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Guidance counselor salary in New York

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$71,610median pay per year in New York, or $34.43 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $46,100lowest 10% earn less
  2. $57,55025th percentile
  3. $71,610median
  4. $93,54075th percentile
  5. $123,850top 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 York was $71,610 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $7,280 above the US median[6].

Jobs in NY
23,380[4]
Rank by median pay
12 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+11.3%[6]

How much do guidance counselors make in New York?

The median wage for guidance counselors in New York was $71,610 a year, or $34.43 an hour[1]. Half of these workers earned more than that and half earned less. The average was higher at $77,210 a year[7].

Across the US, the median was $64,330[3]. New York's median was $7,280 (11.3%) higher[6]. New York ranked 12th among the 50 states and DC for this median[5]. Inside the state, the median for all jobs was $59,670[8], so guidance counselors earned $11,940 more than that[9].

At the low end, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,100[2]. At the high end, the top-paid 10% earned more than $123,850[2]. By metro area, New York-Newark-Jersey City had the highest median at $77,580[10]. Rochester was at $60,670[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

New York vs US pay

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

NYUS
Median per year$71,610[1]$64,330[3]
Median per hour$34.43[1]$30.93[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$46,100[2]$45,020[13]
Top 10% earn more than$123,850[2]$104,770[13]
Jobs23,380[4]353,310[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York 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
Rochester, NY$60,6701,560
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$62,0001,530
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$62,9201,240
Syracuse, NY$67,8701,020
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$75,020720
Utica-Rome, NY$61,420370
Binghamton, NY$62,010290

Pay in nearby states

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

StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[14]$79,93011,460
New Jersey$77,9108,190
Connecticut$73,9103,370
Vermont$64,5701,120
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 York?
The median was $71,610 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $77,210 a year[7].
How much does a guidance counselor make an hour in New York?
The median was $34.43 an hour[1]. At the 10th percentile the wage was $22.16 an hour, and at the 90th it was $59.54[17].
Which city in New York pays guidance counselors the most?
New York-Newark-Jersey City had the highest median annual wage of the metro areas with a published median, at $77,580[10]. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh had a median of $75,020[11].
Is New York a good state for guidance counselors?
New York ranked 12th for median annual wage among the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was $7,280 (11.3%) above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a guidance counselor in New York?
Across the US, the typical education needed for entry is a master's degree[16]. This is a US figure, not one for New York.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in New York was $71,610 per year and $34.43 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 York: 10th percentile $46,100, 25th percentile $57,550, 75th percentile $93,540, 90th percentile $123,850. 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 23,380 people worked as Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 12th 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 York ($71,610) was $7,280 (11.3%) 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 York was $77,210 per year and $37.12 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. 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 York was $11,940 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 13 metro areas in or partly in New York 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 York (highest first): Massachusetts $79,930; New Jersey $77,910; Connecticut $73,910; Vermont $64,570; 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 York: 10th percentile $22.16, 25th percentile $27.67, 75th percentile $44.97, 90th percentile $59.54. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. 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.