SOC 21-1012 · May 2025
School Counselor Salary
School Counselors in the US earn a median of $64,330 a year ($34.34 an hour on average), according to the BLS May 2025 wage survey. Average School Counselor pay climbed from $61,000 in 2019 to $71,430 in 2025, a +17.1% change in 6 years.
Median annual
$64,330
Half of all School Counselors in the United States earn more than this figure, half earn less. From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release.
Wage trend
+17.1% since 2019 · -0.1% YoY
Hourly
$34.34
Job growth 2025-35
+2.9%
US workers
353,310
BLS series
Annual median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in All Industries in the United States
Salary range
From entry to top decile
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for School Counselors is $45,020 – $104,770.
Percentile distribution
USD · annual
10th
$45,020
25th
$51,270
Median
$64,330
75th
$82,870
90th
$104,770
Percentile bands
Where your pay would sit
Percentile bands
Annual wages at each point of the BLS distribution for School Counselors. Where you sit depends on experience, employer, location and credentials.
| Percentile | What it means | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 10% earn less. Common for new entrants | $45,020 |
| 25th percentile | A quarter earn less | $51,270 |
| Median | Half earn more, half earn less | $64,330 |
| 75th percentile | A quarter earn more | $82,870 |
| 90th percentile | 10% earn more. Often senior or specialist staff | $104,770 |
Geography
School Counselor pay by state
School Counselors earn the most in California ($86,500, +34% against the national median) and the least in South Dakota ($51,830). BLS publishes a May 2025 estimate for this occupation in 51 of 51 states and D.C.
National median
$64,330
Highest-paying states for school counselors
| State | Annual median | vs national | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $86,500 | +34% | 45,140 |
| Alaska | $82,900 | +29% | 540 |
| Washington | $82,670 | +29% | 6,610 |
| D.C. | $80,470 | +25% | 1,690 |
| Massachusetts | $79,930 | +24% | 11,460 |
| New Jersey | $77,910 | +21% | 8,190 |
| New Mexico | $77,880 | +21% | 1,780 |
| Maryland | $75,820 | +18% | 6,600 |
| Rhode Island | $75,000 | +17% | 1,340 |
| Delaware | $74,070 | +15% | 1,700 |
All 51 states, highest to lowest
| State | Annual median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| California | $86,500 | 45,140 |
| Alaska | $82,900 | 540 |
| Washington | $82,670 | 6,610 |
| D.C. | $80,470 | 1,690 |
| Massachusetts | $79,930 | 11,460 |
| New Jersey | $77,910 | 8,190 |
| New Mexico | $77,880 | 1,780 |
| Maryland | $75,820 | 6,600 |
| Rhode Island | $75,000 | 1,340 |
| Delaware | $74,070 | 1,700 |
| Connecticut | $73,910 | 3,370 |
| New York | $71,610 | 23,380 |
| New Hampshire | $71,080 | 1,650 |
| Texas | $67,900 | 31,730 |
| Virginia | $67,660 | 9,450 |
| Nevada | $66,710 | 2,250 |
| Oregon | $66,690 | 3,990 |
| Colorado | $64,780 | 6,530 |
| Minnesota | $64,600 | 4,200 |
| Vermont | $64,570 | 1,120 |
| Kentucky | $64,350 | 5,030 |
| Georgia | $63,720 | 11,460 |
| Wyoming | $63,430 | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $62,690 | 5,330 |
| Nebraska | $62,500 | 2,190 |
| Illinois | $62,420 | 13,580 |
| Louisiana | $61,870 | 4,820 |
| Ohio | $61,760 | 13,250 |
| Hawaii | $61,730 | 1,620 |
| Utah | $61,320 | 4,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,880 | 13,570 |
| South Carolina | $60,340 | 6,460 |
| Idaho | $60,320 | 1,990 |
| Tennessee | $59,960 | 6,470 |
| Arkansas | $59,770 | 2,310 |
| Alabama | $59,570 | 4,410 |
| Michigan | $59,440 | 9,170 |
| Indiana | $59,260 | 5,610 |
| North Dakota | $58,960 | 840 |
| Mississippi | $58,710 | 2,620 |
| Maine | $58,630 | 1,780 |
| Arizona | $58,250 | 7,330 |
| Missouri | $58,040 | 8,890 |
| Montana | $57,900 | 890 |
| North Carolina | $57,630 | 9,430 |
| Kansas | $56,590 | 3,100 |
| Iowa | $56,540 | 3,690 |
| West Virginia | $55,520 | 1,260 |
| Florida | $53,140 | 22,800 |
| Oklahoma | $52,040 | 4,830 |
| South Dakota | $51,830 | 1,000 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, all industries.
What affects this salary
Pay drivers for School Counselors
School and career counselors (BLS SOC 21-1012) help students develop academic, career, and social skills. The role requires a master's degree in school counseling and state credentialing or licensure. K-12 school counselors are paid on district step-and-lane salary schedules; postsecondary career counselors at universities typically follow institutional pay bands. OEWS figures do not capture the substantial pension and benefit components typical of public-school employment.
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread is $45,020 – $104,770. That gap reflects experience, certification, employer type, geographic cost of living, and shift differentials where applicable.
Geography matters. The best-paying states for this role are California, Alaska and Washington. Pay in California runs 1.7 times the level in South Dakota, before any adjustment for cost of living.
Getting in. BLS lists the typical entry-level education as master's degree, and projects about 27,800 openings a year over 2025-35. Employment is projected to grow 2.9% over the same period, against 3.5% for all occupations.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked
What is the average School Counselor salary in the US?
How much does a School Counselor make an hour?
How much do School Counselors make at the low and high end?
Which state pays School Counselors the most?
Is the average School Counselor salary higher than the median?
Is School Counselor a growing career?
Open positions
Open School Counselor roles hiring now
Browse current School Counselor listings on Indeed and ZipRecruiter, filtered to your role.
Source & methodology
Wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. Standard Occupational Classification: 21-1012. Figures represent the national median, mean, and percentile distribution across all employers and industries. Hourly equivalents assume a 2,080-hour work year. Job growth, annual openings and typical education are from the BLS Employment Projections program, 2025-35; see the Occupational Outlook Handbook entry. Read our methodology for details on how the data is sourced, transformed, and refreshed.