21 Series · SOC 21-1012
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $64,330
- Median / year
- -1.2%
- 2024→2025
- $104,770
- Top 10% earn
- +3.5%
- Growth '24–'34
- 353,310
- Estimated US jobs
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn a median of $64,330 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $64,330, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $45,020 (10th percentile) to $104,770 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 353,310 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is California ($86,500).
The pay verdict
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn a median of $64,330, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 55% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Community and Social Service, it ranks #5 of 17 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3.5% by 2034.
- $64,330
- Median annual wage
- Top 45%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #5 of 17
- in Community and Social Service
- 2.3×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: California at $86,500. Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors moved from $57,040 in May 2019 to $64,330 in May 2025 (+12.8%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors sits -11.7 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012) has a national median of $64,330 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $45,020 to $104,770, and the published mean is $71,430. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 353,310 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 53 state or territory areas and 521 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $65,140 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $64,330 in May 2025, a fall of $810 (-1.2%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 31,000 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. California pays the highest state median at $86,500, which is +34% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is El Centro, CA at $141,760. 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
$64,330
per year
Median Hourly
$30.93/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$71,430
average
Employment
353,310
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$64,330 Top 45% higher than 55% 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 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 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% |
$64,330 · 55th 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 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors; 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
+3.5%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
31,000
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+13,300
376,300 (2024) → 389,600 (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
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
- ▸ Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors 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 | $53,660 |
| 2016 | $54,560 |
| 2017 | $55,410 |
| 2018 | $56,310 |
| 2019 | $57,040 |
| 2020 | $58,120 |
| 2021 | $60,510 |
| 2022 | $60,140 |
| 2023 | $61,710 |
| 2024 | $65,140 |
| 2025 | $64,330 |
2015 median
$53,660
2025 median
$64,330
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$7,290 (+12.8%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+2%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $53,660 | First banked release | 253,460 |
| May 2016 | $54,560 | +1.7% | 260,670 |
| May 2017 | $55,410 | +1.6% | 271,350 |
| May 2018 | $56,310 | +1.6% | 285,460 |
| May 2019 | $57,040 | Classification break | 296,460 |
| May 2020 | $58,120 | +1.9% | 292,230 |
| May 2021 | $60,510 | +4.1% | 296,370 |
| May 2022 | $60,140 | -0.6% | 308,000 |
| May 2023 | $61,710 | +2.6% | 327,660 |
| May 2024 | $65,140 | +5.6% | 342,350 |
| May 2025 | $64,330 | -1.2% | 353,310 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $53,660 in May 2015 to $64,330 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 296,460 in May 2019 to 353,310 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 53 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $86,500 | +34% above national |
| 2 | Alaska | $82,900 | +29% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $82,670 | +29% above national |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $80,470 | +25% above national |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $79,930 | +24% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $77,910 | +21% above national |
| 7 | New Mexico | $77,880 | +21% above national |
| 8 | Maryland | $75,820 | +18% above national |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $75,000 | +17% above national |
| 10 | Delaware | $74,070 | +15% above national |
| 11 | Connecticut | $73,910 | +15% above national |
| 12 | New York | $71,610 | +11% above national |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $71,080 | +10% above national |
| 14 | Texas | $67,900 | +6% above national |
| 15 | Virginia | $67,660 | +5% above national |
| 16 | Nevada | $66,710 | +4% above national |
| 17 | Oregon | $66,690 | +4% above national |
| 18 | Colorado | $64,780 | +1% above national |
| 19 | Minnesota | $64,600 | same as national |
| 20 | Vermont | $64,570 | same as national |
| 21 | Kentucky | $64,350 | same as national |
| 22 | Georgia | $63,720 | 1% below national |
| 23 | Wyoming | $63,430 | 1% below national |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $62,690 | 3% below national |
| 25 | Nebraska | $62,500 | 3% below national |
| 26 | Virgin Islands | $62,470 | 3% below national |
| 27 | Illinois | $62,420 | 3% below national |
| 28 | Louisiana | $61,870 | 4% below national |
| 29 | Ohio | $61,760 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Hawaii | $61,730 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Utah | $61,320 | 5% below national |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $60,880 | 5% below national |
| 33 | South Carolina | $60,340 | 6% below national |
| 34 | Idaho | $60,320 | 6% below national |
| 35 | Tennessee | $59,960 | 7% below national |
| 36 | Arkansas | $59,770 | 7% below national |
| 37 | Alabama | $59,570 | 7% below national |
| 38 | Michigan | $59,440 | 8% below national |
| 39 | Indiana | $59,260 | 8% below national |
| 40 | North Dakota | $58,960 | 8% below national |
| 41 | Mississippi | $58,710 | 9% below national |
| 42 | Maine | $58,630 | 9% below national |
| 43 | Arizona | $58,250 | 9% below national |
| 44 | Missouri | $58,040 | 10% below national |
| 45 | Montana | $57,900 | 10% below national |
| 46 | North Carolina | $57,630 | 10% below national |
| 47 | Kansas | $56,590 | 12% below national |
| 48 | Iowa | $56,540 | 12% below national |
| 49 | West Virginia | $55,520 | 14% below national |
| 50 | Florida | $53,140 | 17% below national |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $53,000 | 18% below national |
| 52 | Oklahoma | $52,040 | 19% below national |
| 53 | South Dakota | $51,830 | 19% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 386 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Centro, CA | $141,760 | +120% above national |
| 2 | Grand Island, NE | $109,480 | +70% above national |
| 3 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $102,650 | +60% above national |
| 4 | Odessa, TX | $101,810 | +58% above national |
| 5 | Yuba City, CA | $101,350 | +58% above national |
| 6 | Fresno, CA | $101,280 | +57% above national |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $100,930 | +57% above national |
| 8 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $100,790 | +57% above national |
| 9 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $100,390 | +56% above national |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $100,360 | +56% above national |
| 11 | Napa, CA | $99,900 | +55% above national |
| 12 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $99,330 | +54% above national |
| 13 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $98,480 | +53% above national |
| 14 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $97,700 | +52% above national |
| 15 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $96,780 | +50% above national |
| 16 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $96,780 | +50% above national |
| 17 | Visalia, CA | $96,720 | +50% above national |
| 18 | Yakima, WA | $96,370 | +50% above national |
| 19 | Chico, CA | $96,080 | +49% above national |
| 20 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $95,390 | +48% above national |
| 21 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $94,600 | +47% above national |
| 22 | Modesto, CA | $94,370 | +47% above national |
| 23 | Vallejo, CA | $91,670 | +42% above national |
| 24 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $88,900 | +38% above national |
| 25 | Casper, WY | $88,180 | +37% above national |
| 26 | Lake Charles, LA | $87,940 | +37% above national |
| 27 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $87,280 | +36% above national |
| 28 | Eagle Pass, TX | $86,520 | +34% above national |
| 29 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $86,500 | +34% above national |
| 30 | Victoria, TX | $84,430 | +31% above national |
| 31 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $83,520 | +30% above national |
| 32 | Midland, TX | $83,300 | +29% above national |
| 33 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $83,050 | +29% above national |
| 34 | Merced, CA | $83,020 | +29% above national |
| 35 | Anchorage, AK | $82,900 | +29% above national |
| 36 | Elizabethtown, KY | $82,770 | +29% above national |
| 37 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $82,300 | +28% above national |
| 38 | Bend, OR | $82,020 | +27% above national |
| 39 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $81,380 | +27% above national |
| 40 | Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $80,840 | +26% above national |
| 41 | Barnstable Town, MA | $80,820 | +26% above national |
| 42 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $80,760 | +26% above national |
| 43 | Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $80,740 | +26% above national |
| 44 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $80,390 | +25% above national |
| 45 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $80,220 | +25% above national |
| 46 | Billings, MT | $80,140 | +25% above national |
| 47 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $79,840 | +24% above national |
| 48 | Albuquerque, NM | $79,180 | +23% above national |
| 49 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $79,000 | +23% above national |
| 50 | Springfield, MA | $78,870 | +23% above national |
| 51 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $78,490 | +22% above national |
| 52 | Farmington, NM | $78,440 | +22% above national |
| 53 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $78,400 | +22% above national |
| 54 | Worcester, MA | $78,040 | +21% above national |
| 55 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $77,580 | +21% above national |
| 56 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $77,420 | +20% above national |
| 57 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $77,320 | +20% above national |
| 58 | Lexington Park, MD | $76,730 | +19% above national |
| 59 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $76,680 | +19% above national |
| 60 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $76,380 | +19% above national |
| 61 | York-Hanover, PA | $76,360 | +19% above national |
| 62 | Kingston, NY | $76,320 | +19% above national |
| 63 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $75,990 | +18% above national |
| 64 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $75,930 | +18% above national |
| 65 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $75,920 | +18% above national |
| 66 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $75,910 | +18% above national |
| 67 | Pittsfield, MA | $75,630 | +18% above national |
| 68 | Salem, OR | $75,510 | +17% above national |
| 69 | Santa Fe, NM | $75,400 | +17% above national |
| 70 | Winchester, VA-WV | $75,220 | +17% above national |
| 71 | Boulder, CO | $75,030 | +17% above national |
| 72 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $75,020 | +17% above national |
| 73 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $74,990 | +17% above national |
| 74 | Bloomington, IN | $74,940 | +16% above national |
| 75 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $74,740 | +16% above national |
| 76 | Dover, DE | $74,620 | +16% above national |
| 77 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $74,360 | +16% above national |
| 78 | Chambersburg, PA | $74,290 | +15% above national |
| 79 | Hinesville, GA | $73,920 | +15% above national |
| 80 | New Haven, CT | $73,910 | +15% above national |
| 81 | Albany, OR | $73,650 | +14% above national |
| 82 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $73,590 | +14% above national |
| 83 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $73,590 | +14% above national |
| 84 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $72,910 | +13% above national |
| 85 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $72,800 | +13% above national |
| 86 | Tyler, TX | $72,770 | +13% above national |
| 87 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $72,520 | +13% above national |
| 88 | Monroe, LA | $72,420 | +13% above national |
| 89 | Decatur, AL | $72,380 | +13% above national |
| 90 | Dalton, GA | $71,840 | +12% above national |
| 91 | Medford, OR | $71,340 | +11% above national |
| 92 | Gettysburg, PA | $71,270 | +11% above national |
| 93 | El Paso, TX | $70,810 | +10% above national |
| 94 | Minot, ND | $70,390 | +9% above national |
| 95 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $69,840 | +9% above national |
| 96 | Bellingham, WA | $69,800 | +9% above national |
| 97 | Carson City, NV | $69,690 | +8% above national |
| 98 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $69,200 | +8% above national |
| 99 | Helena, MT | $69,040 | +7% above national |
| 100 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $68,450 | +6% above national |
| 101 | Wichita Falls, TX | $68,440 | +6% above national |
| 102 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $68,280 | +6% above national |
| 103 | Lubbock, TX | $67,900 | +6% above national |
| 104 | Syracuse, NY | $67,870 | +6% above national |
| 105 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $67,730 | +5% above national |
| 106 | Richmond, VA | $67,620 | +5% above national |
| 107 | Vineland, NJ | $67,620 | +5% above national |
| 108 | Madison, WI | $67,510 | +5% above national |
| 109 | Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $67,200 | +4% above national |
| 110 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $67,180 | +4% above national |
| 111 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $67,080 | +4% above national |
| 112 | Kenosha, WI | $66,700 | +4% above national |
| 113 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $66,610 | +4% above national |
| 114 | Rochester, MN | $66,570 | +3% above national |
| 115 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $66,270 | +3% above national |
| 116 | Reno, NV | $66,210 | +3% above national |
| 117 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $66,190 | +3% above national |
| 118 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $66,000 | +3% above national |
| 119 | Sandusky, OH | $65,990 | +3% above national |
| 120 | Hot Springs, AR | $65,790 | +2% above national |
| 121 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $65,720 | +2% above national |
| 122 | Sherman-Denison, TX | $65,660 | +2% above national |
| 123 | Waco, TX | $65,630 | +2% above national |
| 124 | Omaha, NE-IA | $65,330 | +2% above national |
| 125 | Bowling Green, KY | $65,310 | +2% above national |
| 126 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $65,290 | +1% above national |
| 127 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $65,230 | +1% above national |
| 128 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $65,090 | +1% above national |
| 129 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $65,020 | +1% above national |
| 130 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $65,020 | +1% above national |
| 131 | St. Cloud, MN | $64,910 | +1% above national |
| 132 | Walla Walla, WA | $64,900 | +1% above national |
| 133 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $64,730 | +1% above national |
| 134 | Longview, TX | $64,680 | +1% above national |
| 135 | Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | $64,630 | same as national |
| 136 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $64,600 | same as national |
| 137 | Paducah, KY-IL | $64,350 | same as national |
| 138 | Ocala, FL | $64,310 | same as national |
| 139 | Ogden, UT | $64,240 | same as national |
| 140 | Logan, UT-ID | $63,900 | 1% below national |
| 141 | Cheyenne, WY | $63,760 | 1% below national |
| 142 | Amarillo, TX | $63,660 | 1% below national |
| 143 | Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $63,660 | 1% below national |
| 144 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $63,590 | 1% below national |
| 145 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $63,500 | 1% below national |
| 146 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $63,470 | 1% below national |
| 147 | Charlottesville, VA | $63,330 | 2% below national |
| 148 | Green Bay, WI | $63,240 | 2% below national |
| 149 | Corpus Christi, TX | $63,220 | 2% below national |
| 150 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $63,080 | 2% below national |
| 151 | Birmingham, AL | $63,020 | 2% below national |
| 152 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $62,970 | 2% below national |
| 153 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $62,920 | 2% below national |
| 154 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $62,920 | 2% below national |
| 155 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $62,840 | 2% below national |
| 156 | Cleveland, TN | $62,820 | 2% below national |
| 157 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $62,740 | 2% below national |
| 158 | Ann Arbor, MI | $62,710 | 3% below national |
| 159 | Colorado Springs, CO | $62,640 | 3% below national |
| 160 | Rockford, IL | $62,610 | 3% below national |
| 161 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $62,600 | 3% below national |
| 162 | Mankato, MN | $62,440 | 3% below national |
| 163 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $62,270 | 3% below national |
| 164 | Glens Falls, NY | $62,220 | 3% below national |
| 165 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $62,140 | 3% below national |
| 166 | Ithaca, NY | $62,100 | 3% below national |
| 167 | Columbus, OH | $62,080 | 3% below national |
| 168 | Altoona, PA | $62,060 | 4% below national |
| 169 | Binghamton, NY | $62,010 | 4% below national |
| 170 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $62,000 | 4% below national |
| 171 | Spartanburg, SC | $61,980 | 4% below national |
| 172 | Bismarck, ND | $61,970 | 4% below national |
| 173 | Topeka, KS | $61,960 | 4% below national |
| 174 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $61,940 | 4% below national |
| 175 | Appleton, WI | $61,890 | 4% below national |
| 176 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $61,870 | 4% below national |
| 177 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $61,830 | 4% below national |
| 178 | Traverse City, MI | $61,780 | 4% below national |
| 179 | Sheboygan, WI | $61,760 | 4% below national |
| 180 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $61,670 | 4% below national |
| 181 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $61,660 | 4% below national |
| 182 | Texarkana, TX-AR | $61,650 | 4% below national |
| 183 | Cleveland, OH | $61,620 | 4% below national |
| 184 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $61,600 | 4% below national |
| 185 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $61,600 | 4% below national |
| 186 | Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $61,580 | 4% below national |
| 187 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $61,570 | 4% below national |
| 188 | Lebanon, PA | $61,490 | 4% below national |
| 189 | Utica-Rome, NY | $61,420 | 5% below national |
| 190 | Akron, OH | $61,330 | 5% below national |
| 191 | Roanoke, VA | $61,270 | 5% below national |
| 192 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $61,270 | 5% below national |
| 193 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $61,240 | 5% below national |
| 194 | Battle Creek, MI | $61,200 | 5% below national |
| 195 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $61,130 | 5% below national |
| 196 | Great Falls, MT | $61,110 | 5% below national |
| 197 | Huntsville, AL | $61,070 | 5% below national |
| 198 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $61,030 | 5% below national |
| 199 | Boise City, ID | $60,990 | 5% below national |
| 200 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $60,980 | 5% below national |
| 201 | Owensboro, KY | $60,970 | 5% below national |
| 202 | Reading, PA | $60,960 | 5% below national |
| 203 | Salisbury, MD | $60,860 | 5% below national |
| 204 | Corvallis, OR | $60,830 | 5% below national |
| 205 | Greeley, CO | $60,820 | 5% below national |
| 206 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $60,820 | 5% below national |
| 207 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $60,790 | 6% below national |
| 208 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $60,760 | 6% below national |
| 209 | Lawton, OK | $60,750 | 6% below national |
| 210 | Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $60,740 | 6% below national |
| 211 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $60,730 | 6% below national |
| 212 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $60,690 | 6% below national |
| 213 | Rochester, NY | $60,670 | 6% below national |
| 214 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $60,650 | 6% below national |
| 215 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $60,550 | 6% below national |
| 216 | Pueblo, CO | $60,540 | 6% below national |
| 217 | San Angelo, TX | $60,530 | 6% below national |
| 218 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $60,520 | 6% below national |
| 219 | Lafayette, LA | $60,450 | 6% below national |
| 220 | Grand Junction, CO | $60,430 | 6% below national |
| 221 | Laredo, TX | $60,430 | 6% below national |
| 222 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $60,420 | 6% below national |
| 223 | Gainesville, GA | $60,400 | 6% below national |
| 224 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $60,350 | 6% below national |
| 225 | Lancaster, PA | $60,220 | 6% below national |
| 226 | Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $60,160 | 6% below national |
| 227 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $60,160 | 6% below national |
| 228 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $60,120 | 7% below national |
| 229 | Columbia, SC | $60,070 | 7% below national |
| 230 | Harrisonburg, VA | $60,010 | 7% below national |
| 231 | Iowa City, IA | $59,850 | 7% below national |
| 232 | Lima, OH | $59,790 | 7% below national |
| 233 | Sebring, FL | $59,790 | 7% below national |
| 234 | Saginaw, MI | $59,720 | 7% below national |
| 235 | Fort Wayne, IN | $59,580 | 7% below national |
| 236 | Pittsburgh, PA | $59,560 | 7% below national |
| 237 | Twin Falls, ID | $59,540 | 7% below national |
| 238 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $59,530 | 7% below national |
| 239 | Lewiston, ID-WA | $59,530 | 7% below national |
| 240 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $59,520 | 7% below national |
| 241 | Peoria, IL | $59,510 | 7% below national |
| 242 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $59,500 | 8% below national |
| 243 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $59,470 | 8% below national |
| 244 | Hammond, LA | $59,430 | 8% below national |
| 245 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $59,380 | 8% below national |
| 246 | Duluth, MN-WI | $59,280 | 8% below national |
| 247 | Sumter, SC | $59,270 | 8% below national |
| 248 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $59,220 | 8% below national |
| 249 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $59,200 | 8% below national |
| 250 | Burlington, NC | $59,190 | 8% below national |
| 251 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $59,180 | 8% below national |
| 252 | Columbus, GA-AL | $59,120 | 8% below national |
| 253 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $59,090 | 8% below national |
| 254 | Dothan, AL | $59,070 | 8% below national |
| 255 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $59,060 | 8% below national |
| 256 | Lynchburg, VA | $58,990 | 8% below national |
| 257 | Grand Forks, ND-MN | $58,960 | 8% below national |
| 258 | Idaho Falls, ID | $58,950 | 8% below national |
| 259 | Redding, CA | $58,890 | 8% below national |
| 260 | Alexandria, LA | $58,810 | 9% below national |
| 261 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $58,800 | 9% below national |
| 262 | Toledo, OH | $58,770 | 9% below national |
| 263 | Eau Claire, WI | $58,730 | 9% below national |
| 264 | Knoxville, TN | $58,640 | 9% below national |
| 265 | Jackson, MS | $58,620 | 9% below national |
| 266 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $58,590 | 9% below national |
| 267 | Fond du Lac, WI | $58,520 | 9% below national |
| 268 | Warner Robins, GA | $58,470 | 9% below national |
| 269 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $58,460 | 9% below national |
| 270 | Florence, SC | $58,460 | 9% below national |
| 271 | Williamsport, PA | $58,430 | 9% below national |
| 272 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $58,380 | 9% below national |
| 273 | Wausau, WI | $58,350 | 9% below national |
| 274 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $58,320 | 9% below national |
| 275 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $58,320 | 9% below national |
| 276 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $58,250 | 9% below national |
| 277 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $58,230 | 9% below national |
| 278 | Mansfield, OH | $58,050 | 10% below national |
| 279 | Abilene, TX | $58,000 | 10% below national |
| 280 | Beckley, WV | $57,970 | 10% below national |
| 281 | Baton Rouge, LA | $57,930 | 10% below national |
| 282 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $57,890 | 10% below national |
| 283 | Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $57,880 | 10% below national |
| 284 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | $57,870 | 10% below national |
| 285 | Mobile, AL | $57,800 | 10% below national |
| 286 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $57,790 | 10% below national |
| 287 | Bozeman, MT | $57,670 | 10% below national |
| 288 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $57,600 | 10% below national |
| 289 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $57,580 | 10% below national |
| 290 | Fayetteville, NC | $57,580 | 10% below national |
| 291 | Erie, PA | $57,430 | 11% below national |
| 292 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $57,400 | 11% below national |
| 293 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $57,360 | 11% below national |
| 294 | Arecibo, PR | $57,330 | 11% below national |
| 295 | Savannah, GA | $57,320 | 11% below national |
| 296 | Springfield, IL | $57,210 | 11% below national |
| 297 | Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $57,200 | 11% below national |
| 298 | Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $57,160 | 11% below national |
| 299 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $57,110 | 11% below national |
| 300 | Goldsboro, NC | $57,000 | 11% below national |
| 301 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $56,930 | 12% below national |
| 302 | State College, PA | $56,930 | 12% below national |
| 303 | Montgomery, AL | $56,840 | 12% below national |
| 304 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $56,760 | 12% below national |
| 305 | Bay City, MI | $56,690 | 12% below national |
| 306 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $56,660 | 12% below national |
| 307 | Wichita, KS | $56,590 | 12% below national |
| 308 | Monroe, MI | $56,460 | 12% below national |
| 309 | Springfield, OH | $56,370 | 12% below national |
| 310 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $56,340 | 12% below national |
| 311 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $56,230 | 13% below national |
| 312 | Gadsden, AL | $56,140 | 13% below national |
| 313 | St. George, UT | $56,120 | 13% below national |
| 314 | Elmira, NY | $56,060 | 13% below national |
| 315 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $56,060 | 13% below national |
| 316 | Rapid City, SD | $56,040 | 13% below national |
| 317 | Jacksonville, NC | $55,970 | 13% below national |
| 318 | Wilmington, NC | $55,890 | 13% below national |
| 319 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $55,870 | 13% below national |
| 320 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $55,830 | 13% below national |
| 321 | Winston-Salem, NC | $55,790 | 13% below national |
| 322 | Asheville, NC | $55,700 | 13% below national |
| 323 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $55,520 | 14% below national |
| 324 | Jacksonville, FL | $55,520 | 14% below national |
| 325 | Jefferson City, MO | $55,520 | 14% below national |
| 326 | Lincoln, NE | $55,510 | 14% below national |
| 327 | Jackson, TN | $55,400 | 14% below national |
| 328 | Midland, MI | $55,120 | 14% below national |
| 329 | Tucson, AZ | $54,930 | 15% below national |
| 330 | Kankakee, IL | $54,860 | 15% below national |
| 331 | Albany, GA | $54,500 | 15% below national |
| 332 | Greenville, NC | $54,480 | 15% below national |
| 333 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $53,840 | 16% below national |
| 334 | Rome, GA | $53,780 | 16% below national |
| 335 | Springfield, MO | $53,720 | 16% below national |
| 336 | Tulsa, OK | $53,660 | 17% below national |
| 337 | Aguadilla, PR | $53,580 | 17% below national |
| 338 | Hattiesburg, MS | $53,430 | 17% below national |
| 339 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $53,220 | 17% below national |
| 340 | Ponce, PR | $53,140 | 17% below national |
| 341 | Fargo, ND-MN | $52,960 | 18% below national |
| 342 | Terre Haute, IN | $52,910 | 18% below national |
| 343 | Mayaguez, PR | $52,860 | 18% below national |
| 344 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $52,860 | 18% below national |
| 345 | Oklahoma City, OK | $52,810 | 18% below national |
| 346 | Evansville, IN | $52,740 | 18% below national |
| 347 | Las Cruces, NM | $52,720 | 18% below national |
| 348 | Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $52,480 | 18% below national |
| 349 | Jonesboro, AR | $52,420 | 19% below national |
| 350 | Flagstaff, AZ | $52,410 | 19% below national |
| 351 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $52,270 | 19% below national |
| 352 | Rocky Mount, NC | $52,270 | 19% below national |
| 353 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $52,270 | 19% below national |
| 354 | Yuma, AZ | $52,090 | 19% below national |
| 355 | Bloomington, IL | $51,820 | 19% below national |
| 356 | Manhattan, KS | $51,720 | 20% below national |
| 357 | Bangor, ME | $51,670 | 20% below national |
| 358 | Columbia, MO | $51,260 | 20% below national |
| 359 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $51,060 | 21% below national |
| 360 | Joplin, MO-KS | $51,040 | 21% below national |
| 361 | Missoula, MT | $50,860 | 21% below national |
| 362 | Lawrence, KS | $50,850 | 21% below national |
| 363 | Decatur, IL | $50,290 | 22% below national |
| 364 | Ames, IA | $50,260 | 22% below national |
| 365 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $49,960 | 22% below national |
| 366 | Charleston, WV | $49,900 | 22% below national |
| 367 | Kokomo, IN | $49,660 | 23% below national |
| 368 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $49,490 | 23% below national |
| 369 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $49,420 | 23% below national |
| 370 | Johnstown, PA | $49,370 | 23% below national |
| 371 | Valdosta, GA | $49,330 | 23% below national |
| 372 | Niles, MI | $49,240 | 23% below national |
| 373 | Dubuque, IA | $49,150 | 24% below national |
| 374 | Jackson, MI | $48,870 | 24% below national |
| 375 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $48,840 | 24% below national |
| 376 | Morristown, TN | $48,760 | 24% below national |
| 377 | Flint, MI | $48,500 | 25% below national |
| 378 | Tuscaloosa, AL | $47,800 | 26% below national |
| 379 | Morgantown, WV | $47,720 | 26% below national |
| 380 | Muncie, IN | $47,700 | 26% below national |
| 381 | Gainesville, FL | $47,600 | 26% below national |
| 382 | Tallahassee, FL | $46,900 | 27% below national |
| 383 | Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $46,640 | 27% below national |
| 384 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $46,270 | 28% below national |
| 385 | Enid, OK | $45,780 | 29% below national |
| 386 | Johnson City, TN | $45,250 | 30% 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
Counselors, All Other
SOC 21-1019
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 ($64,330 here) and reported employment (353,310 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 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors make? ▼
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What state pays Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors the most? ▼
What education do Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors? ▼
Is Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors a good career? ▼
How does Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay vary by state? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $82,870/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: California leads at $86,500/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.