Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Senior counselor salary
Average senior counselor salary
$127,405
Average Senior Counselor Salary
The average salary for a Senior Counselor stands at $127,405 annually. This figure reflects the growing demand for professional support in various sectors, including mental health and educational guidance. Factors influencing salary include geographic location, years of experience, and the specific field of counseling.
Salary by State
Senior Counselors earn varying salaries across the United States. For instance, states like California, New York, and Florida often report higher compensation rates due to demand and cost of living adjustments. Here’s a breakdown of average salaries by state:
- California: $135,000
- New York: $130,000
- Florida: $120,000
With increasing awareness of mental health issues, the role of Senior Counselors is more crucial than ever. Those in specialized areas such as clinical counseling can see even higher salaries. As you explore your career options, consider the potential for growth and the impact you can make in your community.
Let Zippi find your next senior counselor job
Let Zippi find your next senior counselor job
Where can a Senior Counselor earn more?
Senior counselor salary estimates from across the web
Average senior counselor salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior counselors are Alaska, West Virginia, and Washington. The lowest average senior counselor salary states are New Mexico, Kansas, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior counselors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $174,260 | $83.78 |
| 2 | Washington | $161,785 | $77.78 |
| 3 | New York | $153,047 | $73.58 |
| 4 | Vermont | $156,288 | $75.14 |
| 5 | Oregon | $154,528 | $74.29 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $132,498 | $63.70 |
| 7 | Delaware | $143,076 | $68.79 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $166,227 | $79.92 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $147,237 | $70.79 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $148,445 | $71.37 |
| 11 | California | $153,360 | $73.73 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $143,655 | $69.06 |
| 13 | Maine | $144,036 | $69.25 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $158,028 | $75.97 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $148,913 | $71.59 |
| 16 | Idaho | $133,891 | $64.37 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $129,511 | $62.26 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $139,497 | $67.07 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $125,400 | $60.29 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $132,465 | $63.69 |
| 21 | Arizona | $121,565 | $58.44 |
| 22 | Maryland | $135,075 | $64.94 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $132,321 | $63.62 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $124,816 | $60.01 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | $138,577 | $66.62 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $128,061 | $61.57 |
| 27 | Michigan | $126,442 | $60.79 |
| 28 | Montana | $114,456 | $55.03 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $125,560 | $60.37 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $119,739 | $57.57 |
| 31 | Florida | $116,506 | $56.01 |
| 32 | Illinois | $121,075 | $58.21 |
| 33 | Virginia | $129,614 | $62.31 |
| 34 | Colorado | $118,157 | $56.81 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $117,920 | $56.69 |
| 36 | Georgia | $116,061 | $55.80 |
| 37 | Indiana | $114,940 | $55.26 |
| 38 | Missouri | $119,500 | $57.45 |
| 39 | Nevada | $103,218 | $49.62 |
| 40 | Ohio | $112,477 | $54.08 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $109,179 | $52.49 |
| 42 | Iowa | $102,355 | $49.21 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $83,459 | $40.12 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $99,944 | $48.05 |
| 45 | Alabama | $106,548 | $51.23 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $60,838 | $29.25 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $102,599 | $49.33 |
| 48 | Utah | $103,079 | $49.56 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $94,552 | $45.46 |
| 50 | Texas | $88,632 | $42.61 |
| 51 | Kansas | $97,843 | $47.04 |
Highest paying cities for senior counselors
The highest-paying cities for senior counselors are Olympia, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Jackson, MS.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympia, WA | $182,000 | $87.50 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $177,959 | $85.56 |
| 3 | Jackson, MS | $170,702 | $82.07 |
| 4 | Albany, NY | $157,697 | $75.82 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $149,791 | $72.01 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $149,750 | $72.00 |
| 7 | Concord, NH | $148,249 | $71.27 |
| 8 | Dover, DE | $143,364 | $68.92 |
| 9 | Madison, WI | $140,278 | $67.44 |
| 10 | Cambridge, MA | $139,048 | $66.85 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $135,705 | $65.24 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $134,439 | $64.63 |
| 13 | Hartford, CT | $133,463 | $64.16 |
| 14 | McLean, VA | $131,341 | $63.14 |
| 15 | Saint Paul, MN | $130,022 | $62.51 |
| 16 | Omaha, NE | $129,441 | $62.23 |
| 17 | Harrisburg, PA | $129,160 | $62.10 |
| 18 | Columbia, SC | $126,543 | $60.84 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $125,002 | $60.10 |
| 20 | Chicago, IL | $122,432 | $58.86 |
Senior counselor salary details
A senior counselor's salary ranges from $81,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $200,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior counselor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $200,000 | $16,667 | $96 |
| 75th Percentile | $161,000 | $13,417 | $77 |
| Average | $127,405 | $10,617 | $61 |
| 25th Percentile | $100,000 | $8,333 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
Highest paying senior counselor jobs
The highest paying types of senior counselors are program lead, group leader, and staff counsel.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Lead | $100,727 | $8,394 | $48.43 | 61,632 |
| Activities Director | $44,982 | $3,748 | $21.63 | 6,845 |
| Recreation Leader | $30,040 | $2,503 | $14.44 | 35,684 |
| Orientation Leader | $33,848 | $2,821 | $16.27 | 32,073 |
| Activity Coordinator | $35,309 | $2,942 | $16.98 | 20,364 |
| Group Leader | $100,480 | $8,373 | $48.31 | 56,173 |
Top companies hiring senior counselors now:
Which companies pay senior counselors the most?
Senior counselor salaries at Crowell & Moring and Netflix are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior counselor salary at companies like Google and Roku are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crowell & Moring | $198,376 | $95.37 |
| 2 | Netflix | $191,108 | $91.88 |
| 3 | $188,673 | $90.71 | |
| 4 | Roku | $183,601 | $88.27 |
| 5 | Wasabi Technologies | $183,522 | $88.23 |
| 6 | Airbnb | $183,517 | $88.23 |
| 7 | Course Hero | $183,238 | $88.10 |
| 8 | Seyfarth Shaw | $182,131 | $87.56 |
| 9 | Cheniere Energy | $180,024 | $86.55 |
| 10 | The Walt Disney Company | $179,485 | $86.29 |
| 11 | TripActions | $178,240 | $85.69 |
| 12 | Databricks | $177,733 | $85.45 |
| 13 | Anaplan | $171,210 | $82.31 |
| 14 | Atlassian | $170,210 | $81.83 |
| 15 | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | $170,200 | $81.83 |
| 16 | Palo Alto Networks | $166,504 | $80.05 |
| 17 | Digits Financial | $165,487 | $79.56 |
| 18 | $164,349 | $79.01 | |
| 19 | Jackson Walker | $163,487 | $78.60 |
| 20 | Uber Technologies | $163,283 | $78.50 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior counselor salary trends
The average senior counselor salary has risen by $28,267 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior counselor earned $99,138 annually, but today, they earn $127,405 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for senior counselors over the last decade.
Compare senior counselor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior counselor salary over time
Compare senior counselor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $127,000 | $61.25 | +7.3% |
| 2024 | $118,000 | $56.75 | +4.9% |
| 2023 | $112,000 | $53.97 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $110,000 | $52.85 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $107,000 | $51.41 | +2.3% |
Recently added senior counselor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chanel | Senior Intellectual Property Counsel | New York, NY | 06/30/2025 | $134,900 |
| Pall | Senior Counsel | Porter, WA | 06/30/2025 | $185,000 |
| First American Financial | SR. Underwriting Counsel-Hybrid | Tampa, FL | 06/29/2025 | $114,625 |
| Relativity | Senior Counsel, Employment | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $189,000 |
| Relativity | Senior Counsel, Regulatory | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $189,000 |
| Nbcuniversal | Counsel/Sr. Counsel, Nbcu News Group | San Antonio, TX | 06/29/2025 | $140,000 |
| Nbcuniversal | Counsel/Sr. Counsel, Nbcu News Group | Miami, FL | 06/29/2025 | $140,000 |
| Bowman and Brooke | Associate or Senior Counsel/Warranty + Product Liability Defense | Torrance, CA | 06/29/2025 | $175,000 |
| Bill.com | Senior Marketing & Product Counsel | San Jose, CA | 06/29/2025 | $16,800 |
| Get It Recruit-Transportation | SR. Labor Relations Counsel-Remote | WFH | Decatur, GA | 06/29/2025 | $153,557 |
Senior counselor salary FAQs
Search for senior counselor jobs