What are the main factors that influence a Financial Aid Counselor's salary?

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

How does experience change a Financial Aid Counselor's salary?

A Financial Aid Counselor's salary grows with experience: starting around $46,494 for beginners, reaching about $48,439 at mid-level, and approach $50,204 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Financial Aid Counselor?

Financial Aid Counselor salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Financial Aid Counselor roles are District of Columbia $53,632, California $53,429, Massachusetts $52,717. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Financial Aid Counselor roles make?

Salaries for Financial Aid Counselor level roles vary by specialization: Financial Aid Manager: $65,425; Financial Aid Specialist: $53,356; Admissions and Financial Aid Counselor: $50,343; Financial Aid Administrator: $49,549; College Financial Aid Counselor: $48,600.

How do different companies affect a Financial Aid Counselor's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Financial Aid Counselor roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Financial Aid Counselor Salary in the United States

How much does a Financial Aid Counselor make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Financial Aid Counselor in the United States is $48,439 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $23.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $56,081
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $43,566 to $52,439
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $39,128

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Financial Aid Counselor Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$52,439	$4,370	$1,008	$25
Average	$48,439	$4,037	$932	$23
25th Percentile	$43,566	$3,630	$838	$21

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Key Factors That Influence Financial Aid Counselor Salaries

A Financial Aid Counselor'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Financial Aid Counselor Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Financial Aid Counselor's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $46,494
Early Career (1-2 years): $46,644
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $48,439
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $50,086
Expert (over 8 years): $50,204

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Financial Aid Counselor	$46,494
Intermediate Level Financial Aid Counselor	$46,644
Senior Level Financial Aid Counselor	$48,439
Specialist Level Financial Aid Counselor	$50,086
Expert Level Financial Aid Counselor	$50,204

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Financial Aid Counselor 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 Financial Aid Counselors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $53,632.
California: $53,429.
Massachusetts: $52,717.

District of Columbia $53,632 California $53,429 Massachusetts $52,717 Washington $52,523 New Jersey $52,503 Alaska $52,436 Connecticut $51,767 New York $51,496

Hawaii $50,629 Rhode Island $50,222 Maryland $49,946 Minnesota $49,568 Colorado $49,423 Illinois $49,374 Oregon $49,190 Delaware $49,055

New Hampshire $48,969 Virginia $48,778 Pennsylvania $48,221 Nevada $47,940 North Dakota $47,848 Michigan $47,703 Wisconsin $47,650 Vermont $47,543

Texas $47,248 Maine $47,228 Arizona $47,199 Ohio $47,165 Georgia $46,720 Indiana $46,497 Wyoming $46,453 Utah $46,386

Iowa $46,357 Kansas $46,124 Louisiana $46,056 North Carolina $46,032 Missouri $46,022 Florida $45,833 Montana $45,732 Nebraska $45,635

Kentucky $45,581 South Carolina $45,388 Tennessee $45,267 Idaho $45,218 New Mexico $44,865 Oklahoma $44,787 Alabama $44,501 South Dakota $44,022

Arkansas $43,760 West Virginia $43,620 Mississippi $43,198

Top Paying Cities for Financial Aid Counselors

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: $61,097
San Francisco: $60,496
Oakland: $59,154

San Jose, CA $61,097

San Francisco, CA $60,496

Oakland, CA $59,154

New York, NY $56,136

Queens Village, NY $55,773

Paramus, NJ $55,386

Passaic, NJ $55,337

Bergenfield, NJ $55,289

Stamford, CT $55,216

Huntington, NY $55,168

Newark, NJ $54,853

Bridgeport, CT $54,756

New Brunswick, NJ $54,596

Vallejo, CA $54,494

Middlesex, NJ $54,465

Somerset, NJ $54,422

Petaluma, CA $54,310

Santa Cruz, CA $54,121

Boston, MA $54,024

Monterey, CA $53,782

Fairbanks, AK $53,748

Los Angeles, CA $53,656

Washington, DC $53,632

Seattle, WA $53,545

Santa Rosa, CA $53,535

Juneau, AK $53,395

Orange, CA $53,235

Anchorage, AK $53,148

Anaheim, CA $53,114

Santa Ana, CA $53,041

Nassau, NY $53,012

Long Beach, CA $52,993

Danbury, CT $52,978

Santa Maria, CA $52,813

Everett, WA $52,804

Bremerton, WA $52,566

Trenton, NJ $52,474

Sacramento, CA $52,455

San Diego, CA $52,431

Brockton, MA $52,411

Tacoma, WA $52,392

Santa Barbara, CA $52,324

Lowell, MA $52,130

New Suffolk, NY $52,111

Nashua, NH $52,053

Lompoc, CA $51,975

Ventura, CA $51,927

Stockton, CA $51,913

New Haven, CT $51,816

Atlantic City, NJ $51,690

Hartford, CT $51,583

Modesto, CA $51,559

Poughkeepsie, NY $51,452

New Britain, CT $51,428

Olympia, WA $51,360

Kennewick, WA $51,360

New London, CT $51,351

Norwich, CT $51,336

Lawrence, MA $51,312

Bakersfield, CA $51,176

Riverside, CA $51,108

New Bedford, MA $51,108

Richland, WA $51,060

Portsmouth, NH $51,021

Vineland, NJ $51,012

San Bernardino, CA $50,973

Boulder, CO $50,837

Worcester, MA $50,798

Portland, OR $50,755

Saint Paul, MN $50,697

Minneapolis, MN $50,697

Philadelphia, PA $50,629

Honolulu, HI $50,372

Springfield, MA $50,203

Providence, RI $50,198

Chicago, IL $50,057

Bellingham, WA $49,999

Baltimore, MD $49,946

Chico, CA $49,825

Wilmington, DE $49,742

Pittsfield, MA $49,694

Manchester, NH $49,602

Spokane, WA $49,389

Denver, CO $49,384

Albany, NY $49,156

Troy, NY $49,137

Schenectady, NY $49,035

Burlington, VT $48,929

Portland, ME $48,759

Salem, OR $48,720

Yakima, WA $48,711

Ann Arbor, MI $48,696

Rochester, MN $48,560

Fresno, CA $48,536

Reno, NV $48,536

Milwaukee, WI $48,493

Detroit, MI $48,444

Allentown, PA $48,430

Carson City, NV $48,425

Houston, TX $48,352

Colorado Springs, CO $48,347

Syracuse, NY $48,323

Eugene, OR $48,231

Bismarck, ND $48,173

Gary, IN $48,173

Galveston, TX $48,173

Springfield, OR $48,134

Medford, OR $48,018

Fort Collins, CO $47,999

Austin, TX $47,960

Mesa, AZ $47,858

Phoenix, AZ $47,848

Dallas, TX $47,834

Reading, PA $47,805

Saint Cloud, MN $47,785

Concord, NH $47,742

Madison, WI $47,722

Utica, NY $47,592

Raleigh, NC $47,553

Las Vegas, NV $47,548

Rochester, NY $47,514

Des Moines, IA $47,509

Atlanta, GA $47,432

Battle Creek, MI $47,417

Salt Lake City, UT $47,403

Lancaster, PA $47,330

Champaign, IL $47,320

Harrisburg, PA $47,262

Durham, NC $47,219

Kansas City, MO $47,214

Kansas City, KS $47,204

Fort Worth, TX $47,199

Boca Raton, FL $47,180

Cleveland, OH $47,175

Columbus, OH $47,165

Pittsburgh, PA $47,161

Richmond, VA $47,141

Indianapolis, IN $47,132

Cincinnati, OH $47,069

Petersburg, VA $46,996

Billings, MT $46,889

Lansing, MI $46,889

Huntsville, AL $46,889

Lebanon, PA $46,884

Dayton, OH $46,880

Pueblo, CO $46,880

Appleton, WI $46,865

Buffalo, NY $46,846

Racine, WI $46,822

Charlotte, NC $46,817

Saint Louis, MO $46,802

Springfield, IL $46,783

Elkhart, IN $46,773

York, PA $46,773

Gastonia, NC $46,768

Benton Harbor, MI $46,768

Beaumont, TX $46,739

Lorain, OH $46,729

Toledo, OH $46,710

Binghamton, NY $46,686

Rock Hill, SC $46,681

Rockford, IL $46,657

Fargo, ND $46,633

Elyria, OH $46,633

Flagstaff, AZ $46,599

Fort Lauderdale, FL $46,570

Miami, FL $46,541

Duluth, MN $46,463

Bangor, ME $46,400

Cedar Rapids, IA $46,347

Louisville, KY $46,323

Grand Rapids, MI $46,313

Hialeah, FL $46,308

Casper, WY $46,240

Scranton, PA $46,182

New Orleans, LA $46,168

Virginia Beach, VA $46,163

Akron, OH $46,139

Peoria, IL $46,076

Sarasota, FL $46,066

Green Bay, WI $46,032

Baton Rouge, LA $46,008

Charleston, SC $45,998

Nashville, TN $45,984

Jamestown, NY $45,974

Davenport, IA $45,974

Tucson, AZ $45,950

Cheyenne, WY $45,935

Saint Petersburg, FL $45,921

Tampa, FL $45,911

Omaha, NE $45,901

Port Arthur, TX $45,882

Evansville, IN $45,882

Bradenton, FL $45,862

Santa Fe, NM $45,775

Orlando, FL $45,727

Clearwater, FL $45,674

Canton, OH $45,572

La Crosse, WI $45,572

Grand Forks, ND $45,557

Albuquerque, NM $45,543

Tulsa, OK $45,543

Newport News, VA $45,538

High Point, NC $45,523

Ogden, UT $45,504

Corpus Christi, TX $45,465

Laramie, WY $45,436

Norfolk, VA $45,436

Rock Island, IL $45,407

Saginaw, MI $45,397

Jacksonville, FL $45,393

Salisbury, NC $45,383

Memphis, TN $45,373

Moline, IL $45,349

Fort Myers, FL $45,334

Waterloo, IA $45,271

Spartanburg, SC $45,223

Lincoln, NE $45,199

Fort Wayne, IN $45,189

Birmingham, AL $45,136

Cedar Falls, IA $45,126

Provo, UT $45,121

Springfield, OH $45,116

San Antonio, TX $45,107

Greensboro, NC $45,087

South Bend, IN $45,083

Winston Salem, NC $45,078

Boise, ID $45,063

Savannah, GA $45,029

Muskegon, MI $44,942

Lima, OH $44,884

Lake Charles, LA $44,865

Anderson, IN $44,855

Lexington, KY $44,840

Augusta, GA $44,826

Greenville, SC $44,826

Wichita, KS $44,782

Tuscaloosa, AL $44,782

Columbia, SC $44,739

Bloomington, IN $44,618

Roanoke, VA $44,588

Asheville, NC $44,525

Knoxville, TN $44,443

Shreveport, LA $44,438

Wilmington, NC $44,375

Frankfort, KY $44,283

Oklahoma City, OK $44,249

Chillicothe, OH $44,230

Longview, TX $44,225

Topeka, KS $44,211

Mobile, AL $44,138

Terre Haute, IN $44,119

Erie, PA $44,114

Altoona, PA $44,090

Melbourne, FL $44,075

Amarillo, TX $44,056

Killeen, TX $44,041

Fayetteville, AR $44,002

Sioux Falls, SD $43,968

Chattanooga, TN $43,939

Idaho Falls, ID $43,935

Gainesville, FL $43,833

Portsmouth, OH $43,809

Little Rock, AR $43,799

Lynchburg, VA $43,799

Lafayette, LA $43,780

Youngstown, OH $43,780

Temple, TX $43,760

Daytona Beach, FL $43,750

Clarksville, TN $43,746

Pensacola, FL $43,741

Hopkinsville, KY $43,595

Charleston, WV $43,591

Florence, SC $43,566

Sioux City, IA $43,537

Macon, GA $43,397

Tallahassee, FL $43,392

Fayetteville, NC $43,382

Waco, TX $43,373

Wichita Falls, TX $43,373

Pine Bluff, AR $43,353

Vincennes, IN $43,261

Lubbock, TX $43,242

Great Falls, MT $43,213

Alamogordo, NM $43,208

Abilene, TX $43,169

Rapid City, SD $43,106

Monroe, LA $43,106

Albany, GA $43,077

Huntington, WV $43,072

Jackson, MS $43,067

Greenville, MS $43,063

Parkersburg, WV $43,014

Montgomery, AL $43,004

Johnstown, PA $42,995

Springfield, MO $42,956

Biloxi, MS $42,932

Sumter, SC $42,830

Columbus, GA $42,825

Twin Falls, ID $42,796

Pascagoula, MS $42,733

Kingsport, TN $42,607

Gulfport, MS $42,593

Alexandria, LA $42,433

Fort Smith, AR $42,312

El Paso, TX $42,181

Helena, MT $42,118

Las Cruces, NM $41,963

Harlingen, TX $41,827

Pocatello, ID $41,784

Florence, AL $41,769

Brownsville, TX $41,760

Dothan, AL $41,682

Mcallen, TX $41,658

Columbus, MS $41,299

Altus, OK $41,077

Lawton, OK $40,985

Pierre, SD $40,810

What Skills Can Increase a Financial Aid Counselor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 13.76% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Financial Literacy (Mentioned in 2.18% Job Postings): Financial literacy is the confident understanding of concepts including saving, investing and debt that leads to an overall sense of financial well-being and self-trust.
Data Entry (Mentioned in 1.24% Job Postings): Transcribing information into an electronic medium such as a computer or other electronic device.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	13.76%
Financial Literacy	2.18%
Data Entry	1.24%

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 Financial Aid Counselor's salary.

Financial Planning: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Financial Planning	$55,221	14%
Leadership	$51,830	7%
Analysis	$50,861	5%
Planning	$50,861	5%
Critical Thinking	$49,893	3%
Needs Analysis	$49,893	3%

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How Education impacts a Financial Aid Counselor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Financial Aid Counselors enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Financial Aid Counselor with a Associate's Degree is between $46,077 and $49,339).

Financial Aid Counselor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Financial Aid Counselor

No Diploma 0.8%

High School 11.0%

Associates 9.5%

Bachelors 60.5%

Masters 18.1%

Doctorate 0.2%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.8%
High School	11.0%
Associates	9.5%
Bachelors	60.5%
Masters	18.1%
Doctorate	0.2%

view as graph

Financial Aid Counselor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Financial Aid Counselor'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 January 01, 2026

$43,566

Average $48,439/year

$52,439

$3,630

Average $4,037/month

$4,370

$838

Average $932/week

$1,008

$21

Average $23/hour

$25

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$52,439	$4,370	$1,008	$25
Average	$48,439	$4,037	$932	$23
25th Percentile	$43,566	$3,630	$838	$21

Salaries of jobs related to Financial Aid Counselor

Salary Trends for Financial Aid Counselor

Salaries for a Financial Aid Counselor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $52,086 in 2023 to around $50,990 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Financial Aid Counselor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Financial Aid Counselor Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$52,086

2024

$51,626

2025

$50,990

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$52,086
2024	$51,626
2025	$50,990
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Financial Aid Counselor

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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