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High school counselor salary
Average high school counselor salary
$48,361
Understanding High School Counselor Salaries
High school counselors play a vital role in student development, guiding them through academic and personal challenges. As of October 2025, the average salary for a high school counselor is $48,361 per year. However, this figure can vary significantly based on several factors, including experience level, educational background, and geographic location.
Salary Variations by Experience
Entry-level counselors typically start at lower salaries, while those with more experience and advanced degrees may earn significantly more. For instance, counselors with over ten years of experience can make upwards of $60,000 annually.
Influence of Location
Geographic location also plays a crucial role in salary discrepancies. States such as California and New York often report higher average salaries for counselors compared to national figures. It's essential for prospective counselors to consider these factors when exploring job opportunities.
Job Outlook
With a growing emphasis on mental health and college readiness in schools, the demand for high school counselors is expected to increase. This trend presents numerous opportunities for new graduates entering the field.
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Where can a High School Counselor earn more?
High school counselor salaries by experience level
High school counselor salary estimates from across the web
Average high school counselor salary by state
The average high school counselor salary in California, Connecticut, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average high school counselor salary states are Florida, Maine, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for high school counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $52,698 | $25.34 |
| 2 | Nevada | $50,673 | $24.36 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $58,801 | $28.27 |
| 4 | California | $59,643 | $28.67 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $49,065 | $23.59 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $49,325 | $23.71 |
| 7 | Washington | $52,069 | $25.03 |
| 8 | Oregon | $48,657 | $23.39 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $47,595 | $22.88 |
| 10 | Kansas | $47,797 | $22.98 |
| 11 | Delaware | $47,380 | $22.78 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $49,969 | $24.02 |
| 13 | Maryland | $49,830 | $23.96 |
| 14 | Arizona | $44,146 | $21.22 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $48,146 | $23.15 |
| 16 | Virginia | $49,195 | $23.65 |
| 17 | Vermont | $45,224 | $21.74 |
| 18 | Texas | $44,788 | $21.53 |
| 19 | Illinois | $42,776 | $20.57 |
| 20 | Indiana | $43,528 | $20.93 |
| 21 | Alaska | $42,968 | $20.66 |
| 22 | New York | $43,147 | $20.74 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $44,552 | $21.42 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $43,325 | $20.83 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $42,253 | $20.31 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $42,462 | $20.41 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $40,687 | $19.56 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $43,735 | $21.03 |
| 29 | Iowa | $42,161 | $20.27 |
| 30 | Utah | $42,481 | $20.42 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $40,216 | $19.33 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $40,902 | $19.66 |
| 33 | Ohio | $40,057 | $19.26 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $39,426 | $18.95 |
| 35 | Montana | $36,669 | $17.63 |
| 36 | Missouri | $38,634 | $18.57 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $40,076 | $19.27 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $40,931 | $19.68 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $44,307 | $21.30 |
| 40 | Colorado | $38,988 | $18.74 |
| 41 | Idaho | $37,193 | $17.88 |
| 42 | Georgia | $38,431 | $18.48 |
| 43 | Maine | $35,724 | $17.18 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $38,750 | $18.63 |
| 45 | Michigan | $34,297 | $16.49 |
| 46 | Florida | $35,773 | $17.20 |
| 47 | Alabama | $36,882 | $17.73 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $35,079 | $16.86 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $34,052 | $16.37 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $35,888 | $17.25 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $30,328 | $14.58 |
Highest paying cities for high school counselors
The highest-paying cities for high school counselors are Santa Rosa, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Albuquerque, NM.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $61,780 | $29.70 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $49,673 | $23.88 |
| 3 | Albuquerque, NM | $47,606 | $22.89 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $44,869 | $21.57 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $43,321 | $20.83 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $42,872 | $20.61 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $39,140 | $18.82 |
| 8 | Clearwater, FL | $36,820 | $17.70 |
| 9 | South Portland, ME | $36,057 | $17.34 |
| 10 | Detroit, MI | $34,451 | $16.56 |
| 11 | Oklahoma City, OK | $34,266 | $16.47 |
High school counselor salary details
A high school counselor's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a high school counselor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $48,361 | $4,030 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying high school counselor jobs
The highest paying types of high school counselors are lead counselor, school social worker, and high school teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions Representative | $38,193 | $3,183 | $18.36 | 16,883 |
| Job Coach | $37,372 | $3,114 | $17.97 | 49,874 |
| Counselor Internship | $45,500 | $3,792 | $21.88 | 132,694 |
| Employment Counselor | $43,848 | $3,654 | $21.08 | 29,459 |
| School Social Worker | $54,856 | $4,571 | $26.37 | 122,376 |
| Career Counselor | $44,870 | $3,739 | $21.57 | 42,035 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for high school counselors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Barbara Faye Streets Ph.D., L.P., CAC/BP
Board Certified Diplomate/Fellow, in African Centered/ Black Psychology, Associate Professor,, SUNY Oswego
Top companies hiring high school counselors now:
Which companies pay high school counselors the most?
High school counselor salaries at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and Anoka-Ramsey Community College are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average high school counselor salary at companies like Hillsboro School District and Santa Rosa City Schools are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy | $75,714 | $36.40 |
| 2 | Anoka-Ramsey Community College | $61,003 | $29.33 |
| 3 | Hillsboro School District | $60,624 | $29.15 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa City Schools | $60,364 | $29.02 |
| 5 | Salinas Union High School District | $58,766 | $28.25 |
| 6 | Campbell Union High School District | $58,727 | $28.23 |
| 7 | Sweetwater Union High School District | $57,757 | $27.77 |
| 8 | Wonderful College Prep Academy | $56,784 | $27.30 |
| 9 | Elizabeth Forward School District | $56,723 | $27.27 |
| 10 | Weld RE-4 School District | $56,696 | $27.26 |
| 11 | Bright Star Schools | $56,080 | $26.96 |
| 12 | Catapult Learning | $55,549 | $26.71 |
| 13 | Tamalpais Union High School District | $55,282 | $26.58 |
| 14 | Fremont Public Schools | $54,957 | $26.42 |
| 15 | KIPP SoCal Public Schools | $54,929 | $26.41 |
| 16 | Topeka Public Schools | $54,168 | $26.04 |
| 17 | KIPP Austin Public Schools | $54,144 | $26.03 |
| 18 | Chaminade High School | $53,942 | $25.93 |
| 19 | Connections Academy | $53,739 | $25.84 |
| 20 | Arroyo Seco Junior High | $53,734 | $25.83 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
High School Counselor salary by industry
The average high school counselor salary varies across industries:
- The average high school counselor salary in the professional industry is $64,330, the highest of any industry.
- The average high school counselor salary in the finance industry is $50,890.
- High school counselors in the government industry earn an average salary of $42,812, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for high school counselors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $64,330 | $30.93 |
| 2 | Education | $50,890 | $24.47 |
| 3 | Health Care | $46,748 | $22.48 |
| 4 | Government | $42,812 | $20.58 |
High paying high school counselor jobs
High school counselor salary trends
The average high school counselor salary has risen by $3,320 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average high school counselor earned $45,041 annually, but today, they earn $48,361 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for high school counselors over the last decade.
Compare high school counselor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average high school counselor salary over time
Compare high school counselor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
High school counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,400 | $23.25 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $47,500 | $22.82 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $46,900 | $22.53 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $46,100 | $22.17 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $45,400 | $21.83 | +1.6% |
Recently added high school counselor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snoqualmie Valley School District | Certificated Specialist; High School Counselor | Snoqualmie, WA | 06/30/2025 | $67,032 |
| Coney Island Prep | Postsecondary Success Counselor-High School | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $80,000 |
| Cheney School District | Counselor, High School-Continuing | Cheney, WA | 06/27/2025 | $56,431 |
| Enviro-Clean Services | Cleaning-Westfield Preparatory High School (Janitorial) | Redford, MI | 06/26/2025 | $33,392 |
| Oregon Public Schools | High School Counselor-HS Counselor, (.5 FTE), Temp | Milwaukie, OR | 06/26/2025 | $58,788 |
| Fort Scott Unified School District 234 | High School Counselor | Lane, KS | 06/26/2025 | $47,319 |
| Crook County Sd | School Counselor-High School | Ione, OR | 06/26/2025 | $45,802 |
| Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Tx | Counselor School Year, Jersey Village High School | Jersey Village, TX | 06/25/2025 | $64,645 |
| Edgewood ISD (Tx | Counselor-High School | San Antonio, TX | 06/25/2025 | $63,630 |
| Edgewood ISD | Counselor-High School | Nome, TX | 06/25/2025 | $63,630 |
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