Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary
Social & sciences · OCC code 21-1012 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the US earn a median of $65,140 per year (mean $71,520) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +31.6% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, above the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $51,690 and $83,490; the top 10% earn $105,870 or more. The median hourly wage is $31.32. About 342,350 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is California ($94,320). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors pay range (national percentiles)
What educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $43,580 |
| 25th percentile | $51,690 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $65,140 |
| Mean (average) | $71,520 |
| 75th percentile | $83,490 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $105,870 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors salary by state
Median and mean wage for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors in each of the 51 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $65,140.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $94,320 | $96,440 | 44,160 |
| 2 | Washington | $83,930 | $87,560 | 5,910 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $80,280 | $80,820 | 1,800 |
| 4 | Alaska | $80,020 | $75,070 | 660 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $78,840 | $82,910 | 11,850 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $77,940 | $82,460 | 7,590 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $76,490 | $76,030 | 1,760 |
| 8 | Maryland | $74,970 | $79,410 | 6,210 |
| 9 | Oregon | $74,000 | $79,550 | 3,330 |
| 10 | Delaware | $72,450 | $71,140 | 1,750 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $71,590 | $74,350 | 1,400 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $70,400 | $75,070 | 3,670 |
| 13 | New York | $69,900 | $77,720 | 22,660 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $68,410 | $72,660 | 1,530 |
| 15 | Virginia | $67,350 | $70,720 | 8,810 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $67,070 | $68,170 | 4,890 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $66,720 | $71,590 | 1,800 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $66,650 | $69,480 | 2,120 |
| 19 | Texas | $65,660 | $65,140 | 32,350 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $65,070 | $67,530 | 770 |
| 21 | Nevada | $64,960 | $67,600 | 2,300 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $64,390 | $64,400 | 5,030 |
| 23 | Georgia | $63,990 | $70,130 | 10,890 |
| 24 | Colorado | $63,900 | $68,400 | 6,220 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $63,690 | $66,620 | 5,280 |
| 26 | Michigan | $63,240 | $66,020 | 7,950 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $63,230 | $68,080 | 4,440 |
| 28 | Utah | $62,500 | $68,290 | 3,680 |
| 29 | Ohio | $61,960 | $68,730 | 13,030 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $61,460 | $67,540 | 11,500 |
| 31 | Illinois | $61,210 | $69,870 | 12,790 |
| 32 | Vermont | $60,920 | $64,900 | 970 |
| 33 | Alabama | $60,530 | $61,330 | 4,510 |
| 34 | Idaho | $60,340 | $62,640 | 2,010 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $60,330 | $62,500 | 770 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $60,110 | $61,310 | 2,310 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $59,630 | $58,570 | 2,540 |
| 38 | Montana | $59,480 | $64,770 | 860 |
| 39 | Maine | $59,160 | $61,790 | 1,610 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $59,090 | $60,390 | 6,090 |
| 41 | Kansas | $58,430 | $58,950 | 2,980 |
| 42 | Arizona | $57,940 | $62,310 | 6,060 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $57,400 | $59,780 | 7,170 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $57,100 | $56,920 | 9,630 |
| 45 | Indiana | $56,470 | $59,040 | 5,450 |
| 46 | Iowa | $55,910 | $58,910 | 3,580 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $55,420 | $54,910 | 1,390 |
| 48 | Florida | $54,080 | $59,820 | 21,080 |
| 49 | Missouri | $53,790 | $57,120 | 8,960 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $52,450 | $54,930 | 880 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $51,140 | $54,530 | 5,320 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: California ($94,320). Lowest: Oklahoma ($51,140).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (this job) | $65,140 | $71,520 | +31.6% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $64,580 | $73,700 | +30.5% |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $64,280 | $68,860 | +29.9% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $66,140 | $71,560 | +33.6% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $66,260 | $81,260 | +33.9% |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $66,700 | $82,720 | +34.7% |
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education · Architectural and Civil Drafters · First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers · Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel · Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers
Frequently asked questions
How much do educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make?
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn a national median of $65,140 per year (mean $71,520) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $51,690 (25th percentile) and $83,490 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $105,870 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $43,580. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors?
The median hourly wage is $31.32 and the mean is $34.38 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors the most?
California has the highest median wage for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors at $94,320, versus a national median of $65,140. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 342,350 educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #74 of 124 by median pay.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 21-1012), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20