School counselor earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$37.54 per hour

$78,070 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$31.98 per hour

$66,520 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$27.35 per hour

$56,880 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$21.63 per hour

$44,980 per year

10th percentile

Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:

$12.06 per hour

$25,080 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 Nevada. On average, they make less than elementary school teachers but more than physical education teachers.

Career Median Salary
Elementary school teacher salary $57K
Childcare program administrator salary $48K
Credit counselor salary $58K
Kindergarten teacher salary $56K
Music teacher salary $43K
School counselor salary $57K
Marriage therapist salary $54K
Family social worker salary $49K
Clergy salary $53K
Physical education teacher salary $48K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)