Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $71,430 ≈ $34/hr
National median salary $64,330
Total employment 353,310 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +3.5%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 31,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 376,300 → 389,600 (+13,300)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$93,610
- Washington$87,680
- Massachusetts$85,660
- District of Columbia$82,700
- New Jersey$81,430
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$53,980
- West Virginia$55,100
- North Carolina$56,710
- Oklahoma$56,830
- Mississippi$57,380
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $93,610 | $86,500 | $45 | +31.1% | 45,140 |
| 2 | Washington | $87,680 | $82,670 | $42 | +22.7% | 6,610 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $85,660 | $79,930 | $41 | +19.9% | 11,460 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $82,700 | $80,470 | $40 | +15.8% | 1,690 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $81,430 | $77,910 | $39 | +14% | 8,190 |
| 6 | Alaska | $79,910 | $82,900 | $38 | +11.9% | 540 |
| 7 | Maryland | $78,920 | $75,820 | $38 | +10.5% | 6,600 |
| 8 | New York | $77,210 | $71,610 | $37 | +8.1% | 23,380 |
| 9 | Oregon | $77,070 | $66,690 | $37 | +7.9% | 3,990 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $75,730 | $73,910 | $36 | +6% | 3,370 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $75,730 | $75,000 | $36 | +6% | 1,340 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $75,480 | $77,880 | $36 | +5.7% | 1,780 |
| 13 | Delaware | $72,490 | $74,070 | $35 | +1.5% | 1,700 |
| 14 | Virginia | $71,920 | $67,660 | $35 | +0.7% | 9,450 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $71,400 | $71,080 | $34 | +0% | 1,650 |
| 16 | Illinois | $70,230 | $62,420 | $34 | -1.7% | 13,580 |
| 17 | Texas | $69,940 | $67,900 | $34 | -2.1% | 31,730 |
| 18 | Colorado | $69,470 | $64,780 | $33 | -2.7% | 6,530 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $69,080 | $64,600 | $33 | -3.3% | 4,200 |
| 20 | Nevada | $68,740 | $66,710 | $33 | -3.8% | 2,250 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $68,650 | $61,730 | $33 | -3.9% | 1,620 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $68,570 | $62,500 | $33 | -4% | 2,190 |
| 23 | Georgia | $68,410 | $63,720 | $33 | -4.2% | 11,460 |
| 24 | Vermont | $68,260 | $64,570 | $33 | -4.4% | 1,120 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $67,580 | $63,430 | $32 | -5.4% | 770 |
| 26 | Ohio | $67,200 | $61,760 | $32 | -5.9% | 13,250 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $67,110 | $60,880 | $32 | -6% | 13,570 |
| 28 | Utah | $66,970 | $61,320 | $32 | -6.2% | 4,070 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $66,440 | $62,690 | $32 | -7% | 5,330 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $65,740 | $64,350 | $32 | -8% | 5,030 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $63,910 | $61,870 | $31 | -10.5% | 4,820 |
| 32 | Montana | $63,130 | $57,900 | $30 | -11.6% | 890 |
| 33 | Michigan | $62,900 | $59,440 | $30 | -11.9% | 9,170 |
| 34 | Idaho | $62,800 | $60,320 | $30 | -12.1% | 1,990 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $62,000 | $60,340 | $30 | -13.2% | 6,460 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $61,790 | $58,960 | $30 | -13.5% | 840 |
| 37 | Arizona | $61,270 | $58,250 | $29 | -14.2% | 7,330 |
| 38 | Maine | $61,230 | $58,630 | $29 | -14.3% | 1,780 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $61,020 | $59,960 | $29 | -14.6% | 6,470 |
| 40 | Indiana | $61,000 | $59,260 | $29 | -14.6% | 5,610 |
| 41 | Alabama | $59,540 | $59,570 | $29 | -16.6% | 4,410 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $59,370 | $59,770 | $29 | -16.9% | 2,310 |
| 43 | Missouri | $59,160 | $58,040 | $28 | -17.2% | 8,890 |
| 44 | Kansas | $58,560 | $56,590 | $28 | -18% | 3,100 |
| 45 | Florida | $58,380 | $53,140 | $28 | -18.3% | 22,800 |
| 46 | Iowa | $58,190 | $56,540 | $28 | -18.5% | 3,690 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $57,380 | $58,710 | $28 | -19.7% | 2,620 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $56,830 | $52,040 | $27 | -20.4% | 4,830 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $56,710 | $57,630 | $27 | -20.6% | 9,430 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $55,100 | $55,520 | $26 | -22.9% | 1,260 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $53,980 | $51,830 | $26 | -24.4% | 1,000 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 515 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Centro, CA | $141,760 | $130,820 | 200 |
| 2 | Grand Island, NE | $109,480 | $95,360 | 90 |
| 3 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $102,650 | $103,720 | 150 |
| 4 | Odessa, TX | $101,810 | $87,600 | 120 |
| 5 | Yuba City, CA | $101,350 | $99,480 | 140 |
| 6 | Fresno, CA | $101,280 | $98,540 | 1,210 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $100,930 | $100,190 | 2,730 |
| 8 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $100,790 | $102,220 | 690 |
| 9 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $100,390 | $100,040 | 110 |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $100,360 | $99,630 | 400 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Offices of All Other Health Practitioners | $149,660 | $117,450 | 80 |
| 2 | Educational Support Services, Local Government Owned | $86,870 | $90,130 | 1,530 |
| 3 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $85,660 | $72,830 | 50 |
| 4 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $85,660 | $84,350 | 30 |
| 5 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $85,040 | $88,300 | 760 |
| 6 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $85,040 | $88,300 | 760 |
| 7 | Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $84,130 | $83,210 | 30 |
| 8 | Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $82,470 | $91,090 | — |
| 9 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $78,140 | $80,610 | 1,560 |
| 10 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned | $77,800 | $81,560 | 150,800 |
| 11 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $77,180 | $81,270 | 173,270 |
| 12 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $77,020 | $80,960 | 177,550 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make in the U.S.?
The median educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors salary in the United States is $64,330 per year (mean $71,430), and about 80% earn between $45,020 and $104,770.
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make per hour?
Roughly $34 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $71,430 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors the most?
California has the highest average pay for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors at $93,610 per year (median $86,500).
What is the job outlook for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
Employment is projected to change +3.5% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 31,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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