21 Series · SOC 21-1019
Counselors, All Other Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $50,860
- Median / year
- +2.1%
- 2024→2025
- $91,940
- Top 10% earn
- +12.6%
- Growth '24–'34
- 28,580
- Estimated US jobs
Counselors, All Other earn a median of $50,860 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $50,860, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $36,240 (10th percentile) to $91,940 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 28,580 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is District of Columbia ($93,720).
The pay verdict
Counselors, All Other earn a median of $50,860, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 35% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Community and Social Service, it ranks #14 of 17 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 12.6% by 2034.
- $50,860
- Median annual wage
- Top 65%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #14 of 17
- in Community and Social Service
- 2.5×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $93,720. Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Counselors, All Other moved from $42,930 in May 2019 to $50,860 in May 2025 (+18.5%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Counselors, All Other sits -6.0 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Counselors, All Other (SOC 21-1019) has a national median of $50,860 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $36,240 to $91,940, and the published mean is $58,210. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 28,580 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 45 state or territory areas and 125 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $49,830 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $50,860 in May 2025, a rise of $1,030 (+2.1%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +12.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as much faster than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 7,400 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Community and Social Service Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $93,720, which is +84% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Trenton-Princeton, NJ at $107,330. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$50,860
per year
Median Hourly
$24.45/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$58,210
average
Employment
28,580
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Counselors, All Other pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$50,860 Bottom 35% higher than 35% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 (this entry) | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$50,860 · 35th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 21-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Counselors, All Other; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Substance Abuse, Beh…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 16.8%, Median annual wage $59350
- Social and Human Ser…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $45930
- Child, Family, and S…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $59550
- Educational, Guidanc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $64330
- Healthcare Social Wo…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.7%, Median annual wage $67880
- Mental Health and Su…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 9.7%, Median annual wage $60280
- Community and Social…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.6%, Median annual wage $56730
- Rehabilitation Couns…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.4%, Median annual wage $46850
- Probation Officers a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.6%, Median annual wage $66270
- Marriage and Family …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.6%, Median annual wage $66940
- Health Education Spe…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $64070
- Social Workers, All …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $71900
- Community Health Wor…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.3%, Median annual wage $51850
- Clergy: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1%, Median annual wage $60810
- Counselors, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.6%, Median annual wage $50860
- Directors, Religious…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.1%, Median annual wage $52100
- Religious Workers, A…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $45280
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+12.6%
Much faster than average
Annual Openings
7,400
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+8,700
69,100 (2024) → 77,800 (2034)
Typical Education
Master's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Community and Social Service Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
2.2/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Counselors, All Other pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $45,530 |
| 2016 | $44,350 |
| 2017 | $43,370 |
| 2018 | $42,130 |
| 2019 | $42,930 |
| 2020 | $45,760 |
| 2021 | $45,160 |
| 2022 | $43,390 |
| 2023 | $46,130 |
| 2024 | $49,830 |
| 2025 | $50,860 |
2015 median
$45,530
2025 median
$50,860
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$7,930 (+18.5%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+2.9%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $45,530 | First banked release | 26,370 |
| May 2016 | $44,350 | -2.6% | 28,380 |
| May 2017 | $43,370 | -2.2% | 27,150 |
| May 2018 | $42,130 | -2.9% | 26,530 |
| May 2019 | $42,930 | Classification break | 25,420 |
| May 2020 | $45,760 | +6.6% | 27,310 |
| May 2021 | $45,160 | -1.3% | 29,480 |
| May 2022 | $43,390 | -3.9% | 37,270 |
| May 2023 | $46,130 | +6.3% | 35,580 |
| May 2024 | $49,830 | +8.0% | 33,340 |
| May 2025 | $50,860 | +2.1% | 28,580 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $45,530 in May 2015 to $50,860 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.9% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 25,420 in May 2019 to 28,580 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 45 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $93,720 | +84% above national |
| 2 | Utah | $93,530 | +84% above national |
| 3 | Georgia | $79,490 | +56% above national |
| 4 | Oregon | $78,750 | +55% above national |
| 5 | Virginia | $76,450 | +50% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $73,360 | +44% above national |
| 7 | Wisconsin | $71,390 | +40% above national |
| 8 | North Dakota | $69,860 | +37% above national |
| 9 | Washington | $69,530 | +37% above national |
| 10 | Colorado | $66,680 | +31% above national |
| 11 | Hawaii | $65,470 | +29% above national |
| 12 | Maine | $62,190 | +22% above national |
| 13 | Iowa | $61,080 | +20% above national |
| 14 | Arizona | $59,910 | +18% above national |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $59,160 | +16% above national |
| 16 | New York | $58,500 | +15% above national |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $58,240 | +15% above national |
| 18 | Vermont | $56,220 | +11% above national |
| 19 | South Carolina | $55,140 | +8% above national |
| 20 | Texas | $54,450 | +7% above national |
| 21 | Mississippi | $54,090 | +6% above national |
| 22 | Connecticut | $53,310 | +5% above national |
| 23 | North Carolina | $52,280 | +3% above national |
| 24 | Tennessee | $51,900 | +2% above national |
| 25 | Illinois | $49,360 | 3% below national |
| 26 | Arkansas | $49,310 | 3% below national |
| 27 | Delaware | $48,990 | 4% below national |
| 28 | California | $48,850 | 4% below national |
| 29 | Louisiana | $47,830 | 6% below national |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $47,770 | 6% below national |
| 31 | Minnesota | $47,740 | 6% below national |
| 32 | Alabama | $47,580 | 6% below national |
| 33 | Maryland | $46,840 | 8% below national |
| 34 | Florida | $45,880 | 10% below national |
| 35 | Ohio | $45,840 | 10% below national |
| 36 | Nevada | $45,440 | 11% below national |
| 37 | Indiana | $45,360 | 11% below national |
| 38 | Alaska | $45,060 | 11% below national |
| 39 | West Virginia | $44,810 | 12% below national |
| 40 | Missouri | $43,680 | 14% below national |
| 41 | Nebraska | $40,530 | 20% below national |
| 42 | Kentucky | $40,230 | 21% below national |
| 43 | Montana | $39,260 | 23% below national |
| 44 | Puerto Rico | $38,400 | 24% below national |
| 45 | Michigan | $37,390 | 26% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 100 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $107,330 | +111% above national |
| 2 | Richmond, VA | $98,850 | +94% above national |
| 3 | Ogden, UT | $93,180 | +83% above national |
| 4 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $91,940 | +81% above national |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $83,930 | +65% above national |
| 6 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $79,490 | +56% above national |
| 7 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $78,740 | +55% above national |
| 8 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $77,000 | +51% above national |
| 9 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $73,380 | +44% above national |
| 10 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $71,970 | +42% above national |
| 11 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $71,650 | +41% above national |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $70,610 | +39% above national |
| 13 | Madison, WI | $70,300 | +38% above national |
| 14 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $69,780 | +37% above national |
| 15 | Colorado Springs, CO | $66,910 | +32% above national |
| 16 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $66,140 | +30% above national |
| 17 | Columbus, GA-AL | $65,540 | +29% above national |
| 18 | Lubbock, TX | $65,520 | +29% above national |
| 19 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $64,500 | +27% above national |
| 20 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $64,280 | +26% above national |
| 21 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $63,300 | +24% above national |
| 22 | Midland, TX | $62,990 | +24% above national |
| 23 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $62,170 | +22% above national |
| 24 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $61,620 | +21% above national |
| 25 | Lexington Park, MD | $60,350 | +19% above national |
| 26 | Vallejo, CA | $60,280 | +19% above national |
| 27 | Tyler, TX | $60,180 | +18% above national |
| 28 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $60,010 | +18% above national |
| 29 | Syracuse, NY | $59,990 | +18% above national |
| 30 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $59,430 | +17% above national |
| 31 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $58,250 | +15% above national |
| 32 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $57,470 | +13% above national |
| 33 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $57,030 | +12% above national |
| 34 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $56,690 | +11% above national |
| 35 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $56,350 | +11% above national |
| 36 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $55,970 | +10% above national |
| 37 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $55,120 | +8% above national |
| 38 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $54,820 | +8% above national |
| 39 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $54,770 | +8% above national |
| 40 | Lafayette, LA | $54,570 | +7% above national |
| 41 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $54,450 | +7% above national |
| 42 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $54,240 | +7% above national |
| 43 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $53,110 | +4% above national |
| 44 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $52,920 | +4% above national |
| 45 | Jackson, TN | $52,880 | +4% above national |
| 46 | Johnson City, TN | $52,880 | +4% above national |
| 47 | Knoxville, TN | $52,880 | +4% above national |
| 48 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $52,340 | +3% above national |
| 49 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $52,300 | +3% above national |
| 50 | Cleveland, OH | $52,140 | +3% above national |
| 51 | Corpus Christi, TX | $52,090 | +2% above national |
| 52 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $51,540 | +1% above national |
| 53 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $51,260 | +1% above national |
| 54 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $51,200 | +1% above national |
| 55 | Monroe, LA | $49,740 | 2% below national |
| 56 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $49,600 | 2% below national |
| 57 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $49,390 | 3% below national |
| 58 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,320 | 3% below national |
| 59 | Alexandria, LA | $49,220 | 3% below national |
| 60 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $48,830 | 4% below national |
| 61 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $48,620 | 4% below national |
| 62 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $48,620 | 4% below national |
| 63 | Baton Rouge, LA | $48,460 | 5% below national |
| 64 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $48,290 | 5% below national |
| 65 | Salinas, CA | $48,200 | 5% below national |
| 66 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $47,970 | 6% below national |
| 67 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $47,920 | 6% below national |
| 68 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $47,920 | 6% below national |
| 69 | Modesto, CA | $47,360 | 7% below national |
| 70 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $47,340 | 7% below national |
| 71 | Visalia, CA | $47,280 | 7% below national |
| 72 | Columbus, OH | $46,930 | 8% below national |
| 73 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $46,640 | 8% below national |
| 74 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $46,460 | 9% below national |
| 75 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,190 | 9% below national |
| 76 | Hammond, LA | $46,000 | 10% below national |
| 77 | Lake Charles, LA | $46,000 | 10% below national |
| 78 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $45,970 | 10% below national |
| 79 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $45,880 | 10% below national |
| 80 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $45,870 | 10% below national |
| 81 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $45,440 | 11% below national |
| 82 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $45,210 | 11% below national |
| 83 | Fresno, CA | $45,180 | 11% below national |
| 84 | Jacksonville, FL | $44,940 | 12% below national |
| 85 | Charleston, WV | $44,700 | 12% below national |
| 86 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $44,590 | 12% below national |
| 87 | Gainesville, FL | $43,780 | 14% below national |
| 88 | Tallahassee, FL | $43,720 | 14% below national |
| 89 | El Paso, TX | $43,320 | 15% below national |
| 90 | Pittsburgh, PA | $43,100 | 15% below national |
| 91 | Boulder, CO | $43,050 | 15% below national |
| 92 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $42,790 | 16% below national |
| 93 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $41,560 | 18% below national |
| 94 | Duluth, MN-WI | $40,790 | 20% below national |
| 95 | Reno, NV | $40,450 | 20% below national |
| 96 | Ann Arbor, MI | $40,270 | 21% below national |
| 97 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | $39,950 | 21% below national |
| 98 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,390 | 26% below national |
| 99 | Yuba City, CA | $35,640 | 30% below national |
| 100 | Toledo, OH | $34,420 | 32% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 21 (Community and Social Service Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
SOC 21-1021
Clergy
SOC 21-2011
Community Health Workers
SOC 21-1094
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other
SOC 21-1099
Directors, Religious Activities and Education
SOC 21-2021
Showing 5 of 16 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Community and Social Service Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($50,860 here) and reported employment (28,580 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Counselors, All Other make? ▼
Where does Counselors, All Other pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Counselors, All Other the most? ▼
What education do Counselors, All Other need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Counselors, All Other? ▼
Is Counselors, All Other a good career? ▼
How does Counselors, All Other pay vary by state? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Counselors, All Other pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $66,520/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $93,720/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.