School Counselor salary in California
BLS reports this occupation as "Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors" (21-1012); every figure on this page is for that BLS occupation.
The median annual wage for school counselors in California is $86,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimates — above the national median of $64,330. California ranks 1 of 50 states and DC with published data for this occupation.
Median
$86,500
25th percentile
$63,910
75th percentile
$119,790
90th percentile
$136,660
Employment and national comparison
| Employment in California | 45,140 |
|---|---|
| Mean annual wage in California | $93,610 |
| National median | $64,330 |
| National employment | 353,310 |
Metro areas in California
- San Francisco, CA: median $94,600
- Los Angeles, CA: median $79,000
- San Diego, CA: median $83,520
States with similar pay for school counselors
- Alaska: median $82,900
- Washington: median $82,670
- District of Columbia: median $80,470
- Massachusetts: median $79,930
- New Jersey: median $77,910
- New Mexico: median $77,880
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates; state, metropolitan area and national files from https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. State estimates are for BLS occupation "Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors" (21-1012), cross-industry, all ownerships. Retrieved 2026-10-02. Where BLS does not publish a numeric estimate (suppressed, or reported only as at or above $239,200) the value is shown as —.