Wages for guidance counselors vary by region of the country, school and district size, and age of the students. Larger districts typically offer higher salaries, and counselors working with high school students tend to earn more than counselors for younger grades. School and career counselors and advisors who worked in elementary and secondary schools (local) earned median annual salaries of $73,520 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Salaries for all educational counselors ranged from less than $40,140 to $100,050 or more.
Because guidance counselors work on an academic calendar, they typically get a good amount of vacation time, especially in the summer. Some counselors use this time to take additional university courses. Counselors receive the benefits and pension plans provided by the school or district that employs them.
- Adapted Physical Education Specialists
- Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
- Art Teachers
- Athletic Directors
- Biophysicists
- Book Editors
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- Child Care Service Owners
- Child Care Workers
- Child Life Specialists
- Children's Librarians
- College Administrators
- College Professors
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Computer Trainers
- Cooking Instructors
- Curriculum Coordinators
- Dance School Owners and Managers
- Distance Learning Coordinators
- Driving School Owners and Instructors
- Education Directors and Museum Teachers
- Edupreneurs
- Elementary School Teachers
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Flight Instructors
- Health Educators
- Instructional Coordinators
- Instructional Designers
- Journalism Teachers
- Learning Innovations Designers
- Library and Information Science Instructors
- Mathematics Teachers
- Music Teachers
- Nannies
- Neonatal Nurses
- Nursing Instructors
- Pediatric Dentists
- Pediatricians
- Physical Education Teachers
- Preschool Teachers
- School Administrators
- School Nurses
- Secondary School Teachers
- Special Education Teachers
- Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
- Teacher Aides
- Tutors and Trainers