The average salary for a school counselor in the United States is around $54,913 per year.
Avg Salary
School counselors earn an average yearly salary of $54,913.
Wages typically start from $33,098 and go up to $91,106.
10% below national average Updated in 2019
School counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$43.80 per hour
$91,106 per year
Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$34.46 per hour
$71,679 per year
Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$26.40 per hour
$54,913 per year
Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$20.23 per hour
$42,068 per year
Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:
$15.91 per hour
$33,098 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
School counselor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $69,510 |
| New Jersey | $69,090 |
| Massachusetts | $67,110 |
| Connecticut | $66,970 |
| Delaware | $65,860 |
| District of Columbia | $64,520 |
| Washington | $63,500 |
| Alaska | $62,950 |
| Maryland | $62,230 |
| New York | $61,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,787 |
| Virginia | $60,680 |
| Texas | $60,610 |
| Rhode Island | $59,740 |
| Nebraska | $59,350 |
| Hawaii | $59,110 |
| Guam | $59,090 |
| Kentucky | $58,770 |
| Oregon | $57,100 |
| Nevada | $56,880 |
| Wyoming | $56,540 |
| North Dakota | $56,230 |
| Louisiana | $56,070 |
| Minnesota | $55,330 |
| Illinois | $55,299 |
| Georgia | $54,910 |
| New Mexico | $54,690 |
| Arkansas | $54,600 |
| Ohio | $53,460 |
| Michigan | $53,120 |
| Alabama | $52,508 |
| Mississippi | $51,860 |
| Wisconsin | $51,380 |
| South Carolina | $51,230 |
| Maine | $51,080 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $50,600 |
| Iowa | $50,581 |
| Kansas | $50,100 |
| Tennessee | $49,690 |
| Colorado | $49,660 |
| New Hampshire | $49,560 |
| North Carolina | $49,530 |
| Florida | $49,280 |
| Indiana | $49,001 |
| Vermont | $48,660 |
| Arizona | $48,300 |
| Utah | $46,830 |
| Montana | $46,640 |
| Missouri | $45,990 |
| West Virginia | $45,250 |
| Idaho | $43,651 |
| Oklahoma | $42,340 |
| South Dakota | $41,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $33,250 |
How much does a School Counselor earn?
School counselors who work in high schools typically earn more, as do counselors with a master’s degree or higher. School counselors with a master’s degree will have the greatest job opportunities and security, and can increase an annual salary by $10,000. Hiring will vary by geographic location, depending on state and local government budgets.
Here is a range of school counselor salaries reported by varying sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics - $53,610
Salary.com - $45,094 to $51,315
Glassdoor.com - $50,000
About 124,200 counselors work in elementary and secondary schools, their biggest employers. Second for jobs are colleges, universities, and professional schools, where 45,770 work. The highest mean wages are with the federal government, which provides about 850 positions. Second for income are business, professional, labor and political organizations, for 270 jobs.
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 professors but more than marriage therapists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Professor salary | $65K |
| Physical education teacher salary | $63K |
| Music teacher salary | $59K |
| High school teacher salary | $59K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $57K |
| School counselor salary | $55K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $55K |
| Health educator salary | $53K |
| Clergy salary | $51K |
| Marriage therapist salary | $50K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)