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Guidance counselor salary in New Jersey

Updated October 31, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$77,910median pay per year in New Jersey, or $37.46 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $57,850lowest 10% earn less
  2. $64,16025th percentile
  3. $77,910median
  4. $98,49075th percentile
  5. $108,500top 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 New Jersey was $77,910 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $13,580 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in NJ
8,190[4]
Rank by median pay
6 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+21.1%[6]

How much do guidance counselors make in New Jersey?

The median wage for guidance counselors in New Jersey was $77,910 a year, or $37.46 an hour[1]. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. The average was a bit higher, at $81,430 a year[7]. Across the US, the median was $64,330[3], so New Jersey was 21.1% above it[6]. New Jersey had the 6th highest median among the 50 states and DC[5]. For all jobs in the state, the median was $58,570[8], and guidance counselors earned $19,340 more[9].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $57,850, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $108,500[2]. The middle half of workers fell between $64,160 and $98,490[2].

Among the metro areas that touch New Jersey, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median, at $77,580[10]. Trenton-Princeton, NJ followed at $77,320[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, and they skip bonuses and the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

New Jersey vs US pay

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

NJUS
Median per year$77,910[1]$64,330[3]
Median per hour$37.46[1]$30.93[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$57,850[2]$45,020[13]
Top 10% earn more than$108,500[2]$104,770[13]
Jobs8,190[4]353,310[3]

Pay by metro area in New Jersey

Metro areas in New Jersey 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
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[11]$77,58019,890
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$66,1907,050
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ$63,590960
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$77,320440
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$75,920330
Vineland, NJ$67,620180

Pay in nearby states

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

StateMedian per yearJobs
Delaware[14]$74,0701,700
New York$71,61023,380
Pennsylvania$60,88013,570

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 New Jersey?
The median was $77,910 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $81,430 a year[7].
How much does a guidance counselor make an hour in New Jersey?
The median was $37.46 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile hourly wage was $27.81 and the 90th was $52.17[17].
Which city in New Jersey pays guidance counselors the most?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median of the 6 metro areas with a published figure, at $77,580 a year[10].
Is New Jersey a good state for guidance counselors?
New Jersey had the 6th highest median annual wage for this job among the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was 21.1% above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a guidance counselor in New Jersey?
This is a US figure, not a New Jersey one. Across the US, the typical education needed for entry is a master's degree[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in New Jersey was $77,910 per year and $37.46 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 New Jersey: 10th percentile $57,850, 25th percentile $64,160, 75th percentile $98,490, 90th percentile $108,500. 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 8,190 people worked as Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in New Jersey (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New Jersey had the 6th 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 New Jersey ($77,910) was $13,580 (21.1%) higher 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 New Jersey was $81,430 per year and $39.15 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New Jersey was $58,570. 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 New Jersey was $19,340 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($58,570). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 6 metro areas in or partly in New Jersey with a published median for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage, $77,580. 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 New Jersey (highest first): Delaware $74,070; New York $71,610; Pennsylvania $60,880. 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 New Jersey: 10th percentile $27.81, 25th percentile $30.85, 75th percentile $47.35, 90th percentile $52.17. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New Jersey. 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.