The average salary for a school counselor in California is around $76,310 per year.
Avg Salary
School counselors earn an average yearly salary of $76,310.
Wages typically start from $47,730 and go up to $125,590.
5% above national average Updated in 2021
School counselor earnings by seniority
Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$60.38 per hour
$125,590 per year
Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$48.01 per hour
$99,870 per year
Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$36.69 per hour
$76,310 per year
Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:
$28.22 per hour
$58,700 per year
Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:
$22.95 per hour
$47,730 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 California. On average, they make less than high school teachers but more than marriage and family therapists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| High school teacher salary | $96K |
| Teacher salary | $87K |
| Professor salary | $79K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $80K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $95K |
| School counselor salary | $76K |
| Counselor salary | $66K |
| Clergy member salary | $63K |
| Family social worker salary | $61K |
| Marriage and family therapist salary | $50K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)