The average salary for a counselor in California is around $66,264 per year.
Avg Salary
Counselors earn an average yearly salary of $66,264.
Wages typically start from $46,354 and go up to $106,946.
8% below national average Updated in 2021
Counselor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level counselor earnings begin at:
$51.42 per hour
$106,946 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level counselor earnings begin at:
$39.73 per hour
$82,648 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level counselor earnings begin at:
$31.86 per hour
$66,264 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level counselor earnings begin at:
$26.36 per hour
$54,830 per year
10th percentile
Starting level counselor earnings begin at:
$22.29 per hour
$46,354 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Counselor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $74,122 |
| District of Columbia | $66,828 |
| California | $66,264 |
| Massachusetts | $66,242 |
| New York | $64,196 |
| Washington | $64,186 |
| Oregon | $63,752 |
| Colorado | $62,510 |
| Connecticut | $61,460 |
| Guam | $61,190 |
| Rhode Island | $60,860 |
| Minnesota | $59,638 |
| Texas | $59,592 |
| Alaska | $57,100 |
| Ohio | $55,816 |
| Virginia | $55,686 |
| Wisconsin | $55,336 |
| Michigan | $54,282 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,074 |
| Wyoming | $53,847 |
| Illinois | $53,296 |
| North Dakota | $52,768 |
| Delaware | $52,662 |
| Nevada | $52,522 |
| Indiana | $52,074 |
| Missouri | $52,030 |
| Utah | $51,592 |
| North Carolina | $51,516 |
| Maryland | $50,208 |
| Hawaii | $50,207 |
| Nebraska | $50,082 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $49,560 |
| Maine | $49,003 |
| Vermont | $48,930 |
| New Mexico | $48,765 |
| Kentucky | $48,235 |
| Alabama | $48,168 |
| Tennessee | $47,682 |
| Georgia | $47,516 |
| New Hampshire | $46,515 |
| Arizona | $46,152 |
| South Carolina | $46,008 |
| South Dakota | $45,688 |
| Idaho | $43,872 |
| Kansas | $43,330 |
| Oklahoma | $43,008 |
| Iowa | $42,945 |
| Florida | $42,658 |
| Mississippi | $41,855 |
| Arkansas | $41,430 |
| West Virginia | $40,802 |
| Montana | $38,987 |
| Louisiana | $38,900 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,487 |
How do counselor salaries compare to similar careers?
Counselors earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than school counselors but more than marriage and family therapists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| School counselor salary | $76K |
| Counselor salary | $66K |
| Clergy member salary | $63K |
| Social worker salary | $62K |
| Family social worker salary | $61K |
| Marriage and family therapist salary | $50K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)