What are the main factors that influence a Counsellor's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Counsellor's salary?

A Counsellor's salary grows with experience: a Counsellor (0-0 years)earns $62,928, a Psychologist - M.A. (7+ years)earns $93,001, a Psychologist - Ph.D. (7-10 years)earns $127,248, a Psychological Services Director (10+ years)earns $123,380,

What are the highest paying states for a Counsellor?

Counsellor salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Counsellor roles are District of Columbia $68,433, California $68,174, Massachusetts $67,265. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Counsellor roles make?

Salaries for Counsellor level roles vary by specialization: Genetic Counsellor: $97,429; Mental Health Counsellor: $68,492; Telephone Counsellor: $63,643; Addiction Counsellor: $56,958; Investment Counsellor: $52,800.

How do different companies affect a Counsellor's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Counsellor roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Counsellor Salary in the United States

How much does a Counsellor make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Counsellor in the United States is $61,807 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, a Counsellor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,907
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $56,430 to $68,664
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $51,535

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Counsellor Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,664	$5,722	$1,320	$33
Average	$61,807	$5,151	$1,189	$30
25th Percentile	$56,430	$4,703	$1,085	$27

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Key Factors That Influence Counsellor Salaries

A Counsellor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Counsellor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Counsellors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $68,433.
California: $68,174.
Massachusetts: $67,265.

District of Columbia $68,433 California $68,174 Massachusetts $67,265 Washington $67,018 New Jersey $66,993 Alaska $66,907 Connecticut $66,054 New York $65,707

Hawaii $64,601 Rhode Island $64,082 Maryland $63,730 Minnesota $63,248 Colorado $63,062 Illinois $63,000 Oregon $62,765 Delaware $62,592

New Hampshire $62,484 Virginia $62,240 Pennsylvania $61,529 Nevada $61,171 North Dakota $61,053 Michigan $60,868 Wisconsin $60,800 Vermont $60,664

Texas $60,287 Maine $60,262 Arizona $60,225 Ohio $60,182 Georgia $59,613 Indiana $59,329 Wyoming $59,273 Utah $59,187

Iowa $59,150 Kansas $58,853 Louisiana $58,766 North Carolina $58,736 Missouri $58,723 Florida $58,482 Montana $58,352 Nebraska $58,229

Kentucky $58,161 South Carolina $57,914 Tennessee $57,759 Idaho $57,697 New Mexico $57,246 Oklahoma $57,147 Alabama $56,782 South Dakota $56,171

Arkansas $55,837 West Virginia $55,658 Mississippi $55,120

Top Paying Cities for Counsellors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $77,958
San Francisco: $77,104
Oakland: $75,479

San Jose, CA $77,958

San Francisco, CA $77,104

Oakland, CA $75,479

New York, NY $71,164

Paramus, NJ $70,299

Queens Village, NY $70,296

Passaic, NJ $70,237

Bergenfield, NJ $70,232

Stamford, CT $70,096

Huntington, NY $70,070

Newark, NJ $69,614

Bridgeport, CT $69,483

Vallejo, CA $69,360

New Brunswick, NJ $69,336

Petaluma, CA $69,298

Middlesex, NJ $69,181

Somerset, NJ $69,138

Santa Cruz, CA $69,057

Boston, MA $68,680

Monterey, CA $68,463

Seattle, WA $68,322

Santa Rosa, CA $68,310

Los Angeles, CA $68,291

Juneau, AK $68,130

Washington, DC $68,062

Orange, CA $67,842

Santa Ana, CA $67,679

Long Beach, CA $67,617

Anaheim, CA $67,605

Anchorage, AK $67,574

Santa Maria, CA $67,389

Everett, WA $67,376

Danbury, CT $67,159

Bremerton, WA $67,073

Tacoma, WA $66,851

New Suffolk, NY $66,850

Sacramento, CA $66,832

Santa Barbara, CA $66,764

Trenton, NJ $66,696

San Diego, CA $66,696

Brockton, MA $66,628

Fairbanks, AK $66,477

Lompoc, CA $66,319

Lowell, MA $66,269

Ventura, CA $66,258

Nashua, NH $66,245

Stockton, CA $66,239

Modesto, CA $65,788

Poughkeepsie, NY $65,652

Olympia, WA $65,534

Kennewick, WA $65,534

New Haven, CT $65,510

Lawrence, MA $65,287

Hartford, CT $65,225

Riverside, CA $65,213

New Bedford, MA $65,151

Richland, WA $65,151

Bakersfield, CA $65,065

San Bernardino, CA $65,040

New Britain, CT $65,034

Atlantic City, NJ $65,034

New London, CT $65,009

Norwich, CT $64,990

Portsmouth, NH $64,978

Boulder, CO $64,847

Portland, OR $64,762

Worcester, MA $64,756

Minneapolis, MN $64,564

Philadelphia, PA $64,477

Honolulu, HI $64,274

Saint Paul, MN $64,244

Vineland, NJ $64,230

Providence, RI $64,051

Chicago, IL $63,872

Bellingham, WA $63,798

Springfield, MA $63,748

Baltimore, MD $63,730

Chico, CA $63,575

Pittsfield, MA $63,408

Manchester, NH $63,291

Spokane, WA $63,019

Denver, CO $63,013

Albany, NY $62,722

Troy, NY $62,697

Nassau, NY $62,631

Schenectady, NY $62,568

Wilmington, DE $62,518

Burlington, VT $62,432

Salem, OR $62,407

Portland, ME $62,215

Yakima, WA $62,154

Rochester, MN $61,962

Reno, NV $61,931

Fresno, CA $61,931

Milwaukee, WI $61,875

Detroit, MI $61,814

Ann Arbor, MI $61,803

Allentown, PA $61,795

Colorado Springs, CO $61,690

Syracuse, NY $61,659

Carson City, NV $61,659

Houston, TX $61,573

Eugene, OR $61,542

Gary, IN $61,467

Springfield, OR $61,418

Bismarck, ND $61,406

Galveston, TX $61,362

Medford, OR $61,270

Fort Collins, CO $61,245

Concord, NH $61,214

Austin, TX $61,196

Mesa, AZ $61,066

Reading, PA $61,060

Phoenix, AZ $61,053

Dallas, TX $61,035

Saint Cloud, MN $60,975

Madison, WI $60,893

Utica, NY $60,726

Rochester, NY $60,627

Des Moines, IA $60,621

Raleigh, NC $60,615

Atlanta, GA $60,522

Battle Creek, MI $60,503

Salt Lake City, UT $60,485

Lancaster, PA $60,392

Harrisburg, PA $60,305

Kansas City, MO $60,244

Champaign, IL $60,231

Kansas City, KS $60,231

Fort Worth, TX $60,225

Columbus, OH $60,215

Boca Raton, FL $60,200

Pittsburgh, PA $60,176

Richmond, VA $60,151

Indianapolis, IN $60,139

Cleveland, OH $60,132

Las Vegas, NV $60,058

Cincinnati, OH $60,058

Petersburg, VA $59,966

Huntsville, AL $59,873

Lansing, MI $59,831

Lebanon, PA $59,823

Pueblo, CO $59,817

Appleton, WI $59,799

Buffalo, NY $59,774

Dayton, OH $59,755

Racine, WI $59,743

Charlotte, NC $59,737

Saint Louis, MO $59,718

York, PA $59,681

Elkhart, IN $59,681

Gastonia, NC $59,669

Billings, MT $59,655

Beaumont, TX $59,638

Lorain, OH $59,626

Benton Harbor, MI $59,613

Toledo, OH $59,601

Binghamton, NY $59,570

Rock Hill, SC $59,564

Rockford, IL $59,533

Springfield, IL $59,508

Elyria, OH $59,502

Fargo, ND $59,502

Flagstaff, AZ $59,459

Fort Lauderdale, FL $59,422

Duluth, MN $59,385

Miami, FL $59,385

Cheyenne, WY $59,341

Grand Forks, ND $59,341

Bangor, ME $59,205

Cedar Rapids, IA $59,137

Durham, NC $59,111

Louisville, KY $59,106

Grand Rapids, MI $59,094

Hialeah, FL $59,088

Casper, WY $59,001

Scranton, PA $58,927

New Orleans, LA $58,909

Virginia Beach, VA $58,902

Akron, OH $58,872

Peoria, IL $58,791

Sarasota, FL $58,779

Nashville, TN $58,736

Omaha, NE $58,736

Green Bay, WI $58,736

Baton Rouge, LA $58,705

Charleston, SC $58,692

Jamestown, NY $58,661

Davenport, IA $58,661

Tucson, AZ $58,630

Saint Petersburg, FL $58,593

Tampa, FL $58,581

Evansville, IN $58,544

Port Arthur, TX $58,544

Bradenton, FL $58,519

Santa Fe, NM $58,408

Orlando, FL $58,297

Clearwater, FL $58,278

Canton, OH $58,148

La Crosse, WI $58,148

Albuquerque, NM $58,111

Newport News, VA $58,105

High Point, NC $58,087

Ogden, UT $58,062

Corpus Christi, TX $58,012

Norfolk, VA $57,975

Laramie, WY $57,975

Rock Island, IL $57,938

Saginaw, MI $57,926

Jacksonville, FL $57,920

Salisbury, NC $57,907

Boise, ID $57,895

Moline, IL $57,864

Fort Myers, FL $57,846

Memphis, TN $57,833

Tulsa, OK $57,802

Waterloo, IA $57,765

Spartanburg, SC $57,703

Lincoln, NE $57,672

Fort Wayne, IN $57,660

Provo, UT $57,654

Cedar Falls, IA $57,580

San Antonio, TX $57,555

Greensboro, NC $57,530

South Bend, IN $57,524

Savannah, GA $57,456

Muskegon, MI $57,431

Birmingham, AL $57,425

Winston Salem, NC $57,395

Lake Charles, LA $57,246

Anderson, IN $57,234

Lexington, KY $57,215

Augusta, GA $57,197

Greenville, SC $57,197

Lima, OH $57,147

Wichita, KS $57,141

Tuscaloosa, AL $57,141

Columbia, SC $57,085

Springfield, OH $57,073

Asheville, NC $56,974

Bloomington, IN $56,931

Knoxville, TN $56,708

Shreveport, LA $56,702

Wilmington, NC $56,622

Roanoke, VA $56,622

Topeka, KS $56,511

Frankfort, KY $56,504

Oklahoma City, OK $56,461

Chillicothe, OH $56,436

Longview, TX $56,430

Melbourne, FL $56,424

Sioux Falls, SD $56,325

Mobile, AL $56,319

Terre Haute, IN $56,294

Altoona, PA $56,257

Amarillo, TX $56,214

Killeen, TX $56,195

Fayetteville, AR $56,146

Chattanooga, TN $56,127

Sioux City, IA $56,072

Idaho Falls, ID $56,059

Lynchburg, VA $56,010

Gainesville, FL $55,930

Portsmouth, OH $55,899

Little Rock, AR $55,886

Lafayette, LA $55,862

Youngstown, OH $55,862

Daytona Beach, FL $55,824

Clarksville, TN $55,818

Pensacola, FL $55,812

Temple, TX $55,808

Hopkinsville, KY $55,627

Erie, PA $55,614

Florence, SC $55,590

Charleston, WV $55,491

Great Falls, MT $55,460

Macon, GA $55,373

Tallahassee, FL $55,367

Fayetteville, NC $55,355

Waco, TX $55,342

Helena, MT $55,299

Pine Bluff, AR $55,276

Vincennes, IN $55,200

Lubbock, TX $55,175

Alamogordo, NM $55,138

Twin Falls, ID $55,083

Rapid City, SD $55,064

Jackson, MS $54,953

Huntington, WV $54,949

Greenville, MS $54,947

Parkersburg, WV $54,884

Montgomery, AL $54,873

Wichita Falls, TX $54,811

Springfield, MO $54,811

Biloxi, MS $54,780

Monroe, LA $54,718

Johnstown, PA $54,675

Sumter, SC $54,650

Columbus, GA $54,644

Pascagoula, MS $54,526

Abilene, TX $54,526

Kingsport, TN $54,366

Albany, GA $54,366

Gulfport, MS $54,347

Alexandria, LA $54,143

Fort Smith, AR $53,989

El Paso, TX $53,822

Las Cruces, NM $53,544

Harlingen, TX $53,387

Pocatello, ID $53,377

Florence, AL $53,297

Brownsville, TX $53,284

Mcallen, TX $53,154

Dothan, AL $53,068

Columbus, MS $52,701

Altus, OK $52,413

Lawton, OK $52,295

Pierre, SD $52,073

What Skills Can Increase a Counsellor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 6.26% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Support Services (Mentioned in 3.48% Job Postings): Support Services means those activities provided to or on behalf of a person in the areas of personal care and assistance and property maintenance in order to allow a person to live in the least restrictive environment.
CPR (Mentioned in 2.37% Job Postings): Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) and chest compressions to temporarily pump enough blood to the brain until specialized treatment is available.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	6.26%
Support Services	3.48%
CPR	2.37%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Counsellor's salary.

Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Flexibility	$65,516	6%
Leadership	$64,898	5%
Scheduling	$64,898	5%
Healthcare Services	$64,898	5%
Psychiatric	$64,280	4%
Self-Directed	$63,662	3%

Get Latest Data

Counsellor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Counsellor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$56,430

Average $61,807/year

$68,664

$4,703

Average $5,151/month

$5,722

$1,085

Average $1,189/week

$1,320

$27

Average $30/hour

$33

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,664	$5,722	$1,320	$33
Average	$61,807	$5,151	$1,189	$30
25th Percentile	$56,430	$4,703	$1,085	$27

Salaries of jobs related to Counsellor

Salary Trends for Counsellor

Salaries for a Counsellor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $83,719 in 2023 to around $82,517 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Counsellor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Counsellor Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$83,719

2024

$83,392

2025

$82,517

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$83,719
2024	$83,392
2025	$82,517
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Counsellor

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

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Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

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