Sort by any column. Employment is the number of educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor Salary by State (2026)
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn the most in California at $86,500 a year and the least in South Dakota at $51,830 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $64,330. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $86,500
- National median
- $64,330
- Lowest median
- $51,830
- States reporting
- 53
California
BLS OEWS, May 2025
South Dakota
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
- 1. California$86,500 median · $78,125 adjusted · 45,140 employed
- 2. Alaska$82,900 median · $80,989 adjusted · 540 employed
- 3. Washington$82,670 median · $77,252 adjusted · 6,610 employed
- 4. District of Columbia$80,470 median · $73,220 adjusted · 1,690 employed
- 5. Massachusetts$79,930 median · $75,579 adjusted · 11,460 employed
Lowest-paying states for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
- 53. South Dakota$51,830 median · $58,508 adjusted · 1,000 employed
- 52. Oklahoma$52,040 median · $59,242 adjusted · 4,830 employed
- 51. Puerto Rico$53,000 median · no price parity · 1,050 employed
- 50. Florida$53,140 median · $51,386 adjusted · 22,800 employed
- 49. West Virginia$55,520 median · $62,036 adjusted · 1,260 employed
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $86,500 | $63,910 | $119,790 | 45,140 | $78,125 |
| 2 | Alaska | $82,900 | $63,290 | $97,820 | 540 | $80,989 |
| 3 | Washington | $82,670 | $65,470 | $104,690 | 6,610 | $77,252 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $80,470 | $61,710 | $103,030 | 1,690 | $73,220 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $79,930 | $65,810 | $100,580 | 11,460 | $75,579 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $77,910 | $64,160 | $98,490 | 8,190 | $71,605 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $77,880 | $54,110 | $87,190 | 1,780 | $84,458 |
| 8 | Maryland | $75,820 | $61,410 | $97,940 | 6,600 | $72,238 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $75,000 | $58,710 | $90,080 | 1,340 | $73,328 |
| 10 | Delaware | $74,070 | $59,700 | $88,900 | 1,700 | $74,212 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $73,910 | $56,820 | $95,940 | 3,370 | $71,335 |
| 12 | New York | $71,610 | $57,550 | $93,540 | 23,380 | $66,354 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $71,080 | $57,090 | $82,500 | 1,650 | $68,238 |
| 14 | Texas | $67,900 | $49,770 | $82,460 | 31,730 | $69,959 |
| 15 | Virginia | $67,660 | $55,880 | $83,440 | 9,450 | $66,921 |
| 16 | Nevada | $66,710 | $56,270 | $86,640 | 2,250 | $66,724 |
| 17 | Oregon | $66,690 | $59,130 | $94,430 | 3,990 | $64,521 |
| 18 | Colorado | $64,780 | $57,640 | $78,420 | 6,530 | $62,861 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $64,600 | $57,390 | $78,100 | 4,200 | $65,503 |
| 20 | Vermont | $64,570 | $57,720 | $78,800 | 1,120 | $65,916 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $64,350 | $49,080 | $78,580 | 5,030 | $71,374 |
| 22 | Georgia | $63,720 | $49,000 | $79,140 | 11,460 | $66,173 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $63,430 | $57,730 | $74,840 | 770 | $68,432 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $62,690 | $54,010 | $77,080 | 5,330 | $66,624 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $62,500 | $48,380 | $80,180 | 2,190 | $69,365 |
| 26 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $62,470 | $48,600 | $68,240 | 90 | N/A |
| 27 | Illinois | $62,420 | $49,720 | $82,890 | 13,580 | $62,446 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $61,870 | $50,770 | $75,030 | 4,820 | $70,142 |
| 29 | Ohio | $61,760 | $48,660 | $80,120 | 13,250 | $66,570 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $61,730 | $51,600 | $88,140 | 1,620 | $56,143 |
| 31 | Utah | $61,320 | $48,660 | $80,610 | 4,070 | $62,025 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $60,880 | $51,160 | $78,460 | 13,570 | $62,395 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $60,340 | $47,970 | $75,780 | 6,460 | $64,363 |
| 34 | Idaho | $60,320 | $51,060 | $72,680 | 1,990 | $63,166 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $59,960 | $48,460 | $69,820 | 6,470 | $65,266 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $59,770 | $46,610 | $67,570 | 2,310 | $68,751 |
| 37 | Alabama | $59,570 | $45,590 | $73,450 | 4,410 | $67,066 |
| 38 | Michigan | $59,440 | $47,290 | $75,870 | 9,170 | $61,777 |
| 39 | Indiana | $59,260 | $47,700 | $71,860 | 5,610 | $63,496 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $58,960 | $49,870 | $73,860 | 840 | $66,278 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $58,710 | $46,430 | $66,220 | 2,620 | $67,519 |
| 42 | Maine | $58,630 | $49,270 | $74,330 | 1,780 | $60,412 |
| 43 | Arizona | $58,250 | $49,590 | $68,390 | 7,330 | $57,858 |
| 44 | Missouri | $58,040 | $47,620 | $65,150 | 8,890 | $63,909 |
| 45 | Montana | $57,900 | $46,630 | $79,440 | 890 | $61,176 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $57,630 | $46,820 | $63,460 | 9,430 | $61,097 |
| 47 | Kansas | $56,590 | $48,150 | $67,150 | 3,100 | $62,830 |
| 48 | Iowa | $56,540 | $48,310 | $65,820 | 3,690 | $64,424 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $55,520 | $44,700 | $62,220 | 1,260 | $62,036 |
| 50 | Florida | $53,140 | $46,800 | $66,800 | 22,800 | $51,386 |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $53,000 | $35,020 | $61,090 | 1,050 | N/A |
| 52 | Oklahoma | $52,040 | $45,980 | $64,430 | 4,830 | $59,242 |
| 53 | South Dakota | $51,830 | $46,550 | $60,080 | 1,000 | $58,508 |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $86,500, while New Mexico leads once prices are taken into account at $84,458.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors at $86,500 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($82,900) and Washington ($82,670).
Which state pays Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors the least?
South Dakota reports the lowest median for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors at $51,830 a year, $34,670 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts New Mexico first at $84,458 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $77,880. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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