School counselor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$39.24 per hour
$81,610 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$30.34 per hour
$63,100 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$23.80 per hour
$49,510 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$22.59 per hour
$46,990 per year
10th percentile
Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:
$17.91 per hour
$37,250 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 Illinois. On average, they make less than elementary school teachers but more than childcare program administrators.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Elementary school teacher salary | $62K |
| Professor salary | $62K |
| Social worker salary | $71K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $61K |
| Teacher salary | $56K |
| School counselor salary | $50K |
| Counselor salary | $53K |
| Family social worker salary | $49K |
| Marriage and family therapist salary | $47K |
| Childcare program administrator salary | $47K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)