Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,020 | $21.65 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $64,330 | $30.93 |
| Mean (average) | $71,430 | $34.34 |
| 90th percentile | $104,770 | $50.37 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,570 | $37,670 | $78,570 | 4,410 | 0.92 |
| Alaska | $82,900 | $50,870 | $103,420 | 540 | 0.73 |
| Arizona | $58,250 | $46,400 | $82,240 | 7,330 | 1 |
| Arkansas | $59,770 | $38,520 | $78,070 | 2,310 | 0.78 |
| California | $86,500 | $51,890 | $136,660 | 45,140 | 1.09 |
| Colorado | $64,780 | $48,690 | $97,960 | 6,530 | 1 |
| Connecticut | $73,910 | $46,510 | $108,540 | 3,370 | 0.88 |
| Delaware | $74,070 | $47,750 | $96,140 | 1,700 | 1.54 |
| District of Columbia | $80,470 | $50,900 | $113,620 | 1,690 | 1.06 |
| Florida | $53,140 | $38,290 | $82,780 | 22,800 | 1.01 |
| Georgia | $63,720 | $42,040 | $101,880 | 11,460 | 1.03 |
| Guam | Data unavailable | 40 | 0.29 | ||
| Hawaii | $61,730 | $49,350 | $93,720 | 1,620 | 1.14 |
| Idaho | $60,320 | $46,710 | $79,620 | 1,990 | 1.02 |
| Illinois | $62,420 | $44,890 | $110,580 | 13,580 | 0.98 |
| Indiana | $59,260 | $41,180 | $82,690 | 5,610 | 0.77 |
| Iowa | $56,540 | $43,470 | $77,110 | 3,690 | 1.04 |
| Kansas | $56,590 | $42,020 | $77,920 | 3,100 | 0.95 |
| Kentucky | $64,350 | $40,840 | $99,390 | 5,030 | 1.11 |
| Louisiana | $61,870 | $45,340 | $87,940 | 4,820 | 1.1 |
| Maine | $58,630 | $45,300 | $82,460 | 1,780 | 1.22 |
| Maryland | $75,820 | $48,460 | $116,650 | 6,600 | 1.05 |
| Massachusetts | $79,930 | $59,460 | $117,630 | 11,460 | 1.39 |
| Michigan | $59,440 | $42,380 | $89,280 | 9,170 | 0.92 |
| Minnesota | $64,600 | $47,870 | $94,100 | 4,200 | 0.63 |
| Mississippi | $58,710 | $38,580 | $76,610 | 2,620 | 0.99 |
| Missouri | $58,040 | $41,890 | $78,740 | 8,890 | 1.33 |
| Montana | $57,900 | $39,180 | $87,610 | 890 | 0.76 |
| Nebraska | $62,500 | $45,050 | $100,160 | 2,190 | 0.94 |
| Nevada | $66,710 | $46,570 | $94,530 | 2,250 | 0.64 |
| New Hampshire | $71,080 | $47,990 | $96,630 | 1,650 | 1.06 |
| New Jersey | $77,910 | $57,850 | $108,500 | 8,190 | 0.84 |
| New Mexico | $77,880 | $46,660 | $103,110 | 1,780 | 0.9 |
| New York | $71,610 | $46,100 | $123,850 | 23,380 | 1.06 |
| North Carolina | $57,630 | $40,400 | $74,070 | 9,430 | 0.84 |
| North Dakota | $58,960 | $46,860 | $79,500 | 840 | 0.86 |
| Ohio | $61,760 | $43,010 | $99,810 | 13,250 | 1.05 |
| Oklahoma | $52,040 | $38,100 | $81,630 | 4,830 | 1.24 |
| Oregon | $66,690 | $50,190 | $119,780 | 3,990 | 0.89 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,880 | $46,200 | $97,810 | 13,570 | 0.98 |
| Puerto Rico | $53,000 | $29,290 | $77,020 | 1,050 | 0.49 |
| Rhode Island | $75,000 | $49,100 | $102,340 | 1,340 | 1.18 |
| South Carolina | $60,340 | $39,800 | $86,250 | 6,460 | 1.23 |
| South Dakota | $51,830 | $41,560 | $65,990 | 1,000 | 0.96 |
| Tennessee | $59,960 | $42,410 | $84,550 | 6,470 | 0.87 |
| Texas | $67,900 | $42,380 | $101,830 | 31,730 | 0.99 |
| Utah | $61,320 | $37,260 | $101,780 | 4,070 | 1.03 |
| Vermont | $64,570 | $50,810 | $94,010 | 1,120 | 1.62 |
| Virgin Islands | $62,470 | $38,300 | $76,830 | 90 | 1.28 |
| Virginia | $67,660 | $45,700 | $103,380 | 9,450 | 1.01 |
| Washington | $82,670 | $57,980 | $125,950 | 6,610 | 0.82 |
| West Virginia | $55,520 | $37,940 | $73,090 | 1,260 | 0.79 |
| Wisconsin | $62,690 | $47,470 | $86,510 | 5,330 | 0.8 |
| Wyoming | $63,430 | $49,440 | $91,330 | 770 | 1.2 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 27,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.6%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services CIP 13.1101
- College Student Counseling and Personnel Services CIP 13.1102
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other CIP 13.1199
- School Psychology CIP 42.2805
- Executive/Career Coaching CIP 52.1006
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
- Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
- Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
- Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
- Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Refer students to outside counseling services.
- Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- ACT Discover
- ACT WorkKeys
- Adobe ActionScript
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Persuasion, Instructing.
Common job titles: Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, Career Counselor, College Counselor, Elementary School Counselor, Guidance Counselor, School Counselor, Student Services Coordinator, Vocational Counselor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make?
The national median annual wage for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors was $64,330 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $45,020 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $104,770. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors a growing career?
BLS projects employment of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors to change +2.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 27,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($86,500), Alaska ($82,900), Washington ($82,670). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.