What is the salary and career path for a school counselor?
School counselors fall under Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (SOC 21-1012), an exact BLS match. The OEWS May 2025 median is $64,330 a year ($30.93 an hour), from $45,020 at the 10th percentile up to $104,770 at the 90th. BLS projects the group up about 3.5% over 2024–2034, roughly average, with around 31,000 openings a year. Entry requires a master's degree and a state school-counseling license or certification.
- School counselors earn a national median $64,330/yr ($30.93/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 21-1012); the top 10% clear $104,770.
- Entry requires a master's degree in school counseling — CACREP accreditation preferred — plus a state school-counselor license or certification.
- BLS projects the group up about 3.5% through 2034, roughly average, with around 31,000 openings a year as mental-health demand grows.
- Pay runs on a district salary schedule from near $45,020 for new counselors to $104,770 for district student-services leaders.
Career Path
How do you become a school counselor?
New / provisional school counselor
Newly licensed counselors on early salary-schedule steps start near the $45,020 10th percentile.
School Counselor
An experienced counselor running a caseload earns around the $64,330 median.
Lead counselor / department chair
Leading a counseling department and program lifts pay toward the $82,870 75th percentile.
Director of counseling / student services
District-level counseling and student-services leadership reaches the $104,770 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays school counselors the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 21-1012. National median: $64,330. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does school counselor pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles school counselors most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: school counselors rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +3.5% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly school counselors clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 21-1012 (school counselors) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do school counselors need?
The standard entry credential; CACREP accreditation is widely preferred by states and employers. See all state licences →
Issued by each state's department of education; required to work in public schools.
Field hours in school settings that programs and states require for licensure.
NBCC's voluntary credential that can strengthen a counselor's professional profile.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do school counselors use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 21-1012
Salary Levers
How do school counselors earn above the $64,330 BLS median?
Advance up the salary schedule
Years of service move pay from the $45,020 entry band toward the $64,330 median on a district schedule.
Take a lead or department-chair role
Leading a counseling program lifts pay toward the $82,870 upper band.
Move into district student-services leadership
Directing counseling and student services across a district reaches the $104,770 top decile.
Education Investment
What does the education investment for school counselors look like?
There is no shorter route to compare against — the credential below is the legal entry gate, not one option among several. So the honest question is what the training costs and what it returns.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 21-1012. Education-cost figures are typical published ranges reported by the bodies named above, not GlobalCybers estimates; individual program costs and borrowing vary widely, so check current tuition and aid with the schools you are considering.
FAQ
School Counselor Career, Frequently Asked Questions
School Counselor career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring school counselors?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · School Counselor
Everything for school counselors in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full school counselor cluster.