missouri | $58,040 |
| Montana | $57,900 |
| North Carolina | $57,630 |
| Kansas | $56,590 |
| Iowa | $56,540 |
| West Virginia | $55,520 |
| Florida | $53,140 |
| Oklahoma | $52,040 |
| South Dakota | $51,830 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $49,560 |
| 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 marriage and family therapists but more than clergy members.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Marriage and family therapist salary | $67K |
| High school teacher salary | $72K |
| Social worker salary | $72K |
| Librarian salary | $68K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $64K |
| School counselor salary | $64K |
| Counselor salary | $64K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $63K |
| Teacher salary | $61K |
| Clergy member salary | $61K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)