The average salary for a counselor in the United States is around $47,135 per year.
Avg Salary
Counselors earn an average yearly salary of $47,135.
Wages typically start from $31,940 and go up to $69,560.
26% below national average Updated in 2019
Counselor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level counselor earnings begin at:
$33.44 per hour
$69,560 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level counselor earnings begin at:
$27.81 per hour
$57,849 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level counselor earnings begin at:
$22.66 per hour
$47,135 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level counselor earnings begin at:
$18.46 per hour
$38,406 per year
10th percentile
Starting level counselor earnings begin at:
$15.36 per hour
$31,940 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Counselor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $61,736 |
| Nevada | $54,523 |
| Colorado | $50,859 |
| Washington | $50,483 |
| Wyoming | $50,218 |
| Rhode Island | $50,013 |
| North Dakota | $49,730 |
| Minnesota | $49,437 |
| Utah | $47,396 |
| Connecticut | $47,295 |
| Arizona | $47,294 |
| Maine | $47,223 |
| Ohio | $47,186 |
| New Hampshire | $46,600 |
| District of Columbia | $46,530 |
| North Carolina | $46,427 |
| Guam | $46,420 |
| Texas | $46,246 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $46,130 |
| Delaware | $45,413 |
| Wisconsin | $45,127 |
| Hawaii | $44,692 |
| Nebraska | $44,534 |
| Vermont | $44,470 |
| Indiana | $43,999 |
| Arkansas | $43,937 |
| South Carolina | $43,631 |
| Idaho | $43,310 |
| Missouri | $42,886 |
| Iowa | $41,020 |
| New Mexico | $40,817 |
| Louisiana | $40,708 |
| Kentucky | $40,298 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,139 |
| Montana | $40,020 |
| Alabama | $39,667 |
| Kansas | $39,054 |
| Georgia | $38,800 |
| Mississippi | $38,770 |
| Illinois | $38,525 |
| Oklahoma | $38,470 |
| South Dakota | $38,272 |
| Florida | $37,562 |
| New York | $36,970 |
| California | $35,683 |
| West Virginia | $35,568 |
| Oregon | $33,000 |
| Virginia | $33,000 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,162 |
| Michigan | $30,020 |
| Massachusetts | $30,000 |
| New Jersey | $30,000 |
| Tennessee | $30,000 |
| Maryland | $27,020 |
How do counselor salaries compare to similar careers?
Counselors earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than school counselors but more than rehabilitation counselors.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| School counselor salary | $55K |
| Clergy salary | $51K |
| Marriage therapist salary | $50K |
| Substance abuse social worker salary | $47K |
| Credit counselor salary | $46K |
| Counselor salary | $47K |
| Family social worker salary | $42K |
| Rehabilitation counselor salary | $36K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)