School, Guidance & Career Counselor Salary By Region & Experience

Before jumping into a detailed salary guide in this career, there are a few key differences between school counselors and career or guidance counselors that are worthy of examination.

School counselors play an important role in students’ life. They help them develop social and academic skills that help them succeed in academic settings at various levels, including in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. They help students in achieving their scholastic goals and also help new students adjust to school. School counselors often work closely with parents or guardians of students who are having problems at school, and they may either work with individuals or groups of students.

Career or guidance counselors, on the other hand, are responsible for helping people in developing skills, exploring a career, or choosing an educational program that will lead them to a fruitful career. They help their clients find the right schools and programs that meet their educational goals, and they also assist them with financial resources and training programs. They usually work in office environments and may be employed in high schools, where they help students select the appropriate post-secondary education, or in colleges to help students choose a major and find employment following graduation.

Typical duties of school counselors include:

  • Evaluating students’ interests and abilities through assessments, individual planning, and interviews
  • Communicating with students, identifying their obstacles, and working together to overcome them
  • Identifying and communicating special needs
  • Consulting with teachers or parents on communication methods, obstacles, and appropriate strategies
  • Identifying issues that affect school performance
  • Helping students in understanding and overcoming behavioral or social problems
  • Maintaining records
  • Reporting possible cases of abuse or neglect and referring students and their parents to resources outside the school for additional support

Typical duties of career counselors include:

  • Advising clients on how to solve problems such as conflicts with coworkers or bosses
  • Assisting clients to locate and apply for jobs
  • Helping clients learn job search skills, such as networking and interviewing
  • Evaluating the backgrounds of their client to help them develop realistic goals
  • Using achievement assessments for helping clients evaluate their skills, abilities, and interests.

Read on to learn how much school and career counselors make, where they are employed, the top-paying clinical specializations, the top-paying industries, and more.

School, Career & Guidance Counselor Salaries in the U.S.

In general, here is a breakdown of the 296,460 educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors’ salaries in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2019):

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Number of Professionals Employed296,460
Annual Mean Wage$61,000
10th Percentile$34,380
25th Percentile$44,010
50th Percentile (Median)$57,040
75th Percentile$74,430
90th Percentile$96,090

The most common requirement for school counselors is a master’s degree in school counseling or a related field. Also, in order to practice, it is mandatory for public school counselors to have a state-issued credential. It could be referred to as a license, an endorsement, or a certification, depending on the state. Some states also require career counselors to have a license.

Self-reported data from PayScale.com (Sept. 2020) shows school and career counselors to be highly satisfied with their jobs:

  • 4.2 out of 5 based on 235 individual ratings – School Counselor
  • 4.1 out of 5 based on 186 individual ratings – Career Counselor

Here’s a breakdown of the salary percentiles according to PayScale (Sept. 2020):

School CounselorsCareer Counselors
10th Percentile$37,000$34,000
50th Percentile (Median)$50,368$44,530
90th Percentile$73,000$61,000

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2019) shows that the demand for school and career counselors is growing at a rate of 8 percent nationally (2018 to 2028), which is faster than the average for all occupations (5 percent). An estimated 27,200 new school and career counselors are expected to be added in the U.S. by the year 2028.

The rising number of students enrolling in middle, high, and elementary schools is expected to further increase the demand for school counselors. As a growing number of colleges set up onsite career centers for helping students, the demand for career counselors is only set to grow.

Top-Paying Cities for School, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

Below is a list of the top-paying cities and their corresponding metropolitan areas with the highest salaries for school and career counselors. Eight of the top-paying regions are in California. Also shown are the estimated number of employed professionals (not including self-employed workers), and the annual mean wage as reported from the BLS (May 2019).

Metropolitan AreaEmployment of School, Guidance & Career CounselorsAnnual Mean Wage(May 2019)
El Centro, CA100$89,090
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA2,650$87,780
Fresno, CA970$86,140
Salinas, CA470$85,620
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA260$84,750
East Stroudsburg, PA90$84,290
Bakersfield, CA620$83,660
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA610$80,490
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA12,210$79,980
Ocean City, NJ40$79,930

Top-Paying States for School, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

The table below shows the states with the highest salaries for school and career counselors, an estimated number of employed professionals, and the annual mean wage as reported from the BLS (May 2019).

StateEmployment of School, Guidance & Career CounselorsAnnual Mean Wage(May 2019)
California32,650$78,250
New Jersey7,010$73,160
Maryland5,810$70,380
New York26,500$68,890
District of Columbia1,740$68,810

Top-Paying Industries For School, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

The list below shows the top-paying industries for school and career counselors, based on data from BLS (May 2019).

IndustryEmployment of School, Guidance & Career CounselorsAnnual Mean Wage(May 2019)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)780$71,470
Elementary and Secondary Schools146,430$67,670
Computer Systems Design and Related Services8$65,660
Junior Colleges24,420$63,210
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities210$62,960

Median Annual Wages for School, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

The list below shows the annual median wage for school and career counselors in the top industries in which they worked, based on data from BLS (May 2019).

IndustryAnnual Median Wage(May 2019)
Elementary and Secondary Schools; State, Local, and Private$64,060
Other Educational Services; State, Local, and Private$51,880
Junior Colleges, Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; State, Local, and Private$51,120
Healthcare and Social Assistance$40,620

Top-Paying Specializations for School, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

The list below shows five school and career counselors specializations (i.e., their focus of skills) and their correlating salaries based on self-reported data from PayScale.com 2020:

School Counselor SpecializationAverage Annual Salary (2020)
Counseling$50,462
Crisis Intervention$52,603
Oral / Verbal Communication$51,451
Group Therapy$50,504
Scheduling$52,295
Career Counselor SpecializationAverage Annual Salary (2020)
Counseling$44,631
Presentations$44,676
Case Management$42,568
Program Development$47,953
Event Planning$42,338
Farheen Gani

Farheen Gani

Writer

Farheen Gani has researched degree programs and salaries in counseling since 2020. She has written about topics such as genetic counselor salaries and family and human development bachelor’s degrees. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).