School Counselor Salary and Career Outlook
Careers in school counseling are some of the most unique and rewarding in public education. School counselors work with all stakeholders in the educational ecosystem to help create a culture of success, safety, and learning for students, their families, and the educators who serve them.
Some of the primary responsibilities of a school counselor include:
- Providing social and emotional support for students in individual and group sessions.
- Aiding students with issues related to study skills and time management.
- Encouraging and fostering student strengths (both in and out of the classroom).
- Collaborating with families and other school faculty to address individual student needs.
- Helping students and families respond to crises.
- Identifying students’ social, behavioral or learning issues.
- Working as part of a child study team to develop and implement interventions for students with special needs and other at-risk students.
- Coordinating support services between the school, home, and outside agencies.
- Offering professional input on school and district policies.
This wide variety of responsibilities shows that becoming a school counselor is a career choice with the potential to make a positive difference every day.
What Can You Do With a School Counselor Degree?
Becoming a school counselor generally requires a master's degree in school counseling, though exact certification and degree requirements vary by state and territory — check your state department of education for the current requirements before enrolling. School counseling is a career that varies depending on the population a counselor serves. Providing support to younger students and their stakeholders is very different from supporting older, college- and career-bound students.
In some school districts, a counselor may be asked to serve a large span of ages; however, it is more common for counselors to focus on specific age groups.
Master of Arts in School Counseling
Advocate for P-12 students and become an agent of change in your community. With no GRE required, earn your Master in School Counseling online in as few as 24 months from the University of Denver. Gain valuable skills through a CACREP accredited curriculum centered on social justice.
- No GRE required
- Live, online classes
- Complete in as few as 24 months
Elementary School Counselors
Elementary school counselors are responsible for assisting younger students and their families as they begin their educational journey. As such, elementary counselors help bolster school-readiness skills and support academic, social, and emotional development that will serve as the foundation for a child’s educational career.
Elementary counselors also play an important role in identifying learning and behavioral issues, enabling early interventions to be developed and implemented. By working with teachers, students, families, and other relevant stakeholders, elementary counselors can help ensure a student is able to maximize their ability to learn and thrive.
National mean salary for school counselors (BLS category: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors), May 2025: $71,430.
Middle School Counselors
Middle school counselors support students through the often challenging transition from childhood to the teenage years. The social and emotional trials of puberty can be difficult for students and their families. A counselor can serve as a key ally for navigating the inevitable tensions, questions, pressures, and issues that arise as students mature.
The junior high years are also a significant academic transition. Middle school counselors are called upon by students, parents and teachers to help foster the time-management and study skills that students will need to be successful in high school and beyond.
As with elementary counselors, there is also a need for counselors to weigh in on the identification and interventions for academic and behavioral issues, so they can be addressed before entering high school.
National mean salary for school counselors (BLS occupation: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors), May 2025: $71,430.
High School Counselors
High school counselors have unique responsibilities. In the secondary years, students are preparing for college admissions, careers and adulthood; counselors help facilitate these transitions by helping with course selection, college and job applications, high-stakes test preparation and interview skills.
Additionally, high school counselors are more likely than their elementary and middle school counterparts to be called upon to help students and families through serious struggles involving peer pressure, risk behaviors, drugs, alcohol, sex and self-harm.
National mean salary for school counselors (BLS occupation: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors), May 2025: $71,430.
College Admissions Counselors
College admission counselors help incoming students transition and adjust to their new settings. Their role involves recruiting prospective students, assisting students with admissions and enrollment, facilitating course selection, guiding students in discerning career paths, and helping students transition to the workforce.
Many colleges and universities also offer counseling and psychological services to support students' emotional and mental health.
National mean salary for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (includes counselors working in colleges), May 2025: $71,430.
Other Guidance Counselors
Career and vocational counselors or career coaches can help you explore career options at any point in your life, whether you are starting or changing your career. Career counselors can advise you in assessing your skills, interests and values to help you seek a career that fits your life. They can also help you with the job search, which could include crafting your resume and sharpening your interview skills.
National mean salary for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors working in local elementary and secondary schools (BLS industry 611100), May 2025: $79,800.
Master of Arts in School Counseling
Advocate for P-12 students and become an agent of change in your community. With no GRE required, earn your Master in School Counseling online in as few as 24 months from the University of Denver. Gain valuable skills through a CACREP accredited curriculum centered on social justice.
- No GRE required
- Live, online classes
- Complete in as few as 24 months
How Much Do School Counselors Make?
School counselor pay and contract terms are set at the district and state level and can vary considerably, including whether a position runs on a traditional 10-month school-year schedule or a 12-month schedule with added summer responsibilities. Check with your state department of education or prospective district for the specific salary schedule and contract terms that apply.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors — the BLS category covering school counselors — was $64,330 in May 2025.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, by Industry | Mean Annual Salary2 |
|---|---|
Elementary and Secondary Schools | $79,800 |
Junior Colleges | $71,330 |
Educational Support Services | $65,830 |
Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools | $62,550 |
Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $50,500 |
10 Top-Paying Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas for School Counselors
Keeping in mind the economy, cost of living, and lifestyle of different areas, the following are the top-paying metro and nonmetro areas for careers in school counseling according to the BLS (which is categorized as 'educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors'):
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas | Mean annual salary1 |
|---|---|
El Centro, CA | $130,820 |
Napa, CA | $103,800 |
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $103,720 |
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $102,220 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $101,010 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $100,610 |
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $100,190 |
Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $100,040 |
Salinas, CA | $99,630 |
Yuba City, CA | $99,480 |
5 Highest-Paying States for School Counseling Careers
The states below have the highest annual mean wages for the BLS occupation covering school counselors — educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors — as of May 2025:
State | Mean annual salary1 |
|---|---|
California | $93,610 |
Washington | $87,680 |
Massachusetts | $85,660 |
District of Columbia | $82,700 |
New Jersey | $81,430 |
State Median Salary Data for School and Career Counselors
The following table shows the median annual wage by state for educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors (BLS occupation 21-1012), as of May 2025:
State | Median annual salary1 |
|---|---|
Alabama | $59,570 |
Alaska | $82,900 |
Arizona | $58,250 |
Arkansas | $59,770 |
California | $86,500 |
Colorado | $64,780 |
Connecticut | $73,910 |
Delaware | $74,070 |
District of Columbia | $80,470 |
Florida | $53,140 |
Georgia | $63,720 |
Guam | Not published (suppressed) |
Hawaii | $61,730 |
Idaho | $60,320 |
Illinois | $62,420 |
Indiana | $59,260 |
Iowa | $56,540 |
Kansas | $56,590 |
Kentucky | $64,350 |
Louisiana | $61,870 |
Maine | $58,630 |
Maryland | $75,820 |
Massachusetts | $79,930 |
Michigan | $59,440 |
Minnesota | $64,600 |
Mississippi | $58,710 |
Missouri | $58,040 |
Montana | $57,900 |
Nebraska | $62,500 |
Nevada | $66,710 |
New Hampshire | $71,080 |
New Jersey | $77,910 |
New Mexico | $77,880 |
New York | $71,610 |
North Carolina | $57,630 |
North Dakota | $58,960 |
Ohio | $61,760 |
Oklahoma | $52,040 |
Oregon | $66,690 |
Pennsylvania | $60,880 |
Puerto Rico | $53,000 |
Rhode Island | $75,000 |
South Carolina | $60,340 |
South Dakota | $51,830 |
Tennessee | $59,960 |
Texas | $67,900 |
Utah | $61,320 |
Vermont | $64,570 |
Virginia | $67,660 |
Virgin Islands | $62,470 |
Washington | $82,670 |
West Virginia | $55,520 |
Wisconsin | $62,690 |
Wyoming | $63,430 |
Sources:
1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). "May 2025 OEWS estimates for U.S. — Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (21-1012)."
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). "May 2025 national industry-specific OEWS estimates for Elementary and Secondary Schools — Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (21-1012)."
3. American School Counselor Association, "State Requirements & Programs."
Information last updated: September 2026