Salaries › School Counselor
School Counselor Salary by State (2026)
School Counselors (Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors) hold 353,290 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $67,290 per year, but the median ranges from $51,830 in South Dakota to $86,500 in California. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median School Counselor salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| California | $86,500 | 45,140 |
| Alaska | $82,900 | 540 |
| Washington | $82,670 | 6,610 |
| District of Columbia | $80,470 | 1,690 |
| Massachusetts | $79,930 | 11,460 |
| New Jersey | $77,910 | 8,190 |
| New Mexico | $77,880 | 1,780 |
| Maryland | $75,820 | 6,600 |
| Rhode Island | $75,000 | 1,340 |
| Delaware | $74,070 | 1,700 |
| Connecticut | $73,910 | 3,370 |
| New York | $71,610 | 23,380 |
| New Hampshire | $71,080 | 1,650 |
| Texas | $67,900 | 31,730 |
| Virginia | $67,660 | 9,450 |
| Nevada | $66,710 | 2,250 |
| Oregon | $66,690 | 3,990 |
| Colorado | $64,780 | 6,530 |
| Minnesota | $64,600 | 4,200 |
| Vermont | $64,570 | 1,120 |
| Kentucky | $64,350 | 5,030 |
| Georgia | $63,720 | 11,460 |
| Wyoming | $63,430 | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $62,690 | 5,330 |
| Nebraska | $62,500 | 2,190 |
| Illinois | $62,420 | 13,580 |
| Louisiana | $61,870 | 4,820 |
| Ohio | $61,760 | 13,250 |
| Hawaii | $61,730 | 1,620 |
| Utah | $61,320 | 4,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,880 | 13,570 |
| South Carolina | $60,340 | 6,460 |
| Idaho | $60,320 | 1,990 |
| Tennessee | $59,960 | 6,470 |
| Arkansas | $59,770 | 2,310 |
| Alabama | $59,570 | 4,410 |
| Michigan | $59,440 | 9,170 |
| Indiana | $59,260 | 5,610 |
| North Dakota | $58,960 | 840 |
| Mississippi | $58,710 | 2,620 |
| Maine | $58,630 | 1,780 |
| Arizona | $58,250 | 7,330 |
| Missouri | $58,040 | 8,890 |
| Montana | $57,900 | 890 |
| North Carolina | $57,630 | 9,430 |
| Kansas | $56,590 | 3,100 |
| Iowa | $56,540 | 3,690 |
| West Virginia | $55,520 | 1,260 |
| Florida | $53,140 | 22,800 |
| Oklahoma | $52,040 | 4,830 |
| South Dakota | $51,830 | 1,000 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average School Counselor salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) School Counselor salary in the US is about $67,290 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 353,290 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays School Counselors the most?
- California has the highest median School Counselor salary at $86,500 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays School Counselors the least?
- South Dakota has the lowest median at $51,830 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, code 21-1012). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.