High school counselor demographics and statistics in the US
High school counselor demographics research summary. Zippia estimates high school counselor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our high school counselor estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about high school counselors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 21,328 high school counselors currently employed in the United States.
- 68.3% of all high school counselors are women, while 31.7% are men.
- The average high school counselor age is 41 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of high school counselors is White (67.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.2%), Black or African American (10.6%) and Unknown (3.8%).
- High school counselors are most in-demand in Los Angeles, CA.
- Santa Rosa, CA pays an annual average wage of $61,780, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women high school counselors earned 98% of what men earned.
- Connecticut is the best state for high school counselors to live.
- High school counselors are 84% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
High school counselor demographics by:
High school counselor gender statistics
68.3% of high school counselors are women and 31.7% of high school counselors are men.
- Female, 68.3%
- Male, 31.7%
High school counselor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 68.3% |
| Male | 31.7% |
High school counselor gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$44,249
Female income
$43,515
High school counselor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in high school counselor positions over time. Currently, 68.3% of high school counselors are female.
High school counselor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 42.00% | 58.00% |
| 2011 | 40.21% | 59.79% |
| 2012 | 39.98% | 60.02% |
| 2013 | 39.72% | 60.28% |
| 2014 | 38.61% | 61.39% |
| 2015 | 38.70% | 61.30% |
| 2016 | 37.44% | 62.56% |
| 2017 | 36.61% | 63.39% |
| 2018 | 32.35% | 67.65% |
| 2019 | 33.83% | 66.17% |
| 2020 | 29.85% | 70.15% |
| 2021 | 31.71% | 68.29% |
High school counselor related jobs gender ratio
We compared high school counselors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Educator | 2% | 98% |
| Certified Lactation Counselor | 3% | 97% |
| Lactation Specialist | 5% | 95% |
| High School Counselor | 32% | 68% |
| Donation Worker | 70% | 30% |
| Rehabilitation Engineer | 70% | 30% |
| Public Health Worker | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
High school counselor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among high school counselors is White, which makes up 67.0% of all high school counselors. Comparatively, 14.2% of high school counselors are Hispanic or Latino and 10.6% of high school counselors are Black or African American.
- White, 67.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.2%
- Black or African American, 10.6%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- Asian, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
High school counselor race
| High school counselor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.2% |
| Black or African American | 10.6% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| Asian | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
High school counselor race and ethnicity over time
See how high school counselor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
High school counselor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.45% | 15.69% | 2.72% | 8.31% |
| 2011 | 69.57% | 15.56% | 2.82% | 8.79% |
| 2012 | 68.76% | 15.46% | 2.62% | 9.65% |
| 2013 | 69.18% | 15.73% | 2.66% | 9.33% |
| 2014 | 68.78% | 15.39% | 2.79% | 9.76% |
| 2015 | 69.46% | 14.13% | 3.09% | 10.11% |
| 2016 | 68.87% | 14.04% | 2.98% | 10.56% |
| 2017 | 69.66% | 14.06% | 2.85% | 10.41% |
| 2018 | 70.75% | 10.81% | 4.54% | 11.44% |
| 2019 | 69.83% | 12.09% | 4.04% | 11.42% |
| 2020 | 68.46% | 10.85% | 3.30% | 12.57% |
| 2021 | 67.03% | 10.64% | 3.74% | 14.20% |
High school counselor wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino high school counselors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american high school counselors have the lowest average salary at $43,483.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $43,819 |
| White | $43,883 |
| Black or African American | $43,483 |
| Asian | $44,702 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $45,385 |
Average high school counselor age
See how the average age of high school counselors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
High school counselor age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 44 | 44 |
| Unknown | 40 | 43.5 |
| Asian | 40 | 38 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38.5 | 39 |
| White | 41 | 42 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 48 |
High school counselor age breakdown
The average age of high school counselors is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the high school counselor population.
High school counselor age breakdown
| High School Counselor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 14% |
High school counselor educational attainment
The most common degree for high school counselors is bachelor's degree, with 55% of high school counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 35% and master's degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Master's, 35%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
High school counselors by degree level
| High school counselor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 55% |
| Master's | 35% |
| Associate | 6% |
| High School Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
High school counselor jobs you might like
High school counselor wage gap by degree level
According to the data, high school counselors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $53,807 annually. With a Master's degree, high school counselors earn a median annual income of $52,898 compared to $46,074 for high school counselors with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,898 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,074 |
| Doctorate Degree | $53,807 |
High school counselor employment statistics
Most high school counselors work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where high school counselors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where high school counselors work.
High school counselor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 12% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 27% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 32% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 19% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
High school counselor jobs by company type
Employees with the high school counselor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most high school counselors prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
High school counselor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 84% |
| Public | 1% |
| Private | 9% |
| Government | 6% |
High school counselor jobs by industry
The most common industries for high school counselors are education, non profits and government.
High school counselor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 75% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Government | 5% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Professional | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
High school counselor turnover and employment statistics
High school counselor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for high school counselors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
High school counselor unemployment rate by year
| Year | High school counselor unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.18% |
| 2011 | 5.42% |
| 2012 | 4.84% |
| 2013 | 4.91% |
| 2014 | 3.67% |
| 2015 | 3.13% |
| 2016 | 3.01% |
| 2017 | 2.42% |
| 2018 | 2.05% |
| 2019 | 1.74% |
| 2020 | 2.08% |
| 2021 | 2.02% |
Average high school counselor tenure
The average high school counselor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,478 high school counselors resumes in Zippia's database.
High school counselor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
High school counselor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of high school counselors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| HIV Counselor | 8.96% | 34,058 |
| Parole Supervisor | 9.50% | 914 |
| High School Counselor | 10.75% | - |
| Criminal Justice Social Worker | 11.25% | 85,917 |
| Crime Prevention Worker | 11.48% | 24,390 |
| Senior Residential Counselor | 15.06% | 34,607 |
| Mental Health Clinician | 15.06% | 91,347 |
Similar high school counselor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| HIV Counselor | 8.96% | 34,058 |
| Parole Supervisor | 9.50% | 914 |
| Criminal Justice Social Worker | 11.25% | 85,917 |
| Crime Prevention Worker | 11.48% | 24,390 |
| Senior Residential Counselor | 15.06% | 34,607 |
| Mental Health Clinician | 15.06% | 91,347 |
Foreign languages spoken by high school counselors
The most common foreign language among high school counselors is Spanish at 57.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 7.5% and French is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 57.5%
- Chinese, 7.5%
- French, 5.0%
- Korean, 5.0%
- Mandarin, 3.8%
- Other, 21.2%
High school counselor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.5% |
| Chinese | 7.5% |
| French | 5.0% |
| Korean | 5.0% |
| Mandarin | 3.8% |
| Other | 21.2% |
