Updated February 6, 2023

Average Program Counselor Salary

$43,820yearly

$21.07 hourly

Entry level Salary
$33,000 yearly

How much does a Program Counselor make?

Program counselors make $43,820 per year on average, or $21.07 per hour, in the United States. Program counselors on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $33,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $58,000.

Location impacts how much a program counselor can expect to make. Program counselors make the most in New York, Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington.

Highest Paying States For Program Counselors

While a program counselor can average a salary of $43,820 per year, or $21.07 per hour, there are many opportunities for program counselors to make more. For example, in New York, NY you might make $53,266 per year. Other high-paying locations include San Mateo, CA, Flagstaff, AZ and Washington, DC. If you're in an entry-level position, your best bet is to move to New York, NY where the average starting salary is $38,000. The highest paying states for program counselors include New York, Arizona and California. Meanwhile, Alaska, Florida, and Mississippi offer the lowest salaries.
  • State View
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Average Salary:

Program Counselor average salary by State

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1Arizona$51,823$24.911,269
2Idaho$49,979$24.03322
3Oregon$51,630$24.82825
4New York$52,954$25.462,832
5Michigan$48,964$23.541,366
6Utah$48,458$23.30537
7Nevada$49,495$23.80295
8Maine$45,927$22.08365
9Washington$51,375$24.70985
10Rhode Island$45,453$21.85255
11South Dakota$46,099$22.16158
12Missouri$49,573$23.83710
13Wyoming$44,114$21.21142
14Kansas$46,681$22.44390
15Massachusetts$44,310$21.302,408
16West Virginia$44,382$21.34222
17Nebraska$44,561$21.42370
18North Dakota$46,433$22.3283
19California$51,674$24.843,311
20Wisconsin$44,751$21.51808
21Ohio$45,218$21.741,299
22Indiana$44,112$21.21948
23District of Columbia$50,904$24.47187
24Minnesota$43,776$21.051,221
25Kentucky$44,635$21.46474
26Oklahoma$44,791$21.53387
27Montana$42,548$20.46249
28Colorado$43,699$21.011,227
29Virginia$48,391$23.26646
30Texas$44,473$21.382,852
31New Jersey$43,665$20.991,415
32Pennsylvania$42,024$20.202,089
33Illinois$41,518$19.962,213
34Connecticut$40,975$19.70786
35Delaware$41,030$19.73249
36Louisiana$41,397$19.90506
37Alabama$41,608$20.00594
38New Mexico$40,887$19.66348
39Iowa$40,375$19.41563
40New Hampshire$39,507$18.99324
41Tennessee$41,107$19.76757
42Alaska$39,304$18.90145
43Vermont$41,257$19.8472
44Arkansas$35,560$17.10473
45Maryland$42,211$20.29701
46Florida$37,894$18.222,740
47North Carolina$40,008$19.231,128
48Mississippi$36,650$17.62314
49Hawaii$39,326$18.91111
50Georgia$35,830$17.231,642
51South Carolina$34,213$16.45674

Highest Paying Cities For Program Counselors

RankCityAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1New York, NY$53,266$25.613
2San Mateo, CA$52,821$25.391
3Flagstaff, AZ$51,910$24.961
4Washington, DC$50,940$24.49
5Arlington, VA$49,740$23.91
6Farmington Hills, MI$49,053$23.58
7Salt Lake City, UT$48,449$23.29
8Fall River, MA$45,177$21.72
9Trenton, NJ$43,935$21.12
10Saint Cloud, MN$43,819$21.07
11Colorado Springs, CO$43,657$20.99
12Baltimore, MD$42,394$20.381
13Waukegan, IL$41,668$20.031
14Bridgeport, CT$41,400$19.90
15Dover, DE$40,906$19.67

Program Counselors Salary Details

Average Program Counselor Salary Graph
Average Program Counselor Salary Graph, Trends, and Summary

What is a Program Counselor's Salary?

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly Rate
90th Percentile$58,000$4,833$28
75th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24
Average$43,820$3,652$21
25th Percentile$37,000$3,083$18
10th Percentile$33,000$2,750$16

Highest Paying Types of Program Counselors

Job TitleAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
Counselor Internship$45,500$3,792$21.88132,694
Student Support Counselor$41,329$3,444$19.87134,839
Substance Abuse Counselor$43,069$3,589$20.7178,643
Rehabilitation Counselor$43,111$3,593$20.7377,220
Intensive In-Home Counselor$51,428$4,286$24.73122,300
Mental Health Counselor$49,471$4,123$23.78110,752

Which Companies Pay Program Counselors The Most?

The highest paying companies for program counselors are Russell Sage College and Legal Services according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, companies like Lake County and Columbia College report highly competitive wages for program counselors.

How Much Do Program Counselors Make In Different Industries?

Here are some examples of how much a program counselor salaries can based on different industries:

  1. The health care industry pays program counselors an average salary of $41,845

  2. The education industry pay $41,289

  3. The lowest paying industry for program counselors is the non profits industry. Program counselors in this industry earn an average salary of $36,571

Highest Paying Industries For Program Counselors

RankIndustryAverage SalaryHourly Rate
1Health Care$41,845$20.12
2Education$41,289$19.85
3Government$41,274$19.84
4Media$40,864$19.65
5Professional$38,686$18.60
6Non Profits$36,571$17.58

High Paying Program Counselor Jobs

Program Counselor Pay Trends

Average Program Counselor Salary Over Time

Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

    Program Counselor Salary By Year

    YearAvg. SalaryHourly Rate% Change
    2023$43,800$21.07+3.0%
    2022$42,500$20.43+2.4%
    2021$41,500$19.94+2.4%
    2020$40,500$19.45+1.9%
    2019$39,700$19.08+2.2%

    Recently Added Program Counselor Salaries

    CompanyJobLocationDate AddedSalary
    Lake County IlCounselor I-Zion Apartment Program//Overnights Bouns Available!Waukegan, IL11/24/2022$36,710
    Institute of Media and CommunicationWelcome Desk Program CounselorNew York, NY11/22/2022$37,566
    Institute of Media CommunicationSenior Program CounselorNew York, NY11/22/2022$41,740
    Depaul USARapid Rehousing Program CounselorPhiladelphia, PA11/16/2022$40,000
    Coast Community College DistrictCounselor, Extended Opportunities Programs & Services (Eops) (Tenure-Track)Costa Mesa, CA11/15/2022$68,149
    Geo Group Inc.Counselor, Program, CountyNewark, NJ11/13/2022$42,262
    YMCA of Greater SeattleAquatics Program CounselorIone, WA11/13/2022$19,566
    YMCA of Greater SeattleAquatics Program CounselorIone, WA11/13/2022$19,566
    Spectrum Health Systems, Inc.Counselor-Star ProgramLynn, MA11/11/2022$50,000
    Spectrum Health Systems, Inc.Counselor-Star ProgramLynn, MA11/11/2022$50,000

    Program Counselor Salaries FAQs

    What State Pays Program Counselors The Most?

    New York pays Program Counselors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $52,954 per year, or $25.46 per hour.

    How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Program Counselor?

    You know if you are being paid fairly as a Program Counselor if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Arizona you should be paid close to $51,823 per year.

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