School Counselor salary in California: $86,500 median.
How pay for school counselors in California compares with the national figure and other states, and where in the state it is highest.
School Counselors in California earned a median of $86,500 a year in May 2025 (BLS), 34% above the national median of $64,330. California ranked 1 of 51 for this occupation's median pay, with about 45,140 people employed.
- California median
- $86,500
- $41.59/hr
- U.S. median
- $64,330
- +34% in California
- Rank among states
- 1 of 51
- by median pay
- Employed
- 45,140
- location quotient 1.09
Where in California it pays most
Data Metropolitan areas in the state with at least 30 people employed in the occupation.
States with similar pay
Data Ranked by state median, BLS May 2025.
See all states on the national School Counselor salary page.
More for School Counselors
What the job is, skills, tools, pay and related roles.
Open →SalarySchool Counselor salaryPay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.
Open →How to becomeSchool Counselor how to becomeEducation, training and the skills to build first.
Open →ResumeSchool Counselor resumeKeywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.
Open →Interview questionsSchool Counselor interview questionsQuestions with what they test, plus practice mode.
Open →Career changeSchool Counselor career changeWhere these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.
Open →Free toolCheck your resumeParsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.
Open →Similar careers to explore
How this page is built
BLS OEWS state and metropolitan-area estimates for May 2025, for the occupation shown. Ranks compare state medians only.
- Cost of living, which changes what a salary is worth.
- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).