The average salary for a school counselor in California is around $86,500 per year.
Avg Salary
School counselors earn an average yearly salary of $86,500.
Wages typically start from $51,890 and go up to $136,660.
15% above national average Updated in 2025
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School counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$65.70 per hour
$136,660 per year
Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$57.59 per hour
$119,790 per year
Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$41.59 per hour
$86,500 per year
Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$30.73 per hour
$63,910 per year
Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:
$24.95 per hour
$51,890 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 California. On average, they make less than music teachers but more than teachers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Music teacher salary | $99K |
| Professor salary | $112K |
| Distance learning coordinator salary | $100K |
| High school teacher salary | $101K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $100K |
| School counselor salary | $86K |
| Librarian salary | $90K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $83K |
| Clergy member salary | $78K |
| Teacher salary | $83K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)