School counselor earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$37.46 per hour

$77,920 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$36.56 per hour

$76,050 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$28.87 per hour

$60,040 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level school counselor earnings begin at:

$20.85 per hour

$43,360 per year

10th percentile

Starting level school counselor earnings begin at:

$17.67 per hour

$36,750 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 8% less than similar careers in Kentucky. On average, they make less than school principals but more than kindergarten teachers.

Career Median Salary
School principal salary $77K
Music teacher salary $64K
Physical education teacher salary $61K
Professor salary $61K
Teacher salary $58K
School counselor salary $60K
High school teacher salary $60K
Marriage and family therapist salary $50K
Elementary school teacher salary $59K
Kindergarten teacher salary $59K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)