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How Much Does an Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor Make?

An educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor in the US earns a median salary of $64,330 a year, or $30.93 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $71,430, and the middle half earn between $51,270 and $82,870.

Median a year $64,330
Median an hour $30.93
Median a month $5,361
Average a year $71,430

Educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor pay range

What educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $45,020 $21.65
25th $51,270 $24.65
Median (50th) $64,330 $30.93
75th $82,870 $39.84
90th (top 10%) $104,770 $50.37

The median is 26% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 353,310 people work as educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,237
Every two weeks
$2,474
Twice a month
$2,680
A month
$5,361

At the median salary, before tax.

Educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor salary by state

Sorted by average pay. California pays educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors the most, at $93,610 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
California $93,610 $86,500 45,140 After tax
Washington $87,680 $82,670 6,610 After tax
Massachusetts $85,660 $79,930 11,460 After tax
District of Columbia $82,700 $80,470 1,690 After tax
New Jersey $81,430 $77,910 8,190 After tax
Alaska $79,910 $82,900 540 After tax
Maryland $78,920 $75,820 6,600 After tax
New York $77,210 $71,610 23,380 After tax
Oregon $77,070 $66,690 3,990 After tax
Connecticut $75,730 $73,910 3,370 After tax
Rhode Island $75,730 $75,000 1,340 After tax
New Mexico $75,480 $77,880 1,780 After tax
Delaware $72,490 $74,070 1,700 After tax
Virginia $71,920 $67,660 9,450 After tax
New Hampshire $71,400 $71,080 1,650 After tax
Illinois $70,230 $62,420 13,580 After tax
Texas $69,940 $67,900 31,730 After tax
Colorado $69,470 $64,780 6,530 After tax
Minnesota $69,080 $64,600 4,200 After tax
Nevada $68,740 $66,710 2,250 After tax
Hawaii $68,650 $61,730 1,620 After tax
Nebraska $68,570 $62,500 2,190 After tax
Georgia $68,410 $63,720 11,460 After tax
Vermont $68,260 $64,570 1,120 After tax
Wyoming $67,580 $63,430 770 After tax
Ohio $67,200 $61,760 13,250 After tax
Pennsylvania $67,110 $60,880 13,570 After tax
Utah $66,970 $61,320 4,070 After tax
Wisconsin $66,440 $62,690 5,330 After tax
Kentucky $65,740 $64,350 5,030 After tax
Louisiana $63,910 $61,870 4,820 After tax
Montana $63,130 $57,900 890 After tax
Michigan $62,900 $59,440 9,170 After tax
Idaho $62,800 $60,320 1,990 After tax
South Carolina $62,000 $60,340 6,460 After tax
North Dakota $61,790 $58,960 840 After tax
Arizona $61,270 $58,250 7,330 After tax
Maine $61,230 $58,630 1,780 After tax
Tennessee $61,020 $59,960 6,470 After tax
Indiana $61,000 $59,260 5,610 After tax
Virgin Islands $59,820 $62,470 90
Alabama $59,540 $59,570 4,410 After tax
Arkansas $59,370 $59,770 2,310 After tax
Missouri $59,160 $58,040 8,890 After tax
Kansas $58,560 $56,590 3,100 After tax
Florida $58,380 $53,140 22,800 After tax
Iowa $58,190 $56,540 3,690 After tax
Mississippi $57,380 $58,710 2,620 After tax
Oklahoma $56,830 $52,040 4,830 After tax
North Carolina $56,710 $57,630 9,430 After tax
West Virginia $55,100 $55,520 1,260 After tax
South Dakota $53,980 $51,830 1,000 After tax
Puerto Rico $51,480 $53,000 1,050

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other community and social service jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors” (SOC 21-1012). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor is $30.93, and the average is $34.34. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $21.65 an hour and the top 10% over $50.37.

How much does an educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor make a month?

At the median salary of $64,330, an educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor earns about $5,361 a month before tax, or $2,474 every two weeks.

Which state pays educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors the most?

California has the highest average pay for an educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor, at $93,610 a year. Next are Washington and Massachusetts. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an educational, guidance, and career counselor and advisor?

The lowest-paid 10% of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn less than $45,020 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $51,270. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make?

The top 10% earn more than $104,770 a year, and the top 25% more than $82,870.