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Guidance counselor salary in Georgia

Updated November 2, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$63,720median pay per year in Georgia, or $30.63 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $42,040lowest 10% earn less
  2. $49,00025th percentile
  3. $63,720median
  4. $79,14075th percentile
  5. $101,880top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $64,330[3]

The median pay for guidance counselors in Georgia was $63,720 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $610 lower than the US median[6].

Jobs in GA
11,460[4]
Rank by median pay
22 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
−0.9%[6]

How much do guidance counselors make in Georgia?

The median is the middle point. Half of guidance counselors in Georgia earned more than $63,720 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $30.63 an hour[1]. The average was higher, at $68,410 a year[7]. Across the US, the median was $64,330[3], so Georgia was $610 (0.9%) lower[6]. For all jobs in Georgia, the median was $48,170[8], and guidance counselors earned $15,550 more[9].

Pay spreads out a lot. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,040, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $101,880[2]. The middle half fell between $49,000 and $79,140[2].

By metro area, Brunswick-St. Simons had the highest median of the 15 metro areas with a published figure, at $80,740[10]. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell had 6,550 jobs and a median of $67,730[11]. Savannah had a median of $57,320[11].

These figures count wage and salary workers, both full time and part time. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses outside regular production pay or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

Georgia vs US pay

Pay for guidance counselors in Georgia next to the national figures[1][3].

GAUS
Median per year$63,720[1]$64,330[3]
Median per hour$30.63[1]$30.93[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$42,040[2]$45,020[13]
Top 10% earn more than$101,880[2]$104,770[13]
Jobs11,460[4]353,310[3]

Pay by metro area in Georgia

Metro areas in Georgia with the most jobs for guidance counselors, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA[11]$67,7306,550
Savannah, GA$57,320660
Chattanooga, TN-GA$56,660600
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC$62,600450
Macon-Bibb County, GA$57,790300
Columbus, GA-AL$59,120280
Gainesville, GA$60,400210
Athens-Clarke County, GA$57,870180

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for guidance counselors in the states that border Georgia, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
South Carolina[14]$60,3406,460
Tennessee$59,9606,470
Alabama$59,5704,410
North Carolina$57,6309,430
Florida$53,14022,800

Median pay for guidance counselors in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for guidance counselors are projected to grow 2.9% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: master's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a guidance counselor make in Georgia?
The median was $63,720 a year in May 2025, and the average was $68,410[1][7]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,040 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $101,880[2].
How much does a guidance counselor make an hour in Georgia?
The median hourly wage was $30.63[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $20.21 an hour, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $48.98[17][2].
Which city in Georgia pays guidance counselors the most?
Brunswick-St. Simons had the highest median among the 15 metro areas with a published figure, at $80,740[10]. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell had 6,550 jobs and a median of $67,730[11].
Is Georgia a good state for guidance counselors?
Georgia had the 22nd highest median annual wage for this job among the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median of $63,720 was $610 lower than the US median[6].
What do you need to become a guidance counselor in Georgia?
This is a US figure, not a Georgia one. Across the US, the typical education needed for entry is a master's degree, with no related work experience and no on-the-job training[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Georgia was $63,720 per year and $30.63 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Georgia: 10th percentile $42,040, 25th percentile $49,000, 75th percentile $79,140, 90th percentile $101,880. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the US as a whole was $64,330 per year and $30.93 per hour, with about 353,310 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 11,460 people worked as Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Georgia (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Georgia had the 22nd highest median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Georgia ($63,720) was $610 (0.9%) lower than the US median ($64,330). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Georgia was $68,410 per year and $32.89 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Georgia was $48,170. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Georgia was $15,550 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($48,170). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 15 metro areas in or partly in Georgia with a published median for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, Brunswick-St. Simons, GA had the highest median annual wage, $80,740. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the US: 10th percentile $45,020, 25th percentile $51,270, 75th percentile $82,870, 90th percentile $104,770. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in states that border Georgia (highest first): South Carolina $60,340; Tennessee $59,960; Alabama $59,570; North Carolina $57,630; Florida $53,140. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors is projected to grow 2.9% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 27,800 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors: education needed for entry: Master's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in Georgia: 10th percentile $20.21, 25th percentile $23.56, 75th percentile $38.05, 90th percentile $48.98. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only Georgia. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.